Anyone else still feeling flat?

[Summercocktailsinthesnow]

I will say I am grateful to still be here, and I have not lost anyone very close to me to covid. Believe me I am grateful for those things. I am not depressed in the slightest either, however I am finding it increasingly hard to listen to all the conversations about hugging and enjoying life again on the radio and every news channel, and I am just not feeling it. At all. Things don't feel very different to me.

I have shivered through meals and drinks with friends, braved the weather for BBQs, I have even had my hair done! I imagined by now to be feeling much better than I am. But I don't feel better. I am so flat, and find things are not much better than before. The things I most want to do seem still a million miles away.

I am desperate for a holiday, we have worked all the way through, but how easy it that going to be this summer? Chances look exceptionally low. I want to dance at a festival, no chance. Or go to something with live music, anything.
I want to enjoy shopping without feeling muzzled, and I really feel what we have now is not really a whole life at all, it is like a half life. It is nothing like the life I left behind. I have no sense of when it will end. The scientist on the BBC today said she wasn't sure the next reopening will even happen....the moment when some kind of normal happens on the 21st of June.

I can't summon the energy to look forward to anything, because we have no idea if it will happen. I feel like I am being lied to, look at all you can do is the strap line, the reality is freezing cold, wind swept evenings eating cold over priced food, and everything is so limited in experience and in interaction, like trying to enjoy a facial with someone covered in PPE none of this is actually fun anymore!

I am optimist, by nature, and of course I have already counted my blessings for the things we can do, but really I just want my old life back so so so badly. Does anyone else feel like this?

[BogRollBOGOF]

I've known warmer Decembers!

Very little of the rhythm of the year is back, even little things like the school sports days. Things that would normally go ahead in June/ July still cancelled because the organisers couldn't plan for the conditions they'd have to work to.

The best thing in my life at the moment is junior parkrun. 30 minutes of people being together in a natural way, and it's the one thing in life that genuinely recharges my soul. But I need more because my soul is starved.

[HereComesYourMam]

FFS I spoke too soon about the sodding weather

[lightand]

I know what you mean op. Thankfully, for me, my life fell and continues to fall into some of the exemption categories, which helped a lot.
Plus I dont have desire for music festivals, and live music in pubs, that sort of thing.

I do feel sorry for all of you who do enjoy those things and cant do them.
I hope and pray things improve for you all.

[HereComesYourMam]

Looks like the weather is on the turn, at long last. Hopefully this will help us all feel brighter!

[Coldwine75]

Its dull dull dull, feels an endless bleak life atm

[strugglingwithlife]

Weekend after weekend just disappears without a thing to show for it

Yes, this is exactly how I feel as well. And yes to the weather making everything worse, i have said to a few people it's more like Feb then May

[RoseMartha]

I know what you mean and could really do with a week's holiday in the uk (haven't been abroad for years and no inclination to), but because of restrictions everything in my budget has been taken by people who would normally go abroad, people who had to cancel last year and have had them honoured for this year and people who have booked one in the UK and another abroad the same week and they will cancel one at the last minute.

I am not in a position to book someone else's cancelled holiday last minute.

I find this really annoying, my life is generally hard with other people's problems and responsibilities on my shoulders. I just need a break .

It has also been so long to get back to normal that I feel stuck in this lockdown environment rut.

The bad weather is not helping. Feels like we are in February not May.

[OverByYer]

Yes exactly this @HangingOver we are all hamsters on a wheel right now

[HangingOver]

Weekend after weekend just disappears without a thing to show for it

This. The last four I've done nothing. Waving to the other Cornwall resident up thread. The weather here has been diabolical for weeks. I had to move here where my work in London collapsed and I still haven't managed to start my driving lessons yet, though I practice with DP. I have NO freedom here at all. Can't just pop out anywhere, can't do my hobbies, can't meet new people. It sounds so selfish and whiny but I'm going completely mad

[RealhousewifeofStoke]

Same here. I don’t recognise myself from the person I was before Covid. I’m totally burned out from work but really thought I’d start to feel a little better now. Weekend after weekend just disappears without a thing to show for it.

[OverByYer]

@battenburgwithtea thank you. Cornwall was splendid yesterday but today is dreadful. Drinking all the wine today and trying to relax, even that isn’t easy anymore

[Coldwine75]

I think, I'll look into sorting our holiday for next year but cant be bothered & I love planning hols normally.. I have to go back to the office soon part time and I am absolutely terrified of seeing people and having to interact. Drinking wine every eve and feeling so god damn flat.

[HangingOver]

This is common to nearly all my friends at the moment. The weather seems to really not be helpful. Nearly everyone I know is struggling badly. Someone I know bailed on his own birthday gathering at the weekend just to a huge panic attack. Multiple friends and self included spending hours struggling to get off the sofa or feel cheerful about anything at all. I've done absolutely nothing this w/e expect shower and do one load of laundry. Just stared at phone/into space.

[Coldwine75]

I still feel flat despite places opening, no desire to do anything, is that normal???

[strugglingwithlife]

battenburgwithtea thank you. And I'm glad someone disagrees, these measures being for good sounds like hell.
Wannabangbang I feel the same, I've always suffered from social anxiety but I still wish things were how they were pre 2020. I see people in Australia with everything back to normal, no masks, none of the restrictions we have, it's as if covid has never existed there and it makes me feel so low. Especially since that's the place I would kill to live and had the most fantastic holiday there only 3 years ago, it feels like a lifetime ago now

[Wannabangbang]

I feel the same tbh, I'm a single parent and miss proper unmuzzled nights out with my friends and mingling with men. Going out of an evening isn't the same and sticking to just 6 people leaves alot of people out really. Can't mix, can't get up from table, can't dance, no music. Going out was my only release and however much I'm greatfull things have got so much better still feels very much and abnormal existence for me. I also miss concerts and live bands. I really live for music and dancing.

[battenburgwithtea]

Also FWIW I disagree with your mum. People won't do it long term

[battenburgwithtea]

I've put on weight this last year or so and that gets me down, feel angry at myself for letting myself go.

I was feeling the same strugglingwithlife but then I thought, let's imagine an alien landed and we had to explain the pandemic to them, well then it's natural really to put on some weight in case we got ill and in case there were severe food shortages. I think it's a biological/evolution reaction and we should just forgive ourselves for it, because putting on weight kind of makes sense in the circumstances.

[strugglingwithlife]

Oh no, I'm sorry for the loss of your dad JellyNo15
Still feeling so low on energy, weather is awful, agree with pp, it's more like February then May. I've put on weight this last year or so and that gets me down, feel angry at myself for letting myself go.
I spoke to my mum yesterday and ended up feeling worse as she said she doesn't think life will ever go back to pre covid normal and that booking, time slots, queues, masks, one way systems, track and trace etc etc are all here to stay. I really hope not, I feel like that's no life at all, what's the point of the Vaccines then if these measures are permanent

[battenburgwithtea]

Sorry for your loss JellyNo15

[battenburgwithtea]

Reserves gone, and it is not obvious when or how they recharge and bounce back.

So true. It's constantly trying to pull something from the hat when there's just nothing left. Sympathies to all those on here upset and feeling depleted

OverByYer I hope that you manage to have a nice holiday and enjoy the change of scene at least

[LemonSherbetFancies]

Cried this morning. Weather continues to be awful and all just feels so miserable.

[JellyNo15]

I feel it too. I lost my Dad to Covid, very traumatic as my mother and I were positive at the same time and he died two days before we came out of quarantine, so he died alone, but I don't think it is the grief as I still have such a lot to look forward to, including second grandchild due in a few weeks. I just can't get motivate to look forward to much more than the glass of wine after work in a Friday.

[OverByYer]

I agree better weather would definitely help. Like other posters I thought by now the sun would be out , would be socialising outside. I’m off to Cornwall for a week tomorrow and trying to be positive about it but just feels more of the same. Everything requires so much more mental energy

[Summercocktailsinthesnow]

I agree women/mothers particularly have really had a rough ride during this pandemic, and many are depleted. Reserves gone, and it is not obvious when or how they recharge and bounce back.