Is anyone else finding it all a bit much now?

[champagnesupernovainthesky]

Constant doom mongering on the news..... constant fear of school bubble closures.... stress of getting available test if need one...feel like nothing to actually look forward too.... the list goes on....

I suppose I just want to have a moan..... it all just seems to be going on and on with no end in sight again....

I don't understand why you can go fox hunting, but can't see family.

It’s just complete fucking hypocrisy. It’s fine to keep on working - Make sure you keep bringing the coin in for your paymasters, but don’t you dare go enjoying yourself or being social with loved ones! By the way the posh folk can still do their activities like fox hunting though. Suck it up plebs.

Because @MyPersona we should be allowed to do our own risk assessments. I'm amazed you've got this far, are you constantly told what to do and controlled?

That's far more scary than a poxy virus that isn't actually killing anyone!?

@OfficeMonkee I'm with you

Unfortunately some people who are 'over it' seem to think that means they don't have to abide by guidelines and they can just do what they want.

Everyone's had enough.

But Covid hasn't.

Time to dig deep.

@CathTurnbull I was grateful for the jigsaw suggestion. All those things that keep you in the moment, just focused on the next piece etc. I rediscovered dot-to-dot during the lockdown as I can’t “do” mindfulness and it really helps calm me down and get out of my head. Just focusing on the next dot and not letting my worries take over. So thank you for your suggestion, I’m sure it helped some other people.

The point is, if you can, find something that calms you and brings a little peace in these unsettled times. I didn’t report the comment but there was no need for pps to be rude about your suggestion.

I am a lot gloomier now but this is also to do with Summer ending and dark days coming in more ways than one. I am missing seeing my grandchildren properly now schools are back as the so called bubbles are ridiculous and Christmas is precarious but all things shall pass though so we just have to soldier on.

Those feeling very down, please don't do anything drastic as it will pass. I remind myself that people coped with much more terrible things for many more years during the war. It must be very hard for those whose leisure time is generally spent socialising whereas us more solitary souls cope more easily.

I'm not actually depressed about it for me. My life wasn't a million miles away from what it is now, and I'm in a lockdown area. I don't have extended family so don't need to worry about that. Don't have money for nights out holidays abroad, theatre trips yada yada so nothing to miss there. I still meet friends for coffee now and then. Don't drink as head doesn't handle alcohol now. So don't relish a night in the pub can't think of anything worse actually.

But my kids had plans, travelling, graduations, festivals, parties, all the things young adults do. And it's all went Pete tong. And I can't make it better.
I'm bored yeah, but I was bored before. I can do bored cos I've been 21 and lived life to the full. And that's all I want my kids to do, but they fuck8ng can't cos of this fuck8ng virus and the god awful way the government has handled this. Plus Brexit being flung into the mix just to fuck up their chances even further.

@grafittiartist

I am actually finding the return of "normal life" stressful. Everything seems busy and crowded and noisy. With the added stress of the virus. Have stopped watching the news!

Same. Noise in early mornings is back to normal...the distant roar of traffic from 6.30

Apart from financial concerns, the Lockdown days were so blissfully quiet.

@LJenn

I totally get it. It's actually suffocating the amount of negativity. Everywhere you turn, it's just either COVID or Trump. The only things that I find that work are... just to turn off the tv, radio, get off social media. Reading, or listening to audiobooks, music, getting outdoors/fresh air as much as possible, just going back to basics. Whenever I get to see my friends we just discuss happy subjects. I'm not saying ignore the problems, because we're going to be like this for quite some time yet but, blocking out so much of the negativity & finding a distraction definitely helps.

Sooo true....Get out into the fresh air as much as possible, while we still have warm weather and avoid social media & news until its absolutely necessary to update yourself.

This is but a moment in our lives, we can do this. Three people nearby have had Covid and all recovered.

Yes all this nonsense implying people are going to be dragged out of houses if they want to celebrate Christmas with their families...it's a joke!

Yes. I could cope with Covid on its own or with my fear of what this govt is doing on its own, but both together is driving me over the edge .

@akerman

Yes. I could cope with Covid on its own or with my fear of what this govt is doing on its own, but both together is driving me over the edge .

That plus No Deal.

Scary.

I definitely have good days and days where I am just done. I live in Connecticut, and have not seen my parents (in England) since February, and the absolute worst part is not knowing when I’ll see them again. There was talk of an “air bridge” between JFK and Heathrow, specifically for residents of NY and the surrounding areas, as our R-rate is excellent (0.9) but I doubt that will happen any time soon.

School is going well right now. We are doing a hybrid model, but at least my children are in school daily, their soccer leagues started back at weekends two weeks ago, and they’ve regularly had cohort friends over to play. But I am dreading the harsh winter here, school potentially reverting to Zoom lessons from home and my kids’ activities going up the swanny.

Fucking hell - if you just don’t sit watching the news all day and have a think about what you could be doing with your time / Start sorting things out to do that you look forward to? Sitting at home moping about how it’s so unfair and you want the virus to go away now is ridiculous ! I have heaps of fun things planned over the next few Weeks - not as exciting as the holidays I had planned or festivals that were cancelled - but I’m making the most of what is available (which is actually loads) I’ve not seen my family since January as they live abroad - it’s crap but what can you do! Il see them again eventually. It’s not that bad

I have been really lucky - able to WFH and job seems safe, teens who got on with work independently, enough space and tech for us all, big garden, countryside on doorstep, had a two week holiday in UK as planned, none of us have been ill. In many ways I enjoyed our time in lockdown as we spent more time as a family and I have spent lots of time reading.

But I am now thoroughly fed up and bored. Have to plan any outings in advance (and limited options), work is boring without the human interaction, a huge part of my normal life through my church is not happening - yes there’s online services and a weekly zoom call with small group. But none of the general interaction - chatting after service, running a toddler group etc.

Really pleased for them that DC back at school but think them having relative normality Mon to Fri and not being in the house makes me feel worse. And whilst being able to go out for walks and cycle rides has made it bearable over last few months, we really have been everywhere possible and done every local route umpteen times and anyway weather will restrict that soon.

So am joining you in the fed up club.

It’s really scary. And what scares me the most is how unconcerned most people seem to be. We seem to be sleepwalking towards disaster.

I have come to accept life is suffering and try to convince myself there will be something at the end that is worth enduring it all for. Even if that is all bollocks, at least I've spent my life not feeling totally hopeless!

Yikes. A variation on Pascal's wager. On Mumsnet. In 2020. That's when you know the shit has really hit the fan!

And it has. This whole feeling that normality's teetering on a knife edge and life at school/work could pop when the next bubble bursts is an exhausting way to live. The 'mustn't ever be negative' stuff is also the sort of pressure that just isn't realistic. Yes, people will feel down from time to time and should be able to find a space to vent about that: it's normal, and the occasional moan about it is perfectly healthy. I'm agreed that doom-mongering all the time helps no one, but by the same token Relentlessly Cheerful Mode can be equally frustrating. It's called balance, and we can always ignore the threads we don't like.

BTW, IMO if anyone's revelling in this situation and doesn't want it to end it's the self-appointed Neighbourhood Prefects. Those ones who get off on spying on their locals and reporting them to the police for various infractions, most lately breaking The Sacred Rule of Six. I'm betting they haven't felt this powerful since they were Head Girl/Boy. I'd all love this to end tomorrow, even if it's only for the sake of pissing them off

@Serin

BarryIsland

Do you know how patronising you sound?
I take it you dont have special needs children then?
Or work on the front line?
I have worked with covid positive patients from the beginning and caught covid back in March. It's been a struggle but I got back to that frontline as soon as I could (within 3 weeks). I'm still on ventolin now.
I have watched people die and I've cried for them and their families.

It's not new routines and little pleasures I need love, its fucking trauma counselling.

You can take your twee little "Goodness" and stick it up your arse.

Thank you sincerely for what you do, I know it can't be easy and what you have seen will be with you for many years. I hope eventually you get the counselling you need. Perhaps a charitable fund should be set up for all traumatised NHS staff to receive prompt counselling sessions given it will take NHS services many years to catch up. You are valued. I've worked on the NHS frontline and my SIL is presently doing so.

@Guineapigbridge

This may not help at all. It's a jigsaw kind of comment really. But I'm reading a book about Victorian England, "The Five: The Untold Lives of the Women Killed by Jack the Ripper". It's so wonderfully written and so descriptive of life back then for the working classes. It's made me very, very grateful to be alive right now in these times of comfort for most.

I listened to Jack London's ''People of the Abyss'' on audiobook... It too made me think how lucky we are to live in modern times when there was real desperate poverty and no 'Health and safety' in workplace and people who were too ill/old to work ended up in Workhouses. It was a harrowing listen, and disease was rife. No antibiotics, and TB and other diseases treatable now were rife.

Glad I found this thread so I am not the only one feeling this

Serin trying to do things to keep positive and make things as pleasant as possible doesn't mean people can't see how awful this is for parents with special needs children, people with mental health issues etc who are getting very little support. What you have faced at work is very traumatic. We know doing jigsaws, online courses, going for walks etc doesn't solve the problem but it is a distraction, it can help to find enjoyment in what we can. Of course everyone has had enough but it doesn't help to have a go at people who are trying to make the best of things.

@Heyahun. I felt like you for the first few months and would love to be thinking like that again - so give us some ideas from your plans to give us some inspiration please!

Yanbu, feeling really fed up today. Nothing to look forward to, just feel really anxious things are going to get worse.

@Pumpkinnose

I am finding that I can cope with almost anything if the kids are at school. After school activities have also started again.

Trying to work At home in a professional job with 2 small children was truly horrific. Clearly not as hard as being a key worker but it had such a toll.

I’m happy to just get on with the rest of the restrictions. It will be harder when weather changed so no point moaning about it now!

Same here. The worry about their education was always the hardest part for me. However year 7 in their school has just been sent home to self-isolate for 2 weeks so I'm not feeling confident right now. DD is in year 11 and I'm trying to stay positive about this academic year not being a nightmare...