To think the mood of the country is low level depression?

[AllThePogs]

I know individuals may feel optimistic at the moment or severely depressed, but I think the atmosphere in the country is of low-level depression.
I think countries often have an overall "feel" to them. I have lived through times that have felt optimistic that things are going to improve, and times that have felt happy and prosperous.
But at the moment the atmosphere just seems like low-level depression.
AIBU?

Can you blame people for it? The worst Prime Minister in history, whose actions or inactions have caused more harm than Harold Shipman.

I agree. Everyone seems flat.

@Lifeisnteasy yes flat is a good description for it.

I think also throw in a bit of 'irritated' and 'tired'.

Yes, flat. I think everyone has been waiting for covid to be over… and it isn’t.

Meanwhile, there is absolutely no spirit of “we’re all in this together” when we absolutely aren’t, it’s them and us

I agree, the rolling news is all doom and gloom, it's been nearly two years now since covid first hit us and all there seems to be a lot of sleaze and bad news in the press ( the parties, Prince Andrew , Chinese spies etc etc )
Higher prices in the shops , fuel going up etc
It is all a bit depressing to be honest :(

The winter doesn’t help. I’m really hoping in the spring we can get back to the office part time

I just feel depressed and resigned that no one in the public eye ever seems to get any sort of just desserts for their actions.
Boris Johnson. Donald Trump. Prince Andrew. Novak Djokovic. And at the lowest level of the "celebrity scale, someone like Katie Price.

They are all just laughing at the law and at us.

I must be middle of the road then, because that is exactly how I feel

@llanssannan not blaming anyone. I think there are good reasons for this atmosphere.

I agree with you. I haven't socialised since last month though and I work from home, so for me it might be reading the news and financial forecasting for families this year.
Maybe the wider world is a happier place than the internet.

@Darbs76

The winter doesn’t help. I’m really hoping in the spring we can get back to the office part time

Yes, I am really missing light evenings. By the time I finish work, it is dark. It just adds to the general gloomy feeling.

Inflation, fuel and energy prices, tax rises, interest rate rises, a pay freeze for many in the public sector, two years of covid, a corrupt government and nothing to bloody look forward to for the foreseeable. I'm fed up of even pretending to be optimistic snd cheerful.

To be honest I'm here because I hope someone comes on with a big list of reasons why we should all cheer up.

Yep, had the same conversation with friends this morning.

I am in a constant state of panic. I’m in so much debt after borrowing money to pay bills after not working for a total of 7 months due to being self employed. No help from the Government. When I had covid in Nov 2021 and had to isolate for 10 days they refused me the £500 help (money held by local council). Goodness knows what our local council will do with that money as no one else I know in my field (driving Instructor) have received the isolation payment either. Our town is famous for wasting money on statues that are always vandalised and fountains with fresh water.

I expect that Silent But Deadly Twelve Homes Sunak is in a fairly good mood.

@Isthatthebestyoucando I went out three times at the weekend and had a nice time. But it still feels more subdued.
I am not saying no one ever has a good time though.

@twominutesmore we will have good years again, but I don't feel optimistic about the next few years. Only good thing is that we have low unemployment. I have lived through very high unemployment and that is shit.

January isn’t helping. It’s always a dreary month.

Personally I always feel rather better when the first crocuses start coming out.

Agree. Stuck at home isolating with covid. Feel rough and missing out on income 😞No loss of appetite so stuffing my face but can't get to the gym to work it off. Worried about huge price increases. Young woman murdered while out jogging. Useless PM. Crap grey wet weather. Seems like a grim cycle of horrible awful news playing over and over again on repeat. No bloody end in sight

On an individual level, I think the last 2 years of uncertainty, coupled with the absence of holidays, weddings etc haven’t helped. Usually most of us would have “Sarah’s wedding in May/holiday in July/work party” etc to break up the year and give you something to look forward to.

But this is on the background of something much bigger. The world is changing and Britain’s power has clearly peaked. Brexit, covid debt, capital flight, energy and supply chain uncertainty (re-emergent Russia & China). The UK (and probably a lot of Europe too to be fair, although the EU will buffer) is clearly heading into a prolonged period of stagflation. You don’t need to be an economist to realise that everything’s suddenly got a lot more expensive, at the same time as a lot of businesses are going under.

@pinkstripeycat so sorry to hear that, that is really hard.
DP didn't get the self-isolation payment either.

I was trying to convince myself it stayed lighter a bit longer tonight.
But i had to drop DS off and the gritters were out and it was already -1.5C I have to go and pick him up soon, i'll probably have to scrape my windscreen first.

I am hoping for no snow this year, looking at my photos it wasn't until 24/1 that we got the really heavy digging your car out snow.

DS can't wait to get back to actually going into work, he hates WFH.

Moderate stress for years, illness, grief, fear, uncertainty and money worries over the course of several years will do that. Not everyone has suffered the loss of a loved one or illness or money worries but most will have had some combination of those. It grinds you down eventually.