To think I'm the only one still living a distanced life...

[ciarachats]

I'm still strictly distancing, because, well
that's the rules!
But I know very little people that still are.!!

The thing is, I'm so miserable because of it.

I have a 7 month old baby that my mum hasn't held since March. My mum
works around a lot of people and I've not felt like it's a good Idea for her to hold the baby.

I've barely seen friends because the weather is rubbish for outdoor meet ups!

We can't go for coffee because how do you stay 2m away from someone and drink a coffee in a shop together?!
Same for going for lunch or a drink etc.

It's all starting to drive me crazy and I really miss seeing properly.

How long are we expected to keep this up for!!

Should I just stop this now and get back to normal?!

You can meet up two households anyway, so of course you can meet your friend if you want to, I would also make a bubble to include your mum if you can.

There are choices here, I agree you wouldn't want to mix lots of households.

Honestly, I would get out and about now whilst the weather is mostly warm and infection rates are low in many areas. You can sit outside at a cafe? See friends?

I’m happy to sit in a cafe, not because of amazing social distancing (as sometimes we are closer than 1m) but my risk assessment says that it’s unlikely anyone in that cafe or close to me has COVID right now. I’ll still hand wash and prefer to sit outside but overall cases are so much lower than Feb/March and April.

I am in an area with restrictions but am completely confused as to what the rules across the rest of the country are.

I can stick it out for another month but after that I am going to struggle I think. I haven’t seen my parents since March.

You can set inside with your friends or family.
Your mum can hold your baby
And yes you can go out and have a coffee with someone.

There are times where SD just isn’t possible (eg going to the hairdresser) and I think it’s clearly that when it’s not possible to SD, then it’s ok not to do so.

All the SD seems to drag you down. Go our and see friends/dfamily before it’s affecting your MH

We're still distancing. Dgd won't be going back to school.

I am doing the same as you OP. Just trying to do our bit to help others whilst avoiding the virus ourselves. Friend’s Facebook posts tell me we are in the minority, sadly.

If cases in my area start to rise again then in Nov/Dec then I’ll hunker on down again and not go out/ see people. But that will be more bearable if I socialise now! The Zoe app says there are 0 cases in my area. I can’t see how that can be true but case numbers are low.

@ginsparkles

I am still doing the same as you OP. My understanding is the distancing is still 2m unless you can mitigate by wearing masks, being behind a screen or sitting side by side (not face to face) none of those make for a particularly fun coffee or lunch date. I have had one inside cuppa with a friend where we did sit side by side 1m apart but otherwise I have stuck to meeting outside which is getting harder. I'm sticking with my little bubble for now.

Well things are different but I'd rather meet friends for coffee with a mask on than have stayed in the house since March. I was in the shielding group so didn't set foot out of the house/garden for 12 weeks but 6 months later that is unrealistic. Our mental health is so important which is why I'm desperate for the kids to get back to school and to see family and friends for a few hours here and there.

There have always been risks of catching viruses. Life is too short.

Wow! where have you been these last few months? For the vulnerable, this is NOT just any old virus! Having said that, it is now ok to go out provided you take reasonable precautions.

I do agree that more and more people are not observing SD or wearing masks when they are supposed to. It's the attitude above that is going to cause more deaths and a general lockdown later this year.

You’re not living, you’re existing. Please start mixing and let your baby see people.

Just to back to normal. The risks are miniscule. Life really is too short.

Where are you OP? If in England and if you are following the guidelines then your mum can't hold your baby unless you are in a support bubble and you can only form a support bubble if either you or she is either a single parent or a single person household. Yes you can meet other households indoors or in a pub/restaurant but you are expected to social distance from those not in your household or support bubble.

Many people aren't following the guidelines, but if you decide to follow them then those are what they are.

@Jaxhog what a stupid post. I’ve been in lockdown like the rest of us, working the whole time and looking after two kids, mostly by myself.

In my opinion though, if you take some precautions it is important for most people to begin to live life again. I have seen many examples of harm that lockdown caused, financial, educational, mental health and physical health issues that were set aside, including my own. But yeah, choose to take this piss out of my post because you disagree with one line. And life is short and there isn’t much point being here if we can’t enjoy it a bit!!! Honestly this whole thing is really bringing out the twat in some people....

Don't do it then. Get back to normal. Why on earth are you doing it if you're not at risk?

Just to back to normal. The risks are miniscule. Life really is too short. and it’s attitudes like that that mean we have a daily infection rate today of 1522, that’s about half what it was in March when we went into lockdown and 500 more than on Monday.

I am doing the same as you OP but I shielded due to my heart condition, however went to the hospital two weeks ago and was told: be very careful, no public transport, don’t go back to work, (I’m unemployed but if I hadn’t been my consultant would have provided a letter.) I actually have my DP staying here for the first time since March but we’re strictly social distancing, he’s in the spare room and that’s how it will stay.

But the risks to me are very real, if I catch COVID I’ve been told there’s a likely chance I won’t survive it. But if I do, then the damage to my lungs could be such that I will become ineligible for a heart transplant which is in my future.

And then looking at the fast increasing rates and the idiotic post like the one quoted above, and I am not inclined to start rushing out anywhere any time soon.

You're not alone OP. We still social distance, wear masks everywhere, avoid public transport, don't see friends unless it is in a public place where we can be 2m+ apart. We do have family around but they sit in clean furniture on the opposite side of the room to us, we don't have any physical contact, no drinks etc. It's hard, but it'd be harder if we accidentally passed Covid-19 along and made someone we care about sick.

The distancing has been reduced to 1m, but I understand your reluctance. Try and hang in there, is there any way you and friends could do a Zoom coffee meeting? It's not the same but it could help.

IMO we're going to be in this until at least Spring next year.

@Hadjab that's me. I finished chemo end of May and I'm out and about. I wear my mask in shops. But I've been out for dinner, lunch, shopping trips etc.

Life has to go on just with a few tiny tweaks for now

Idiotic??!! Thanks. Do you realise more people are dying of flu than Covid currently? Infection rates going up (which they will) don't equate to death.

How do you expect the NHS to survive if people don't go back to work and pay NI?

You stay safely at home. That's your call and clearly what you need to do based on your circumstances. But you cannot expect everyone else to do the same. I have an elderly mother with a lung condition but she has decided that actually life is too short and she is going to live (versus exist) for the remainder of the life she is. Good on her. We can each make our own decisions. And have a sense of perspective. (and not resort to insults!!!)

At the moment the risk of catching the virus is low. It could be a very long winter if the virus takes hold again. I'm not doing anything that isn't allowed, but I'm meeting friends, going to restaurants and pubs, going swimming, visiting museums, have had my hair cut, had a pedicure etc. The only thing I'm not doing is hugging anyone and I keep my distance where possible and am careful about hygiene.

I understand your concerns OP, and I was very anxious doing things for the first time. But life is for living and the risks to your baby are low. I live in London yet I only know of a small number of people who've had Covid and know of no-one who has been hospitalised or died.

how do you stay 2m away from someone and drink a coffee in a shop together?
I have done it, outside mainly tbf, but we have sat on neighbouring tables or at either end of a longer table.
If you are closer than 2m, and that worries you, sit both facing the same way, or at least at an angle so you are not facing one another directly.
If you are worried about occupying two tables, go early, as they open, or go late eg 45 mins before closing. Most places are otherwise empty round us at that time.

I vote just go back to as near normal as possible. I think very soon we will be asked to distance more and go out less etc as the virus returns for winter. Might as well make the most now while you can.

If people are at serious risk if they catch it, then it's best that they take the precautions they feel they need to take. The looming mental health crisis will probably kill more people than covid, so I'm taking the precautions i need to take to protect my mental health, which is to see the people that are important to me and to go about my business as normally as i can.

@Chesneyhawkes1 sending you hugs ❤️

Stop worrying and live your life. Being so isolated is miserable and lonely.

Why don't you and your mum isolate then you can be in the same bubble - lots of baby cuddles.