To feel a bit of nostalgia for “lockdown version 1”

[Covidchameleon]

This is lighthearted and I’m not making light of the shitty situation we all find ourselves in.
However this lockdown seems to be missing some of the elements that made the first one bearable

Tiger King, great memes, queuing outside Sainsbury’s etc.

This feels instead like and endless slog - so Aibu to ask say the sequel is not as good as the original?

[Maryann1975]

During lockdown 1, Dh and I were both off work, him furloughed and I got the SEISS payment. Although bits of it were hideous (we have a vulnerable child and got zero support from school), we were all here together and got in to a really lovely routine. We had enough food, activities and the weather was lovely so we were able to go for walks and sit in the garden for lunch. Friends would walk past and we would sit on the front garden and have a chat while the dc whizzed up and down on their scooters. Whilst it was really hard in some ways and I cried a lot, we could have had it far worse.
This time round, I am so thankful schools have remained open, which means I’m still working. There were rumours Dh was going to be furloughed again, but he’s still in work, which is good. I am very much missing seeing people, we are normally quite sociable at the weekends and are struggling not seeing anyone. It’s too dark And cold in the evenings so no sitting on the front having a chat with friends walking past (and they aren’t walking round anyway as who wants to go for a stroll in the rain).
It is much harder this time and I have no faith that this lockdown is actually going to work so feel we are going to be like this for a long time.

[LeSquigh]

It doesn’t actually feel like lockdown at the moment. It only seems to be non essential shops closed and everyone is going about their business as normal. You wouldn’t know if you didn’t know!

[Shitonthebloodything]

I haven't seen any changes in this lockdown to be honest. Noone us doing much different, the road traffic is still the same, everyone I see posting on social media are pretty much doing the same as always. I can't work in our very covid safe salon though so that's absolute shit.
Doesn't feel anything like the first one.

[kitschplease]

Apart from schools being closed, I'd agree!

[Meimeimei]

I hated first lockdown....

We had nice weather but we couldn't visit places (we don't have a car).

I didn't like it that there was no-one around and no hustle and bustle that feels like normal times (we live very urban).

I used to be out everyday and socialise face to face.

I find it more bearable this time as I work in an office, I've decided to go food shopping as and when we need it. Plus, I've been making sure I've been walking at least 10k steps per day.

I don't think there is any wrong or right, I think its what would help you mentally as well as physically.

[Ihaveyourback]

I prefer this lockdown!

We are all working, children in school, lots of shops open, many businesses open, and I am missing my friends and going out for dinner/drinks but can easily cope as things stand now.

First lockdown was homeschool hell, and I certainly would never ever hope to return to that even with the good weather! This is lockdown heaven in comparison, and we have our good routines back - all good!

[katy1213]

First one was quite exciting or at least a novelty - lots of phoning friends to see how we're all doing and if anyone's dead yet - as nobody died, nobody got COVID and the one person who had to self-isolate was a false alarm - it''s all a bit of a anti-climax!
And there's the shaming realisation that no matter how much time I have on my hands, I am never, ever going to clear out that cupboard. Or learn to make sourdough.
Haven't seen a single Lockdown2 joke. And what's happened to all those great plays from the National Theatre?
Roll on December 2nd.

[rainkeepsfallingdown]

Everyone knows the second film is just filler. It's only the first film and the third film where something happens.

Nothing's changed for me. I was isolating on my own; I'm still isolating on my own. Some days I wonder if I'll ever touch another human again.

It's not so bad, but I think I've graduated Netflix. I didn't realise it was possible to watch all the good stuff.

[Circusoflove]

Lockdown 1 was nice for about 4 weeks. I was furloughed, cooked nice food, cracked open the wine at 5pm every day. Kids enjoyed the break from rushing to breakfast club, school etc. Life changed dramatically overnight and it felt like living in a holiday camp.

After a few weeks it got really boring, kids were borderline depressed, really missed their friends, homeschooling a disaster so felt constantly guilty. Lockdown 2 is normal life with just a few small inconveniences. Everyone is breaking the rules to suit themselves. I’ve had loads of people say they are following all the rules, well except they are seeing their parents this time etc etc.

[Circusoflove]

I think lockdown 1 was our phoney war. All the excitement with none of the bad consequences.

[BawJaws]

The first time it was terrible
This time there’s a vaccine

[BawJaws]

Sorry pressed send too soon

And therefore some hopw

[Duckwit]

Yes I totally know what you mean - especially Tiger King and all the memes going around which kept me going during those weeks! The great weather, the general novelty of it all, the Zoom quizzes, getting pissed in the day and then doing said quizzes, I Zoomed with friends and family who I probably wouldn't have even seen in real life anyway and caught up with them, discovering new places in my area on walks, it was alright really! I realise I am incredibly lucky to be in a position to feel like that though.

This time I am working full time, kids are at school, traffic is just as bad as its ever been, weather is shite, everyone is fed up with it and people are trying to drum up enthusiasm for Zoom etc but its not there this time!

[ScrollEatSleepRepeat]

We have spent the last few years stressed to hell about finances and job security anyway so there was no change in daily life there.

I had a shielding letter in the first lockdown and spent a number of weeks being terrified. This time around, I'm not shielding (or doing shielding Lite, whatever they call it) and I'm nowhere near as scared. I'm past the stage of giving a fuck, quite frankly. My anger at the governments total fucking ineptitude at dealing with this situation has rocketed and seems to have replaced my fear.

If the first lockdown slogan was was all clap for the NHS the second lockdown slogan is fuck this shit.

[TheHoneyBadger]

I hate this one. Still teaching in school in pretty shitty conditions but not allowed to go to the gym and or basically do anything other than work. And it's dark and wet.

I'm not a big fan of November at the best of times.

The only pleasure I can think of is junk food and drink whereas I lost 20lbs in the first lockdown.

[RichardMarxisinnocent]

I much prefer this lockdown. This time I have a support bubble and am still going into the office. I'm not incredibly lonely and I have a proper daily routine including getting to leave home to go to work.

Last time there was no support bubble until June and I was wfh which I hated. Yes the weather was nice so I could go out for walks but the walks were round and round residential streets and after the first few times the novelty of nosing at other people's houses wore off, the walks became mind numbingly boring and I was having to force myself to go out.

[Fouroclockonamarblemorning]

@TheDowagerDuchess

Personally I found lockdown 1 unbearable. I was very ill with Covid, on my own with two kids for much of it, then trying to work from home in a not easy job, homeschooling my six year old and helping the 11 yo. Providing all meals and trying to keep everyone happy in a smallish house with small garden. Bloody nightmare. Watching kids mental health deteriorate while they couldn’t see any friends or anyone their own age. People being smug because they lived in the countryside or had no kids to worry about so had quite a pleasant experience.

This lockdown has been fine - kids are at school which means they have something of a normal life. Autumn walks are lovely. We know a lot more about the virus so it’s less scary.

I’m at the back end of a six week period of covid. I’ve never been so ill. The thought is having to care for little ones at the same makes my eyes water. I hope you’re feeling better 💐

[Siepie]

During lockdown 1 I was working, stressed about suddenly moving lectures online, and more worried about covid because I was pregnant. But I still had a routine and was enjoying the free plays online and Zoom quizzes, we even started going to PIL's church online.

This time I'm on maternity leave while DP is still working long hours in the NHS. Anything I could do with DS is cancelled and I can't even get a coffee with other mums. It's much less stressful but I'm bored and getting lost in my negative thoughts a lot more.

[Cantdothis78]

I can’t believe some people enjoyed/miss lockdown one or any lockdown 🤷🏻‍♀️A horrific time in March, filled with high anxiety for my families health, the world, having covid, being trapped inside etc etc. Now is still a scary, strange time but we push forward.

[Tumbleweed101]

I’m barely aware we’re in lockdown this time. The children are still going to school, I’m still working, I’d stopped going shopping for a browse anyway due to wearing masks and glasses steaming and so don’t miss those now. I’m a single parent so in a bubble with my family so can see them still although we have reduced contact. I’d just started eating out with a friend so that’s had to stop and I had to cancel and rebook a holiday due next week.

First lockdown I was working but we only had key children and most of the staff were furloughed so it was very different to this time. The children were home so had the worry of them getting work done while I was working. I missed family as that was before the bubbles started. The biggest thing was how quiet it was and how surreal it felt. We had no idea how dangerous the virus might be so assumed the worse.

However I did enjoy the enforced slower pace of life much more than the months since it ended where it’s not normal but a lot of the slog is back. Hate mask wearing with glasses, it’s really spoiled any enjoyment for going out so I don’t much now.

[drumandthebass]

The sequel is never as good

[HamishDent]

First lockdown was brutal. High workload, homeschooling 2 kids. Nightmare. I did like the quiet roads though and it was a beautiful summer, even though I saw very little of it.

[SeaKingdom]

I know what you mean, but I cannot be nostalgic for home schooling

[TheDowagerDuchess]

I think people have to realise that the first lockdown was very unequal - much more so than this one. It’s actually quite insensitive to claim to have enjoyed it.

Single people and single parents had not support bubble which left people very isolated. There were not childcare bubbles (and of course schools shut for most) so people had to try to homeschool children while working which is enormously stressful - two things like that simply cannot he done at once - and it affected women hugely disproportionately.

You couldn’t drive for a walk or take any kind of public transport (I know you shouldn’t be on public transport this time either) so your experience massively depended on where you live.

People without small children - or with small children and not working - living in the countryside might well have had a ball. But it’s hugely insensitive to keep saying it or say it was better than this one.

[JustBidenMyTime]

What was better psychologically last time was the belief that we would do the lockdown for however many weeks it took, then when infection levels were really low/zero the government would enable us to restart life in way that meant infection levels stayed low.

I personally had no idea that the government would restart life in a way that took us back to the same high levels of infection as before.
It is like first lockdown was for nothing - although of course I understand it worked in terms of stopping the NHS being overwhelmed. But the benefits of low infection levels were totally squandered, and now here we are again. But psychologically it is harder because we know that even if low infection levels can be achieved by this lockdown-lite, then the government won't let them stay low and will reopen everything up and we'll be back to the start again. That is so depressing - and before you all pile on me, I am not making judgements about what should/shouldn't reopen or livelihoods vs being alive, just about lockdown 1 and the low virus levels in June compared to now.