To have found Lockdown a mixed blessing?

[Blackbird99]

Since lock down started I have really enjoyed the lack of pressure to do things and spend money. I am a single mum to 2 DD's and even though I work full time I don't have a lot of money spare each month. Usually I'm being the boring mum who says no to going to the cinema, eating out, day trips out to anywhere that involves spending money etc. I do treat my DD's but it's very limited. I understand that a lot of people have had a rough time and lost their jobs due to Covid / lock down and I've been very lucky to keep hold of mine and I really feel for those people but has anyone else really appreciated the slower pace and pressure off? I feel guilty to admit it.

@adrien

It's been fantastic for me! Passed my driving test, started a new business that brings me great income each month, finished university as it's been great learning from home and prioritising everything. Loved being at home with my daughter (she's not school age anyway) and I'm now due a baby in a few weeks! Not been obliged to see in-laws every week. Saved so much money Not had to make excuses to not attend events lmao

But I think it does depend on our personalities.
As I'm quite a homebody, so home studying etc working from laptop etc suits me fine..

But I guess if I had children in school etc and other responsibilities it might have been different!

Definitely a blessing for me though and my little unit!

I am glad it is working for you and some / many people. First half for me was hell on wheels, now it is much better, I feel so grateful for my little family unit which is close and happy. It has made me appreciate my blessings.

I could not have posted on this thread in the first half. It was pure hell. But the year has changed me and my needs have changed. The biggest game changer was going 3/4 time at work. Just having that bit of breathing space has made all the difference.

But I'd love to be able to see my parents and sister.

@PepeSilviaDoesNotExist

I appreciate lockdown. Although it has been long, and needs to end, it has taught me to slow down and that fun doesn’t have to be expensive.

I can’t live like this forever but I will certainly be adopting aspects of my lockdown life into my new normal going forward.

Beautifully put

We had already structured our lives to have plenty of downtime with toddler DS. I work part time and DH works from home so we are both done by 5pm. There were financial sacrifices for this. To then have the things we did want to do (including free things and seeing our small family!) taken away has been monumentally shit.

I feel sorry for soft play businesses, but a year not having to go to soft play parties or any birthday party is definitely a blessing.

@Notagain20

I also love spending time in nature. I live in a city centre due to work and used to spend every weekend walking in the surrounding countryside (20km away). Lockdown means I can’t do that, because some twattish policeman will slap a fine on me for not “staying local.”

I confess I have quite enjoyed it

There have been some positives in that we've saved some money on childcare and had chance to do some minor home improvements.

But I can't wait to get back to normal. I love being out and busy - this was not a pressure for me. I was living the lifestyle I wanted, and I'll be getting back to my old normal when I can.i miss seeing friends and family. It's been a bit of a boring year overall lacking the usual varied experiences and memories- but I am not complaining as we're healthy etc.

Nope not even a tiny bit, lockdown has been absolutely mind numbingly hell.

Not everyone considers this life to be doing nothing! A lot of people love being at home, love pottering about, work at home happily, love being out in nature, hate pubs and shopping. A lot of people are quietly having a full and rich life, and appreciate how lucky they are to be happy this way.

can't take the kids swimming
can't do ANY sport, even outdoor ones are currently shut
can't go on holiday
can't go travelling
can't even go out for the day at the weekend
can't see friends
can't see family
can't have sleepovers, or friends for diner
can't go to the restaurant
can't have a birthday party

I could go on and on...

I shop just as much as ever, it's all online anyway.

I am mid-40s, I have young kids. There's only so much "pottering around" I could do without going crazy. It's not a life. Being stuck in my house is not fulfilling, the world is too big a place for that.

So I have no issue and sympathise with people like the OP who have a positive lockdown, why not, but posters complaining they are bored about people complaining about the lockdown... let's not push it.

I've hated it because of selfish, noisy people thinking it's a holiday whilst others like me have worked full time all the time.

Seeing friends, meals out and holidays kept me sane previously.

I haven't even saved that much as I worked from home alot before.

I'm worried about the world opening up though and the infection rate and sodding noise ...

I didn’t mind the first lockdown as much. I think perhaps because the weather was so glorious, it was all new and fresh and none of us thought we’d ever have to do it again. It was sort of sold to us as a one time thing we’d all endure for a few months and then we’d be back to normal. I liked spending time with my DH and DC in a way we never have before and likely never will again and I enjoyed gardening, sorting other DIY tasks we always put off etc. We were mostly back to normal August- October and it was lovely. Then everything closed again, everything got shit again...

This lockdown hasn’t been so great. Homeschooling literally almost broke me, I was on the verge of a breakdown. I barely slept and had a permanent stomachache from stress so barely slept. The weather was crap outside for the most part and it was dark early so it didn’t feel great at all. I think the overwhelming thing is that it wasn’t new, it was all so fucking old and tiresome.

I’m bored of it now and I think most people feel that way. I’d give anything to go to the cinema or sit in a coffee shop.

Totally with you op, it has given me the opportunity to see what a rat race my life had become..

I live in a rural and very beuutiful place which has only become more beautiful for not being full of tourists.
We have loved having more time to enjoy it.
We also don't ever have the entertainments that come with a city either, such as cinemas etc, so we don't feel the loss of them.

Financially it's been catastrophic. Due to when my husband became self employed, he hasn't had a penny of financial assistance and he is our main earner. We had saved up to help us survive his first couple of years of self employment and build his business, which meant that we didn't qualify for universal credit. So we have had to live on those savings as a family of 5 and they are run down to nothing now. But we have managed to pay the morgage. Not sure how we will cope going forward even when his business can open again.

But despite all that, we have not hated lock down at all, although I know that's down to where we live. Being in a city would have been horrendous.

Worked for me....

Mixed bag for me. Positives, I enjoyed the reduction in school runs and have enjoyed not having to fly around for my Sons' football team and academy. I'm also quite introverted (although wierdly I'm not a homebody) and dont mind working from home more. I have to go out and about into essential shops for work, so this has meant that I have got out enough. I have also found the time to start a copy writing course, I am now half way through it. My kids are 11 and nearly 14 so have been old enough to mainly get on with home schooling themselves and to be left for short periods. Negatives, despite outdoor walks and zoom, I really miss seeing my friends and family. Going to the pub, eating out and shopping are probably my three favourite things to do so unsurprisingly I have missed them. My Dad has gone into sheltered accommodation 200 miles away and my Sister has borne the brunt of everything (although I did do a stint of having him stay with us from September till November) and I have hated not being able to help out. Although I phone my Dad every day, I cannot wait to be able to give my Sister a break. Also miss being able to go on holiday, we moved house last year (during lockdown) so we were never going to go anyway, but this year it would have been great. We are planning a UK break, but its really not the same, aware how spoilt that sounds.

For the most part I've really liked lockdown

Not just because of the saved time and cost on commute but because I've fallen in love with my house all over again.

I'm an introvert and getting away from social pressure to interact and go to stuff I'm not comfortable with has been amazing and I'll definitely be taking that forward with me that actually its fine to say no thats not my thing more.

I found this last lockdown a bit harder because the weather hadn't been as good for the garden and walking but apart from that I'm pretty happy.

My main stressor has been my rule breaking colleagues who constantly invite you to things and go on and on about how its just a 72 hour bug and its only 1 extra person etc...but tbh I'm not interested in being friends with people like that anymore.

I have loved being with my husband and adult children but I haven't seen my elderly, frail mum since last Easter. A whole year. She lives a long way away.
My children are itching to get back to normality .

I have missed going out to visit the countryside or gardens but I've loved my garden all the more.

I’ve enjoyed saving money but that’s about it

No, I've hate it. Total decimation of so much. There's nothing good about any of this. You could have opted for a bloody slower pace of life yourself without all this destruction.

I’ve enjoyed the relaxed pace of life, not having to rush about to after school activities and not having to visit people that expect visits each week.

The down side is my teens have missed out socially this year, my dd’s Friendship group has crumbled and I’ve missed out on my girlie catch ups with friends.

I've loved lockdown. I've hated covid but I'm delighted not to have to go out or feeling pressure of it

I agree OP, I too have found more positives than negatives in the past year.

We live rurally, which we have appreciated even more than usual. Multi-generational household so to certain extent haven't had the total exclusion of family. Happily kept in touch with family and friends via technology. Know very few people who have had covid. But we have been affected by it in terms of lost business and massively reduced income. But then also not had as many expenses.

Have loved not rushing about. No pressure to see people or be in a particular place at particular time. Wfh mix with work at work has been an eye opener.

We've found plenty to keep ourselves busy. It's been stressful at times with work, but relished the opportunity for down time when it's been possible. Certainly not bored, not spent hours in front of TV, found things to do. Got fit, lost weight, did courses, did crafts etc

Of course I appreciate that many people have had a very difficult twelve months for various reasons. I'm just saying how it is for us.

I have more anxiety about getting back to 'normal' than I do frustration of lockdown tbh.

I found 2020 shit to be honest but I love being out and about. Normally I'd be meeting different friends for dinner/wine tasting/cocktails once or twice a week, hiking with my hiking group every other Sunday and a big night out with the whole gang every fortnight. My husband and I love to travel a few times a year too, cancelled big trips to South America and Africa last year. We had festivals and friends weddings cancelled too. Overall it really sucked.

Oh also the fact that my ward becomes a covid ward in the hospital where I work everytime we have a surge in cases so that is super intense. Its not a big deal compared to lack of freedom and social outlet though, work is just work at the end of the day.

However, now I'm pregnant but its too early to tell people yet and I've been suffering from a lot of nausea and fatigue. Its a relief to not have to make excuses or try to act normal when meeting people.