to think life is more 'normal' than 'lockdown' now?

[fodderbeet]

Am I right to think that for a lot of people life is now more normal than not for most? Almost everything is open, pools, gyms, shops, restaurants etc. Sport has resumed at a local level, clubs and committees are meeting again, holidays are happening, life is happening again.

Admittedly in the scale of things our lives changed far less than most due to location & occupation and always having a preference for on-line shopping over trips to the supermarket, but I was surprised to hear from a friend that they're still very much in 'lockdown mode' and how restrictive their lives still are.

Am I being unreasonable to think that for most life is more normal now?

I'm surrounded by people losing their jobs, it doesn't feel the same as lockdown did, but its dreadful.

I call this phase Notdown. It isn't lockdown but there are still lots of things you cannot do.

Not for us, unfortunately. DD back at nursery but they're not operating at full capacity, so she's gone from a very bustling environment with lots of singing to a handful of kids and no singing allowed indoors.

Local parks are still closed as local authority say they can't guarantee safety.

It's a 4 hour round trip to see my family and I'd have to wear a mask the whole way, so as yet haven't made the trek. I miss them.

DP is working in a shop because he's self-employed and his work has disappeared. Done nothing for his self-esteem in spite of being grateful to find work.

Meh. I've got faith we'll all adapt eventually but I can't see it being this side of Christmas.

The things that don't feel normal...

-We have been shielding ds, and I still don't feel confident about shops and cafes.
-I haven't really seen many friends
-I used to speak to my mum twice a day in lockdown and pre lockdown we'd see each other a couple of times a week. She died suddenly in June. There is now quite a huge hole in our lives, I miss talking to her.

• I don't think I am going to go back to work in September
• I feel sad and anxious most of the time.

None of this normal for me.

I think while it’s been great weather and we can be outside all the time it’s felt pretty normal.
However, we go away today for a mini break and it’s looking like 4 days of thunder storms and I’m struggling to think of things we can do. Everything inside requires a mask and I hate wearing them so much. I really won’t enjoy wandering around a shopping centre, playing crazy golf or getting a pedicure wearing a mask unfortunately. It’s also really not going to be enjoyable wearing one to walk around the hotel either.

I understand why they’re necessary but if we hadn’t paid so much money I’d be cancelling and just staying at home

Not yet, a lot of stuff still isn't open in Scotland. No softplay, swimming pools, gymns, gymnastics, fairground rides, no nearby libraries open yet. That's just the stuff we would have done fairly regularly.

I get what you mean OP, to me it does feel 'more' towards normal than lockdown. Absolutely not back to normal yet, but sometimes it feels a little like it.

We have two young DC but both DH and I work in a school, so would be on summer holidays anyway. We're back to days out, shopping, visiting friends and family, even if those things are a little different and more restrictive we are still able to do them and I'm enormously thankful!

Nope nowhere near, I can't wear a mask so the only place I go is the supermarket for food shopping and it's a smash and grab to get in and out as quickly as possibly so I will be judged as little as possible. I daren't go anywhere else for fear of judgement and the fact that toilets being open are very hit and miss, so I'm home bound just like I was in lockdown with a supermarket visit.

As an adult mostly things seem quite normal, even the pub whose staff were wearing masks have stopped. Been 6 weeks since a case in my town

Things done feel at all normal to me. It isn't even just about what we 'can' do. The things we can do carry a risk they didn't before, and if you have family who are at high risk that can't be shrugged off. Yes, we can go out for a drink or to the shops with those relatives, but if we do we are taking a chance. Cases are rising fast near some of my relatives and their areas are being watched closely for potential action. I guess what I mean is that it isn't just the restrictions making things not normal (and they are abnormal enough), it's the actual virus.

Yes thank goodness!
Kids back at sport and have had friends to play. Managed a few days away for holidays. Can have days out. Most important can see family.
Return to school / office hopefully in Sept.

I am in a rural area with low incidence presently. I hope the reprieve lasts.

Things don't, typo sorry

Not close.

Public transport is still severely curtailed, no gyms, no leisure centres, no libraries.
My OH is stlll working from home, my DDs part time job has not yet resumed ( she teaches dance to children).
My DM who lives with us has no recreational activities, no old people's clubs, no churches, no coffee drop ins, she is beyond bored.

Life is far from normal.

Still very few children's activities - my local council had a leisure contract with a private firm which had handed the contract back to the council so no gyms or swimming pools are back open around here. The pubs with outdoor seating and play areas we would normally go to at this time of year no longer allow children to play. We don't want to crowd into indoor areas because we still feel a social responsibility not to contribute to the spread of the virus - so no cinema for us for the foreseeable I think.

I am relieved that outdoor play areas are now open and we certainly have more options than during true lockdown so it's certainly not all doom and gloom. And our camping trip to a farm (local) during bank holiday weekend is still on which we're looking forward to.

Still desperate for a hair cut and can't get one though!

We have extra local restrictions, which means we can not have anyone in our house or garden, and can not go to theirs. That’s not “normal” in any way. My DC are so fed up of each other!

Sorry, nope, not normal. My industry is closed (legally required to be so),and every day there's news of more cancellations and redundancies. I'm lucky enough to have some work, but I'm very unusual in this. As a single person my social life is mainly restricted to outdoor gatherings, and I'm looking ahead at an autumn/winter where I probably won't see some of my more cautious friends for 6 months or so except on zoom.

I'm afraid I like life now rather less than in full lockdown. i didn't mind staying in to stop the virus spreading and we had fun with family book club and yoga classes via zoom and having space for ourselves. Now nearly everything I do annoys me to distraction. i don't like the restrictions in exercise classes, the wearing of a mask in john Lewis was not nice, that shop already has a very poor atmosphere, hot and over perfumed, i thought I was going to faint. I feel sorry for my hairdresser who is not able to fit in so many clients and has to wear a mask and visor. The lady at the waxing ace was similarly encumbered. I still feel cut off and the little bit of pleasure I get from the relaxations is taken away by all the faffing about.

Nope.

Both DP an I are still WFH. No foreign holiday for us this year. Can't see my 94yr old Nan as she is shielding. Eldest has been doing uni work remotely from our house.....List goes on.

Well we’re now widely reported to be in recession so life won’t be getting back to normal for a long long time.

It’s still lockdown for us. I’m a sahp to 3 children and my life was literally school runs, clubs, playgroups and soft play at the weekend. I’m in a high risk area so a lot of the children’s friends aren’t allowed on play dates yet (I don’t mind). It’s been lockdown for 5 months for us now

clubs and committees are meeting again
Things are definitely not back to normal for our club.

Whilst our committee is able to meet in the open air, we cannot hold regular club meetings because the village hall we use is still closed. The hall is used by a lot of groups and the village hall committee is refusing to re-open as they can't deep-clean between bookings.

All our local and national club events have been cancelled, as they are indoors and attract a large number of visitors. We can't run the events safely by strictly limiting entry, and make enough money from entrance fees to cover the cost of hiring the venues. Also, the majority of people interested in the hobby are retirement age, and many have health conditions so wouldn't want to risk it anyway.

I’m in London (no kids) and feel that my life is largely back to normal. WFH and masks are an inconvenience but aside from that things are feeling more normal.

Nope, absolutely not! And if people think this is normal life, then their normal life must be really bloody tedious! We can’t go to concerts, theatre, clubs, to watch live sports. In Manchester it’s still outside only for members of different households (great when the weather turns next week). Holiday to Spain not happening due to quarantine being reintroduced. Can’t go to the shops without a bloody mask on. The list continues...

No I don’t think it’s anywhere near normal and I’m sure the government will impose tighter restrictions again. Such as visiting other people in their homes during the cooler months.

I don’t know why I think that. I’m no expert.

I don't quite understand why people are saying 'It won't be normal until the kids are back in school' unless you are not in the UK. In Scotland, kids are going back now. In the rest of the UK, kids are still on summer holidays as usual , so that is normal. Besides, school very much won't be as normal when they do go back.

In the rest of the UK, kids are still on summer holidays as usual , so that is normal

Yes, but in previous years mine were in holiday childcare while I worked.
There is no holiday childcare in my area, so I can’t work, so I have lost all my clients.