How has the pandemic changed your life?

[velvet24]

For me its brought some positive changes. I now work at home which I love, I am less stressed and rushed. I now appreciate walks in the woodlands and village, I enjoy little things like feeding the birds in the garden. I have slowed down and I feel happier for it. I take time for me now, whereas pre covid i was rushing about 5 days a week.

I know people have lost jobs and loved ones and that is horrendous, this post is looking at how the pandemic has changed life, for better for for worse? Be honest.

@ForTheLoveOfSleep

My GP closed it's doors in the first lockdown during treatment ans told me my high BP would go down (I was 31) and they would contact when they were open again. I now have organ damage from high BP, was months away from having a stroke in Nov 2021 and am on betablockers and other medications for life.

This is awful, I’m so sorry

For one, it's affected my health. I've had covid three times now. I've also been diagnosed with a condition which has drained the life out of me. Just before being diagnosed I went for a small promotion and got it, but I'm struggling to maintain my energy levels.

Second, I feel much more isolated. We don't get out near enough as we did before the pandemic because of restrictions and my health.

Last, my finances have been a worry. I had to buy additional tech and equipment for my dc and I to homeschool and wfh. I also bought some unnecessary crap to try make our home more pleasant while in lockdown. I lost out on CM in 20/21 due to ex losing income and tax credits went down due to a slight overpayment in 19/20, so I relied on credit for a while. The cost of living has also had a knockon effect. Before the pandemic I had no debt and I now do, but switching to UC is helping ease things a bit at least.

Practically not much has changed. I WFH a few days and in the office a few days. Less work travel (actually no work travel now, but I hope it will resume soon).

My attitude to some things has changed. Never felt like I had a particularly busy life before but now things are just slower and easier and more relaxed. We are more spontaneous. No more weekends booked out for weeks in advance. Plans may or may not happen but that's always ok, it just doesn't matter. I say no to stuff I don't want to do. It's lovely actually!

Not much has changed apart from wearing a mask and not going abroad. We go out regularly, see people, plan trips in this country. I've bought fewer clothes.

My job really took off during the pandemic - amazing opportunities and reward.

Working from home has been a journey, but I'm so pleased I do it now. I really enjoy it now.

Lots of anxiety and overwhelming times (parenting alone, work) but also lots of joy with my children.

Primary-aged DS suffered emotionally during the lockdowns and is still recovering. He is in the ELSA programme at school which is proving very helpful.

Found out which few friends I actually have, as most have fallen away during the pandemic. My supposed best friend I now haven’t seen for nearly two years and she only lives 30 mins away - too busy to see me and her Facebook is full of her social events

Still can’t find a job that will fit in with the school run, despite there supposedly being so many vacant jobs. Now I’ve seen a job that I would need childcare for and the local breakfast/after school clubs and childminders are full and have waiting lists. I can’t win.

Health wise we are all fine and DH’s job is still secure.

Mixed bag.

I am a teacher and I got pregnant at the start of the first lockdown. I loved it, to be honest. I really hated that job so not having to go in (I had to really force myself to go in every morning) was such a welcome release.

I went back in September then hit trimester 3 and so was off again.

After I had DS it was a bit harder. No breastfeeding or support, no opportunities to go to baby classes or meet other mums. Lots of trudging around cold, muddy parks with takeaway coffees. But then I really do appreciate the time we did have at baby classes from April onwards. I know some people didn’t even have that.

DH works from home and I have mixed feelings … it’s good in a way but I’m a bit worried about how isolated he is. I also don’t like zoom calls permeating through the house.

On balance hard to say. More positives really but some of that is linked to pregnancy and motherhood not pandemic.

It had a detrimental effect on my dc due to having to home school through gcse for one and the other really lost the last two years of primary and friendship groups however both have thrown themselves in head first to new college and school and are really excelling thankfully.

Dh left a very stressful long long hours job with an awful boss.
It was the push he needed to sort his priorities out as we had hardly seen him for a long time due to his hours etc and I felt pretty much like a single parent because he checked right out of family life

It took him having a suspected heart attack which thankfully wasn't and a really empathetic consultant at our hospital to tell him what I had been saying for a long time for him to suddenly realise he needed to make the changes for us all

He now has a fantastic job with a lot less stress and a lot less hours

My business really suffered and continues to do so.
We've lost thousands and thousands so the last 8 months have been hard and stressful financially but hopefully we are getting on an even keel now.

We have both been working a full time job as well as a side job 4 times a week just to break even and it's been bloody hard.

I'm over covid now. It makes me angry if I think about it too much and it's definitely affected my mental health.

I've taken up yoga as well as running and I feel a lot clearer minded for it.

I'm so lucky I haven't lost anyone to covid but I know people who have and I feel so sad for them.

During the first lockdown I witnessed a suicide which was horrendous and during the second lockdown I witnessed an attempted suicide,both strangers to me but it reminds me daily to be grateful that we are still here

Nothing has changed at all except appreciating my freedom so much more. I can't WFH in my job so no changes there.

Yes. Last July I got Covid, was on a ventilator for 2 weeks, during which time I had a stroke. In hospital 6 weeks altogether, had to learn to sit up, walk, talk, feed myself, use the bathroom unaided, etc. It was a real struggle but I'm about 90% back to what I was before.

It's changed my life for the worse.

I have no energy these days and I'm so lethargic.

I never felt loneliness before the pandemic. I often feel lonely now.

I really enjoy travel and have taken extended trips in the past. Can't plan anything like that now.

My job is so boring when wfh. I just sit staring at my computer every day.

I got covid and am taking a long time to recover- still have post viral fatigue and everything seems to tire me out.

I miss my family and friend who I am not seeing as often.

It's a lot to trade in for a the benefit of not commuting to work.

I think it’s great that my organisation is more flexible and work will hopefully be more flexible for many moving forward.

In all other ways I haven’t enjoyed it: fatter, sadder, bored, unable to see family overseas, plans scuppered, have missed so much time with elderly parents due to their vulnerability that I will never get back, now have very bad Netflix & drinking habits. Life was fuller and more fulfilling before.

I am a happy grateful person and don’t go around being miserable but I am very much look forward to a return to some sort of normality eventually and definitely don’t prefer pandemic life nor have I learnt many lessons except that if left to my own devices with plenty of time I will not ever learn the piano.

Pisses me off when people say they're enjoying life more! (IABU I know. Very unreasonable)

Especially galling for those of us who have had people who we love die, not been able to attend funerals or go and see people in hospital. Not to mention those of use who have suffered with covid and mental health issues.

"I can say no more"
"I can go on walks"
"I appreciate health"
"I spend more time with family"
"I enjoy nature"

You could have done any one of those things pre-pandemic, you stupid stupid idiot. Gah!

Really grinds my gears!

Posts like this are really galling for those of us who are working harder than ever in risky environments with our pay frozen. What's changed for me is that I know no-one outside my family gives a shiny shit about me. I pay a lot more for fuel to get to work. I'm expected to work harder than ever to address learning 'gaps' with morale at absolute rock bottom. I rely on anti-depressants to get me through. I don't even care that there's been some sunshine today because all I crave is my sofa.

WFH has made my working life a lot more miserable. I liked my commute, I liked being around my colleagues, I liked having a separation between work and home. I don’t like working from a corner of my small house while the children stampede about (because my hours don’t match up with school/childcare, which was fine when I was in the office because DH’s do but less so now).

As my previous said, it has impacted me negatively. Im also a nurse, so its been hard at work too.

However, I dont mind threads like this or begrudge people benefitting from the situation. Its nice to see that not everyone is having a bad time.

@MyQuietPlace

Yes. Last July I got Covid, was on a ventilator for 2 weeks, during which time I had a stroke. In hospital 6 weeks altogether, had to learn to sit up, walk, talk, feed myself, use the bathroom unaided, etc. It was a real struggle but I'm about 90% back to what I was before.

I hope you go from strength to strength. It must have been a hard time.

Well OP says 'be honest' so I have. I do begrudge having my pay frozen, no priority for a vaccine and having to isolate or stay at home during annual leave I have no freedom to change. It's absolutely shit.

Wfh which I enjoy.
Saved loads.
Got a new job I would never have got pre pandemic as previously was required to be based on London.
More seniority, more interesting and more money.
Sorted my health out and lost weight and got fit.

But I hate what it's done to my kids life experiences and education and I'd trade it all in for them not to have gone through that v

I don’t trust the people running the country
I don’t know who or what to believe
I am constantly on edge if my son starts coughing knowing I’ll have to swab him against his will and then potentially isolate

Basically it’s just heightened my already existing health and general anxiety.

I’m personally pleased that some people have found peace and a new sense of life.

It isn’t a race to the bottom. Let others have their joy.

Some really sad stories here.

I am one of the lucky ones who has loved wfh and will be continuing for the foreseeable. I have saved about £15k from not commuting and associated costs.

The new wfh culture in my industry means I can now apply for much higher paying roles without having to commute, and for me this is life changing as it means I will now be able to retire a lot earlier.

I moved back to the UK from another country. We would still be there if it wasn't for covid.
I gave up my career because covid had a terrible impact on what I used to do.
I now have a totally different job and at work from home which I never imagined myself doing.
So a lot of change, some positive but not all.

The childcare/ household split between DP and I has become a lot less equitable as he works outside the home and I'm wfh. Whilst I support him in his job, it's not what I hoped in terms of how we parent as I'm now the default parent.

Hate wfh although do know how lucky I am to be able to do so.

The new wfh culture in my industry means I can now apply for much higher paying roles without having to commute, and for me this is life changing as it means I will now be able to retire a lot earlier.

This is a silver lining. I am leaving teaching because I hate how we've been treated. Where do you look for the roles you apply for?