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Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

How has the pandemic changed your life?

134 replies

velvet24 · 15/01/2022 12:04

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.

OP posts:
VitaminA · 15/01/2022 19:42

Covid hasn't changed my life much. I can't work from home so my job continued as usual. I then fell pregnant, the changes that followed were due to having a baby, not the pandemic.

OH has been working from home these last 2 years which has been great. He's been able to help with the baby, the older DC and the housework.

The negatives have been seeing less of our families and travelling less. (This has saved us a lot of money though)

One thing that breaks my heart is how much my older kids have missed out on. They were only 5 and 3 when the pandemic started so to them it all seems normal, but I feel so sad when I think of all that they could have had.

Mich1986 · 15/01/2022 19:58

This is really sad, I really hope things change and you can get better.

Mommabear20 · 15/01/2022 20:07

Had 2 pregnancies and babies during the pandemic, and it's been lovely to have the time alone with them without the pressure of everyone and their dog wanting to stop by! I can be far more selective over who I want to see!

derxa · 15/01/2022 20:40

I've had a bad reaction to the vaccine and my life is a misery. It triggered psoriasis which I've never had before.

Polkadotties · 16/01/2022 09:23

[quote toomuchlaundry]@Polkadotties are you able to say why you have been able to come off your medication[/quote]
The slow down of life. Rather than going into the office 5 days a week I now go in once or twice a week. During lockdown I was going in once a week in the morning to perform business critical tasks. I get more sleep. I have my own headspace.

Struggling with depression and then dealing with the noise and expectation of functioning ‘normally’ makes me worse.
Now, if im having a bad a day I can be quiet working at home, listen to some of my favourite music, have a lie in etc.
I understand that for a lot of people who struggle with their mental health working at home and not having the routine of going in 5 days a week makes it worse but for me it’s the opposite.

HangingOver · 16/01/2022 09:30

I fell so bad saying this is the light of other people's devestating losses but it improved my life beyond all recognition.

lljkk · 16/01/2022 10:11

i still see ( want to see ) all the daily life changes (because of pandemic) as temporary.

I've found out some things about me & my preferences, I guess, but they won't hugely change my decisions.

Original poster
velvet24 · 30/01/2022 16:10

@HangingOver

I fell so bad saying this is the light of other people's devestating losses but it improved my life beyond all recognition.
same , improved in many ways
OP posts:
Original poster
velvet24 · 30/01/2022 16:11

@VitaminA

Covid hasn't changed my life much. I can't work from home so my job continued as usual. I then fell pregnant, the changes that followed were due to having a baby, not the pandemic.

OH has been working from home these last 2 years which has been great. He's been able to help with the baby, the older DC and the housework.

The negatives have been seeing less of our families and travelling less. (This has saved us a lot of money though)

One thing that breaks my heart is how much my older kids have missed out on. They were only 5 and 3 when the pandemic started so to them it all seems normal, but I feel so sad when I think of all that they could have had.

Shame but 5 and 3 year olds probably wont be affected that much, older kids and teens have been far far more affected as couldn't see friends and socialise etc .
OP posts:
LonglegsMumtheBlacksmith · 30/01/2022 16:21

It's highlighted all of the problems in my marriage and made me seriously question our future.

Thingsthatgo · 30/01/2022 16:35

Covid has made some very positive changes to my family’s life. I was furloughed and so was able to home school (which we all loved) and also started a side hustle from home. Our new income meant that we could afford a new home, which we have spent 10 years saving for. My children became closer to each other, and to my DH who WFH. My DH got a promotion.
I know that we have been extremely fortunate, and I don’t take it for granted.

tanktopsruleok · 30/01/2022 16:42

@BarrowInFurnessRailwayStation

I'm autistic and my life hasn't changed at all apart from having to wear a mask in shops.
Is the autism relevant?
Ginger1982 · 30/01/2022 16:42

It's improved my life in that I now WFH full time which is so much easier to work around childcare/appointments/having a life etc.

The things I don't like that have come from it are hopefully things that won't last forever i.e masks, testing, having to isolate etc.

DontKeepTheFaith · 30/01/2022 16:43

Honestly, not much has changed.

I’m a Nurse so continued working just the same, only longer hours and more stress!

DH worked from home and still does but will be retiring soon anyway.

I feel like I missed out on that slowing down that people go on about, particularly during the first lockdown as I was just working all hours and stressed to my eyeballs trying to cover shifts and scared of getting COVID.

It affected both DSes as first DS2’s GCSE’s were cancelled and then DS1’s A levels. I don’t think either were that bothered in the end but I do recall the anxiety for ds2 of wondering what would happen after they announced exams were cancelled right at the beginning.

Some people have had a horrendous time through this pandemic and my heart really does go out to those who have and are still suffering💐

tanktopsruleok · 30/01/2022 16:43

@HangingOver

I fell so bad saying this is the light of other people's devestating losses but it improved my life beyond all recognition.
Absolutely this. My life and lookout on life is so much better. Seeing my kids loads during their most important years and like others have said, it's slowed me right now which I really needed. It's been a complete life changer
delilahbucket · 30/01/2022 16:57

A real mixed bag here. My business really took off in 2020 and then plummeted in 2021 resulting in the most stressful year of my life. That has really impacted my health.

DH has been made redundant, but he's embarked on retraining. Jury's still out as to whether that will be a positive.

DS has missed so much school and he's picking his GCSEs soon. He feels very unprepared.

I live in permanent fear of having to isolate and not be able to go to work as I cannot just drop my business overnight. DS has just come out of isolation after having Covid and I've been on edge constantly. I did work from home pre Covid and then it wouldn't have been so bad, but the expansion resulted in me outgrowing home and moving into offices.

I'm fitter than ever before after taking up running with DH just after the start of lockdown.

SocksAndTheCity · 30/01/2022 17:02

I used to have savings and now I don't, because it cost me everything I had not to lose my flat and my business.

On the surface everything looks pretty steady with me and for now it is, but all it would take is one single event to stop me from working/earning again for a few weeks and I am absolutely fucked. I try not to think about it too much.

asocialistvalentine · 30/01/2022 17:09

I am so much more stressed. I appreciate I'm lucky to have a steady job and a stable home with a DP who I love. But my work life balance is non existent. The last two years have been horrendous for schools, and dealing with the aftermath of the school closures - the uncertainty, the increased workload, the parental expectation, the fact we have to be teachers, social workers and medical professionals - seems never ending.

ChardonnaysPetDragon · 30/01/2022 17:12

Saved money.

Put on weight.

DrSbaitso · 30/01/2022 17:13

I'm sick of walks and never want to go on another one ever again.

Sedai · 30/01/2022 17:19

I've stopped throwing money away at bars. Having not been able to go, I now just don't enjoy it as much. I'll take dinner and drinks at our friends' or a quiet movie in over it and day and I don't feel nearly as obliged to do.
DH and I have got really good at cooking. We can do dishes we never had the time to do before. Now we have a night every week where we cook a nice dinner and watch a really good movie. It's nice.
I can now work some days from home which gives me a lovely work life balance and saves money.
I had a really horrific time during lockdown for other reasons and I'll never ever forget it, but its lovely to be able to look at the positives.

Moonface123 · 30/01/2022 17:25

Nothing really changed for me.
l still went out to work and so did my eldest son,.my youngest son was already homeschooled, (it suits him better) we kept the same routines, the three of us have just plodded on.
As far as l am aware none of us have yet had covid and everyone l know who has had it has made a good recovery.
Very active anyway, so still walking, cycling with friends etc and sons have alot of gym equipment at home that we all use. My garden and pets keep me busy.
l appreciate l am one of the lucky ones and have deep empathy for those who have been more affected.

1967buglet · 30/01/2022 17:26

Positives: More free time with DH, eating better, garden is much, much better, able to save quite a lot of money; decided teaching Uni was not a nice place to be, and took early retirement.

Negatives: My mum died of COVID; missed out on some lovely travel opportunities to give talks…just did them online; have not socialised very much if at all. The pandemic also affected my MIL…being isolated was hard on her, and she aged a lot.

I’ve found out how selfish some of my acquaintances can be, so good that I found out, but sad about it too.

FanGurlll · 30/01/2022 17:33

My salary has dropped approx 30% - due to my employer using the pandemic as an excuse to slash wages. That combined with the rising cost of living means I'm skint.

On the plus side we are at least all well. I feel for those who have lost loved ones.

Bolshybun · 30/01/2022 17:34

I have become less of a ‘yes’ person. I realised I did way more of the hosting and making arrangements within my social group. One friend had become particularly dominating and most arrangements became her choice. As life slowed down I have taken the opportunity to not return to the overbearing sense of having to always be the host. I’ve widened my friendship group with others who were more acquaintances before, this has meant more shared out invitations and a more balanced friendship group for my kids.