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.

I have saved loads of money and now stay in a lot more. Life is better now than pre covid for me. Work is a lot busier though. (NHS)

I lost my dad to Covid in February so for me and my family it has been horrible. I don't really have any positives on it other then the traffic has slowed right down with people working from home

We've both realised that we do not need the corporate lifestyle, buying 'stuff - clothes, bags, shoes etc ' just because I can.

I don't need my bosses drama - shouting and dramatics in the office.

We've saved enough by not spending on fares etc that I can bring my retirement forward by two years so that will give me and DH time to be together.

But I feel desperately for people who have lost family, friends, livelihoods, etc.

My husband left me, had to remortgage so keep my home. It's ok though, the children seem well adjusted and it's amicable between my ex and I.

Have a big mortgage and I'm very worried about money, cost of living, etc and feel very vulnerable about losing my job / getting sick, without someone to back me up. Fingers crossed that doesn't happen.

So sorry for everyone who has suffered throughout this.

At the start of 2020 I had both parents, by Christmas 2020 I had none.

My 10yo son has ended up with massive anxiety and been self harming due to lockdown and then covid restrictions in school.

I never got to be with my sister in her final days because covid restrictions meant no visits until she was on end of life care and then only allowed 1 person for 1 hour per day. She only lived 2 days after being confirmed as end of life care, and by the time my parents had been she then passed away.

I'm forever disgusted by people who felt the pandemic did good things, or that lockdown was a wonderful time. But then, the pandemic has made me realise how selfish people are. If you dont wear masks or worship at the alter of "mitigations" you get called every name under the sun by the cruel and selfish and severely lacking in empathy of the world.

@ghostmouse

Brought nothing but pain. Thanks to the pandemic my husbands cancer was missed and it killed him.

I was made redundant from my job, my daughters eye problem is worse .

I could go on and on,

Count yourselves lucky those of you who have had positive experiences with the pandemic. I and many many others have not

really really sorry about this,

@TimBoothseyes

At the start of 2020 I had both parents, by Christmas 2020 I had none.

I am so sorry for your loss. Your post puts a lot of things into perspective.

@TimBoothseyes

At the start of 2020 I had both parents, by Christmas 2020 I had none.

💔

I’ve worked all the way through in a frontline role, which showed me that most of the general public are arses.
Lost my aunt to covid in 2020,where we had to choose between our family who was most entitled to be at her funeral of 10, I couldn’t even sit next to my own father in a pew and only 1 lousy bunch of flowers were allowed.
My partner ended up in intensive care In 2020 with covid but thankfully survived.

My son has been my hero , coping with home schooling wonderfully and a mum who melted down at home due to her job more times than I care to imagine.

Covid has almost been a game of two halves for society, my brother and wife have added to their savings by not commuting and bought a house and seem to be doing pt hrs on full time money , not returning to office and pointing out we all have to live with it ( your preaching to the converted ).

Some it seems have had a whale of time and it’s all positive inc this government whilst the rest of us have struggled to keep our shit together , with backs to the wall.

But I guess irrelevant in the shit show that is yet to come, even if you only felt positive things about the pandemic, life is about to be well and truly sucked out of us all paying for it via NI, gas prices, taxes, food prices and an incompetent government.

Ironically I am happy in life, although this post does not reflect this when it asks how it affected you!

I have a £12,000 debt to pay where I didn’t earn any money for 7 months as wasn’t allowed to work as a driving instructor and got no help from Government

I didn't wfh thanks to the nature of my job. Initially the pandemic and the lockdown caused a lot of worry about whether I would still have a job in a week, and I remember the relief I felt when realising that with masks and sanitising and some rejigging of protocols all would be ok.

Apart from that, there was the gradual dawning of reality about supply chain problems, a good deal of taking stock in the kitchen, queueing to get into shops, and since I'm in the US, the horrible spectacle of the politicising of the disease and measures to protect society from it.

I live in a very blue part of a very blue state and I realise every day what an immense privilege that is. Imo, the big lesson to take away from it all is to be very careful who you vote for.

Well, the first year was OK, still working but broke up with my fiance. Which was the right decision.

But... This time last year I had a nervous breakdown basically, nearly did something stupid, found out I had ADHD which is why I burnt out, because I just couldn't function in a world not made for me. However now I am on different meds, new meds and slowly I am becoming the person I used to be a decade ago.

I'm doing my degree, I'm going to go into teaching, which is what I wanted to do when I was a kid, but never thought I was good enough, but I am.

It sounds so incredibly cheesy, however I am on a journey figuring out how to love myself, not in a conceited way, but in a if I don't love myself, how can anyone else love me.

So it's been a shit sandwich, but it's getting better.

@YouCantTourniquetTheTaint

Well, the first year was OK, still working but broke up with my fiance. Which was the right decision.

But... This time last year I had a nervous breakdown basically, nearly did something stupid, found out I had ADHD which is why I burnt out, because I just couldn't function in a world not made for me. However now I am on different meds, new meds and slowly I am becoming the person I used to be a decade ago.

I'm doing my degree, I'm going to go into teaching, which is what I wanted to do when I was a kid, but never thought I was good enough, but I am.

It sounds so incredibly cheesy, however I am on a journey figuring out how to love myself, not in a conceited way, but in a if I don't love myself, how can anyone else love me.

So it's been a shit sandwich, but it's getting better.

Good luck

Negatives - I still haven't managed to see my mother who is a seven hour flight away. It's been too many years now since we've been together. My passport expired during the lockdown and there have been delays getting it renewed.

Family members who are elderly have been badly affected by the isolation of lockdown. My mum lost nine of her dearest old friends due to old age, cancer, and other causes, and couldn't attend any of their funerals. The knock on effects of her refusal or inability to learn how to use a smartphone have been thrown into stark relief. Otoh, the kindness of her neighbours has been a revelation.

One of my DCs got covid and is still experiencing side effects, possibly a case of long covid.

My 5 year has definately been affected by covid going through the last year of nursery and starting school during covid. It's all he's known and it's definately affected his 5 social skills compared to my 9 year old.

I worked the whole way through for emergency service. We received no support and still don't despite people have severe issues. My mental health has taken a battering and so has my children's. My DH has been working from home for 2 years and caused him anxiety.

We haven't saved any money as we still had the same bills to pay.

I envy people that have had a lovely time i have never felt so exhausted

Both of us have new better jobs closer to home

Discovered our family is quiet happy just the 3 of us and how little we socialised out with family and friends.

I started selling handmade dolls and blankets and other things which relaxes me and distresses me. My wee boy now wants to try and use the sewing machine now so I guess we spend more time together.

Had one funeral to go to.

Changed jobs. Left my partner. Lost weight (and regained it!) but I do feel like I have more control over what happens to me now, ironically, in a way I didn't before the lockdowns.

OTOH, my DGF died in a care home and nobody got to see him before he died. My DD still hasn't had a proper birthday party. And I'm quite lonely. It's also tough seeing how isolated it's made my friends, some of whom are single and separated from their wider family.

A mixed bag really.

Single-handedly (lone parent) simultaneously home-schooled a 5 & 8 yo whilst in horribly scary zoom meetings with a toxic manager who demanded the same “outputs” as pre-pandemic.

All my previous wraparound support (my parents, friends, community etc fell away).

Stress triggered a catastrophic breakdown. Became so ill I’m now on 5 different daily meds for life.

When hospitalised for being suicidal, I was put in a room on my own for 4 days pending covid testing & results. Couldn’t have a visitor despite it being the worst time of my life.

The rest of the pandemic has just seen me struggling to keep going, sporadically coshed by recurrent episodes that blow things apart again, then trying to get back up again. In & out of work.

Fatter, lost my hobbies & sports.

Aged 15yrs overnight. Im now gray-haired, new jowls, hanging purple bags under my eyes. My runners body is now bingo wings, papery dehydrated skin, belly hanging.

Hardly see my big family now as we all fragmented during covid & have v little contact now. My parents got out of the habit of having the kids to sleepover & now don’t want them. V sad for my kids & our family closeness.
I used to go to my parents for support but as they went totally AWOL in covid I’ve learnt not to rely on them so I don’t share stuff anymore or ask things of them. We’re not close anymore.

Covid fucked my life.

So sorry to read many of these.

It's robbed me of being able to spend time with my Dad as he's slipped further and further into dementia. We are never getting that time back.

It has ruined my oldest child's last year at school and is continuing to ruin his first year at uni.

It has made me realise just how many AWFUL people are out there who can't wait to stick their beaks into other people's businesses in terms of mask wearing, vaccinating, leaving the house, non-essential shopping or whatever.

It's changed my life for the better, generally. Yes I've experienced negatives (including important delayed surgery and less time with my dying grandfather) but definitely positives. I also know many have struggled and lost loved ones, so I do wouldn't wish to ignore those who have had a rough/tragic 2 years.

Biggest 'change' has been my outlook. I don't take life for granted anymore. Priorities readjusted. I save more for a rainy day, but indulge in more of what I want now. Hopefully we're over the worst, but my mind is thinking 'what is next?' We are at the mercy of many things, not just viruses. But rather than getting too emotional about it, I'm trying to be more pragmatic.

I just feel sadder.

I did a lot of new things out of boredom, some of them were great and I will do them again/keep doing them even now we're opening up again. I haven't worked for 15 years and I'm currently doing an on line qualification with a view to going back to work.

Neither DH nor I have had a professional haircut since Covid started and I suspect that we will continue as we are with home haircuts for the foreseeable future. Sitting in the hairdressers used to be a necessary evil but now that I can do a good enough one myself in 10 mins I would resent the time needed to go back to the old way.