To wonder what this stress is doing to us

[Iamsocold888]

There are some people who have probably been in a permanent state of panic and anxiety now since March 2020. The new variant, the talk of lockdown in other countries, people dying despite being vaccinated, and so on.
I know of some people who are still being very careful, only meet up outside etc.
The constant state of anxiety is what’s going to make us ill, I know first hand what stress-related illness can do.
Living in fear every day is horrible, it really affects your physical and mental well-being.
The media does not help this at all with constant articles, 24/7 Covid coverage, every time you ring your medical practice, 111, and so on it’s all about Covid for the first few questions, there’s no escape.
Why are we expected to live with this stress? Until when ?

Until there's no risk of anyone catching covid anymore. So not for a good while yet.

Well why should I or others live with constant stress and anxiety until what could be a good few years away? What sort of life is that

Until it doesn’t sell news stories I expect. Is it stressing you out too OP? I’ve stopped reading the news these days as it’s pretty pointless now. All it does is make me anxious.

In medical settings it does make sense for their questions to be about covid, they need to filter us through the right systems. I do think there has been a rise in mental illness since this began, probably because none of us have the same support systems we used to. There’s not much community any more because a lot of it hasn’t been allowed or viable for a year and a half.

I'm not sure if this is the answer you want, as I can't tell if you're asking just generally or not, but it's a choice isn't it, to choose to be stressed by this? I'm not remotely stressed by it, and don't know anyone who is.

For me it's the lack of ability to plan anything. I've got so used to plans being suddenly banned, that I've developed a kind of learned helplessness that there's not much point trying to arrange anything. I was just getting past that and starting to plan a trip abroad, and now I'm worried that it will be skewered by this new variant.

I’d say I have a certain level of stress about it but not as high as others that I know. I just find it a shame that some people seem to have resigned themselves to a stop start life, prepared for another lockdown and stopping going out or seeing many people intermittently depending on case numbers etc. But it’s their choice I suppose

Until people use their common sense and relieze covid is here to stay forever so you have to get on with it. It's not Ebola at the end of the day, for most it's a heavy cold/flu.

I agree, I’m just sick of these headlines, the new Botswana variant or whatever it is, it’s supposed to be the worst yet, vaccines don’t work on it etc. It’s just going to make people panic even more and for what

YANBU stress is a killer, it consumes you.

For me the best thing that happened was my kids catching covid. I now no longer live in fear, and don't feel any covid anxiety. Muscle for me as I had crippling anxiety during the 1st year of covid. I do worry for people's mental health. It also makes me feel sad when I read threads where people are still locking themselves away.

*miracle, not muscle

Yeah I have been constantly stressed because I live with two people who work for the NHS and every day when they get home and I ask how they are, they shake their heads and it’s a fucking mess. I’d love to “get on with life” but I’d have to shove my head in the sand because the reality is shit.

@Iamsocold888

Well why should I or others live with constant stress and anxiety until what could be a good few years away? What sort of life is that

It's not good, I agree, but I don't see what can be done about it, tbh.

We have a novel virus circulating and mutating, as viruses do. Fortunately, viruses tend to get less dangerous as they mutate, so even if new variants emerge, as is just happening, and they are more highly transmissible, they are likely to cause fewer deaths and hospital admissions.

I think that, in time, Covid will be like the flu. We'll have annual vaccinations, which will be updated to include new variants, and every few years there will be one that is a bit more dangerous and/or more prevalent.

When that happens, those who are more vulnerable may get very ill and some will, sadly, die. Just like they do when we have a new strain of flu.

We've learned to live with avian flu, swine flu and SARs in the last few years and they all caused a lot of concern at the time. Covid has been far worse, but we'll learn to live with it and how best to mitigate its impact.

Why are we expected to live with this stress? Until when ?

I voted YABU because who do you expect to put a time limit on this situation? It's here forever, we do need to accept this but I'm not abandoning plans etc any more, just carrying on as normal now, I'm triple vaxxed, keep myself slim and fit, can't do much more than that tbh.

@Iamsocold888

Well why should I or others live with constant stress and anxiety until what could be a good few years away? What sort of life is that

Because you’re still extremely privileged to be living in a country where this is your main worry, and not how to feed and clothe yourself.

@arethereanyleftatall

I'm not sure if this is the answer you want, as I can't tell if you're asking just generally or not, but it's a choice isn't it, to choose to be stressed by this? I'm not remotely stressed by it, and don't know anyone who is.

Nor am I. I'm still WFH, so no disruption, I'm vaccinated, I wear a mask and keep my distance when out.

I had Covid in the first wave, before the first lockdown, which maybe makes me a bit more chilled about it.

But then I'm pretty chilled about most stuff, tbh. There's very little any individual can do to change anything to do with, so the best we can do is try to minimise infection rates by being cautious. None of us have the power to change anything else with regard to Covid, so getting stressed is just beating yourself up.

I feel desperately sorry for those who lost their livelihoods because of it, and think that there should be more help, and I get that it's very disruptive if you have to self-isolate, but we can't change it so have to learn to accept it.

I agree stress does make people extremely ill

It’s a bit like COVID is an abusive partner isn’t it? (Having had one, I hope I’m mot being insensitive) Never letting anyone feel settled or secure.

I’ve been ignoring the news tooZ

@Iamsocold888

I agree, I’m just sick of these headlines, the new Botswana variant or whatever it is, it’s supposed to be the worst yet, vaccines don’t work on it etc. It’s just going to make people panic even more and for what

I don't watch the news, that helps

I do tsk with irritation when people go on about it and ask them to change the record. My best friend is still terrified of it...but she had it! A very mild case in August. But she is still terrified when another child at school is off with it.

My parents, in 80s, now have friends they've not seen in 18 months and are slowly accepting they will likely die without seeing them again. We are having xmas cheese and wine party as my parents always do - obviously last year was banned - but I can see their heart isn't in it as their closest friends won't be there.

Also their friends have criticised me, I'm CEV and live as normally as I can. But they want me to cower in fear, I think. Because they are, so I must too!

It is terrible and sadly switching off the media doesn't change the effect on your life, but you don't have to give it the media headsapce. Turn that shit off.

I do listen to those whose jobs are badly affected.

Yesterday on the Tube there was a man wearing a face mask that was like a solid contraption, something Darth Vader would wear.

People survived and lived with over 5 years of the build up to, the war and the aftermath of WW2 so I would imagine most people will cope. My grandparents were definitely affected by it and my grandad in particular didn’t have good mental health afterwards until he died in the 1980’s but they survived. They had also both lived through WW1 and Spanish flu as kids (both born before 1910). We just have to buckle down and get used to it all and remember how lucky we actually are.

@Iamsocold888

Well why should I or others live with constant stress and anxiety until what could be a good few years away? What sort of life is that

It's more than a good few years away. Covid is NEVER going away. It's in circulation now, like the common cold, and will simply mutate and reinfect year on year (with vaccines similar to the flu jab that help to lessen the effects).

Waiting for covid to go away isn't the answer. Learning to live with it is.

@Iamsocold888

I agree, I’m just sick of these headlines, the new Botswana variant or whatever it is, it’s supposed to be the worst yet, vaccines don’t work on it etc. It’s just going to make people panic even more and for what

These same panicking people might actually go and get vaccinated and boostered. Since the gov have been playing the everything has gone back to normal game vaccination numbers aren't good.

Op no one is MAKING you live in a constant state of stress, it is fir you to decide how much of the news to read and how much to restrict your life.

Decide for yourself them shelve the fear.

I'm not stressed about Covid. I wear a mask when I go shopping, but I would say my life is back to normal really. I think the people who are really stressed and anxious about Covid are people who would be really stressed and anxious about something else if covid was eradicated.

i used to get stressed about it but now just try to live as normally as i can

i followed all the rules so far cant say i will if theres aother lockdown though all my family are do9uble jabbed and getting boosters not much more we can do

I've been living in a high level of stress for a decade. (Lone working parent). The pandemic seems to have been easier for me than people who had lives.
Before this I had to make sure I never got ill so masks and avoiding indoors (Except office, supermarket isn't an issue).