things you realised in lockdown that you're surprised you never noticed before??

[NoviceNewMN]

Working from home made me realise how low level subtly grindingly misogynistic alot of the men I work with are and how I am undermined every day without ever noticing when I was there - because it comes under the guise of cheerful chat that is blink and you miss it stuff. When you are out of it, life becomes lighter and happier.

I also never noticed exactly how much ££££ I spend on travel.

I think that the biggest personal revelation for me was around WFH. I'd worked from home for about 9 years and at times I'd found it very isolating. I'd tried to talk to friends and colleagues about. I'd raised it with my line managers. I was just discounted, told I was lucky or friends would tell me that'd kill to have a day to themselves and how they could spend hours on their own and never feel lonely. I think I'd started to feel I was a bit of a failure and too needy.

So when lots of other people had to WFH and open Zoom accounts and have Teams meetings... and started telling me how lonely it was, I felt bad for them, but I also felt that my experience was validated.

@user1477391263

How many people are envy-ridden dog-in-a-manger types who basically love lockdown because now everyone else is having a miserable time just like them.

This

That I like my own company

@cricketmum84

That my job CAN very easily and effectively done from home.

(Yes I'm talking to you mr finance director from two jobs away who forced me to leave my job as my MH was stopping me from getting into the office every single day)

@cricketmum84 sorry to hear you lost your job due to this

My old job too: similarly was not allowed to wfh due to disability as 'it wouldn't work' - then suddenly the whole Co does and guess what, it works and far more clients are processed than before (ironically it was providing MH support in the IAPT system)

@Porridgealert

The International Space Station. Its been going over me head for years and I never knew. And the Perseids. I've don't think I'd ever seen a shooting star and that was happening over my garden every year. I've found an affinity with space.

I have been entranced with the beauty of plane trail free skies. I am sure the air has been cleaner without all the commuter traffic too.

That I enjoy working from home and being able to juggle the school runs whilst holding down a busy job as a single parent. Oh and how many of those chocolate pouches I have consumed.

How little relationship is left between my husband and I. We get on better when we are both just passing children around and organising life admin.

@Yarnandneedles

That DH and I will be ok together when we retire.

Love it....

@Xtraincome

That I can educate my child better than the state system- as in, more fulfilling, broader and substantial in about 2 hours per day. I am seriously reevaluating mainstream education now.

How much we really enjoyed being together and seeing only my mum for months on end. We loved being in the house together- me, DH, DD6 and DD3

How unimportant material things are. Last Christmas I could have just woken up to a stocking and a couple of books. We are now actively ensuring we are not saturated with gifts, including DDs Xmas gifts, to avoid waste and enjoy the day differently. We realised for the 4th year running, our DDs enjoyed roughly 30% of all gifts bought for them. The thought is lovely but a lot were gifts for the sake of gifts.

Yay... Thank you

That I can walk further faster and more easily than I knew, I was just wearing the wrong shoes.
That with extra time, money and sleep you can get fit, lose weight and look better in your 50s than your 30s.
That I like people a lot more than I thought and that my irritation with them was down to being too tired and run down to be bothered.
That people can still really surprise you with their views and behaviour no matter how long you've known them.

Planting gardens in a full lockdown is fun. Maintaining gardens when you are not in lockdown and have three kids a full time job is just another chore.

Rather regret all the complicated landscaping.

@Member984815

That I like my own company

A great achievement..

@IntermittentParps

I've worked at home for years, so not much about my work life surprised me. But I have been pleasantly surprised by the strength of the community we have in my neighbourhood. I mean, I always knew it was friendly and lovely, but in the pandemic I've seen things like my tiny local greengrocer (run by just two brothers) doing home deliveries to people not going out, despite being run ragged already; a local cafe opening on Christmas Day for free cake and drinks for those whose plans had been shafted; neighbours knocking on doors to offer help. People have been really going above and beyond.

How reassuring and lovely.

How important international travel is to me. I hate not being able to get out of the country easily.

That I don't like people, crowds and noisy offices. I'm in my element in a tiny room with my Mac and the dog.

Lockdown reinforced how much of an introvert I am, when it was just me and the kids at home, them schooling and me working I was a lot happier than I've been in a long time.

That my abusive alcoholic ex can do one and I don't have to pander to his whims if he mentions parental alienation, I now know that it's not me doing that, he's quite capable of alienating the kids without my assistance. Prior to lockdown I felt duty bound to drive a 100mile round trip for them to see him every Sunday, now that lockdown's over he's not making any effort, neither am I and the kids are far far happier.

Work -life balance is actually a thing. I've spent so many years rushing the kids to childcare, getting to work, rushing to pick up kids, only to feed them and put them to bed before starting all over again the next day. Spending months at home with them is the first time I've ever done that and likely to be the only time I'll ever be able to.

I have been entranced with the beauty of plane trail free skies. I am sure the air has been cleaner without all the commuter traffic too

Yes, another lockdown takeaway: the government don't care about climate change, they were desperate to get people back in polluting planes and cars, still care more about sandwich shops than the long-term (or really now short-term) survival of the planet.

And the recent thread where people just said they didn't care about the pollution their plane to their unnecessary holiday created, they just cared about themselves was sickening.

The roads have never been busier where I live. people are dumb turkeys who would vote for Christmas if they felt that was 'normal' and meant they felt they were putting themselves first.

Thanks GoldenOmber! Yes, I'm much happier now - it's strange to think I actually have something to thank the pandemic for!

@MaryHadALittleDramHicHic

wishing you the best of luck *@andyoldlabour*

Adding my sincere good wishes to yours; you beat me to it..

@ILoveShula

It is OK to shop in Iceland and pound shops. Having plenty of food and consumables in the house isn't always bad - only ran out of fresh food.

Thumbs up to this..

People really didn't respect one another's personal space

I do actually really need social contact and to get out of the house. I'm not as much of an intovert as I thought

It's really bad for my children's wellbeing not to have the structure of school and the social interaction that goes with it

People can be really fascist about rules even when they don't always make sense

We are right to question things and not defer to people because of their position

A lot of people's jobs are pretty dispensible and some are far more important than we thought

That being able to put washing on 1st thing and peg it on the line as WFH means my house doesn't resemble a launderette all the time!

How much I like working out of the house, rather than feeling like I’m living at work. I like the separation between work and home.
How much I like my colleagues and miss them when I don’t see them.
How much I like being able to go out spontaneously.
How much my children need their peers around them.
How much I need my friends and family around me.
How much I hate Zoom.
How important it is to have a life away from my house.

One of my colleagues (chief moaner)...

At the start of lockdown complained that his weekly food bill was increasing as he was having to get additional food to eat.

Now he's back to the office, is complaining that he has to buy his lunch out! I didn't dare suggest he could make something himself at home

I have realised how much I love insanely bright leggings on a daily basis, I do miss my colleagues, but how much I'm enjoying spending time with my pooch (Charlie) (I knew that before, but didn't have the opportunity). I think Charlie is enjoying having me around, but I think he's missing the excess biscuits from grandma!

silverbubbles
Wrt the using less loo roll, words were had and a loo roll holder that sits vertically rather than horizontally stops the momentum of the yank. 😁

That it's OK not to rush through life, it's not a race
Lying on the grass, gazing at the clouds is not a waste of time, taking time out for yourself is allowed
I've realised that I am the one checking that everyone was OK, no one has asked me if I am. I'm stepping back