To think the pandemic has left me totally numb?

[Footlooseandtethereddown]

Anyone else feeling like?
I am completely meh about everything, going through the motions. I was meant to be going to a concert last week which had been planned for ages and was an artist I like. At the last moment one of my dc was ill and I couldn’t go. My mum asked if I was disappointed and I realised I wasn’t. I was just totally not bothered either way.
Then I considered that some more and realised that is how I feel post pandemic. I will do what I’m supposed to do and socialise and appear ‘normal’ but actually I don’t enjoy any of it. I don’t not enjoy it either. It’s all one and the same.

It seems to now transcend to everything. Things I should be pleased about, no feeling about it. Things I should be worried / disappointed about. No feeling. It’s all very level and disconnected.

i wasn’t like this before the pandemic so I can only think it’s that?! But everyone else I know irl seems fine.

Anyone here feeling like this?
AIBU to blame the pandemic for my total indifference to almost every sphere of my life?!

The social get together thing being destroyed is absolutely not how I feel. We continued socialising with real life friends throughout the pandemic via zoom and it actually made us a lot closer and that not changed.

This year the run up to Christmas seems a slog though. And having to deal with family being petulant arses is very much a part of that for me. But it's not restricted to that. Even putting up Christmas Decs is feeling like a chore this year which is totally out of character for me.

I do think its this pervading sense of gloom and things being shit for the foreseeable with everything being a battle every time you need anyone else's help or cooperation for anything at all.

Maybe that's a lack of other people's socialisation, but certainly that's not my personal experience. Our friendship ties and community ties and involvement have absolutely come out of the pandemic stronger on a personal level.

This was in AIBU and a chat forum.

Why would saying “yes I feel utterly shit” be of any more “help”

Added to which - I have seen some downright unpleasant comments made by you. Which is a heck of a lot worse than asking what you deem “irrelevant questions”

That’s sounds hard op I’m not quite the same I still relish things (probably even more tbh) but I’m out of responding to doom prompts.

People were so whipped up during pandemic I’m out. Anyone doing it now can sod off quite frankly.

This is interesting and I feel similar to quite a few others in that I hated lockdowns and being forced to stay at home but now we are able to do pretty much what we like again, I have less enthusiasm to do so.

My work was always a 30/40 min commute to the office and then more driving during the day before the same commute home. Now it's 95% WFH and I just found myself this morning changing a face to face meeting I had this afternoon to online because I just can't face the travel and being out for so long. My youngest teen is having social/emotional issues at the moment and I want to be here when he gets home from school, not driving 40 mins home in the dark from a meeting that can be held via Teams.

I'd never even used Teams pre-pandemic and used to quite enjoy driving around...now it's a massive thing to me.

I think it's very common on MN. I don't feel it at all, but appreciate that this is because I wasn't badly affected by covid. I don't know the answer is, but trying to at least find joy in small things? Or making a conscious decision about it: recognising that you do feel this way, but your not prepared to let covid rob you of joy for the rest of your life?

I have noticed quite a few people saying something similar to this OP. It seems quite common. I don't feel numb but I do feel more tired, that the whole experience has depleted my resources. But I'm maybe not describing that quite right.

I work in mental health, and I'm hearing similar things from service users all the time.

I sometimes wonder if this is the reason behind our current obsessions with frantic dramas, righteous indignation, ingroup-outgroups obsession, and furious scandals in the news and social media... everyone's just searching for a way to feel a feeling. And anger is often a "safe" emotion for people who feel vulnerable and afraid.

That's really interesting. I'd never considered any of it before.

I totally agree with “trying to feel a feeling” although I’m definitely chasing something positive. I keep spending money on things, weekends away, events, clothes etc but nothing is bringing me that joy that I used to feel from the simple things in life. I don’t know if the pandemic is why I feel like that but that’s definitely when it started.
I just don’t know how to feel happy anymore and I don’t know how to fix it. I’m not depressed as such, just numb.

Based on a story I’ve just seen on here the media seem to be trolling us now.

Not content with having had glory days of Covid doom we get 24 hours of doom bumpf. I’m not surprised people feel flat.

Mn suddenly looks different. Not good!

Lady Astor: "Agreed, but I dont think its pandemic related, I think its more to do with the hopelessness of the current financial, political and social situation we're in."

Was about to post much the same.

Sick to the back teeth of this crummy government, Brexit, state of the economy, CoL rises, fuel prices etc. I'd quit the UK if I could.

This is me.

I'm with the other 2 posters on thread who don't feel like this at all.

Covid is long gone for us, in fact I mentioned lockdowns to a friend the other day and we agreed that it seems a lifetime ago now. Things have been back to normal for me for months (years?) now. It's only on MN that people are still talking about the pandemic and the ongoing affects of Covid.

Brave yourself

we will be told that we are not being “helpful” 🙄

@MoMuntervary yes I think that sums it up. I think covid and Brexit brought home that the 'emperor has no new clothes' - the country(think government) had allowed itself to be totally unprepared for a pandemic, had sold off its gas storeage facilities, was totally out of ideas when it came to covering off social care for the elderly, hadn't factored in the amount of non UK people in much needed public service roles clearing off post Brexit etc, etc - and then on top of this covid struck plus the war in Ukraine and issues in China - a country that far too many country's had put huge hoc into to keep costs down and utilise their sudden wealth

In addition to this many peoples daily routines and jobs have changed- some for the better but not for all- not everyone loves WFH, especially if partners are in the same position- many peoples social lives and communications were partly work related. It's easy to presume it's great for everyone- peoples businesses were screwed up and lost , peoples savings and livelihoods decimated and a fair many people also have ongoing health related issues too , whether it's covid, vaccinations, or due to too much booze, treats at home or lack of exercise or contact - who knows!!

I don't think you have to have been hugely personally affected by the last few years for it to have had a more subtle impact on general mood. Many people of all ages and both sexes have also become far more politically aware than they ever were. I heard two posh ladies in a Windsor cafe discussing Boris Johnson and the royals back in September- exactly the sort of tweed and scarf ladies you would have thought would be fully paid up royalists and members of the Tory's - both were disgusted by the current governments actions /lack of actions and both were expressing anti monarchy sentiments.

I think it's not suprising that for many it's a very flat world out there at the moment

Not talking about it "only on MN".

Twitter is very busy with people suffering from LongCovid and receiving no effective treatments, losing their jobs, kids not well enough to return to school etc.

People have very little tolerance at the moment.

also a great deal of entitlement.

that I should be available 24/7 and anger when they have to wait for a response and not getting things instantly

If you actively look for it, yes you will find it. If you chose go follow those that suffer from long covid, then of course it will pop up.

But if you didn’t seek it, as I don’t, the only place covid seems to be discussed in my life is on mumsnet

It is a weird time. I worked through the lockdowns so there was that sense of normality vs being thrown into danger. A degree of resentment that other colleagues got time off with their families vs being glad I hadn’t been stuck at home. My relationships with colleagues changed and have taken a long while to recover.

The Covid years and the restrictions have left us in a very different world.
Medical care is harder to access, you can’t always buy things with cash. A lot of events and days out still need prebooking. We also got propelled into war, economic crisis, a government that seems unable to lead and provide reassurance. Since Covid ended it feels like the government have abandoned the country.

I went through quite a low phase this year, my dad with diagnosed with cancer, my mum has COPD that got worse when she got stuck
at home as CEV. I’m gradually getting back to my old routine but I didn’t hardly go out when masks were in place as hated them so much. Work is harder as the young children have been effected and their behaviour is very different to normal.
On top of all that the months are just running away. It is a strange time to be living in.

Me too. We rarely go out and tbh, can’t be bothered to either. Now it’s winter we’ve got the excuse that it’s too cold to go out. I’m also embarrassed to admit that my winter coat doesn’t really fit me properly anymore as I’ve put on weight so that’s putting me off going out. I can buy another one, that’s not the problem, it’s more that I’m ashamed that I’ve got to the stage where my coat doesn’t fit 😢

I was tipping into what felt very like (late) PND in March-July 2020 as I was made redundant, 4 months after going back to work after mat leave. DH works from home anyway so all 3 of us were trapped 24/7. The thing that saved me was finding a job that was not WFH and nursery reopening. So I agree with this.

In addition to this many peoples daily routines and jobs have changed- some for the better but not for all- not everyone loves WFH, especially if partners are in the same position- many peoples social lives and communications were partly work related.

Just seeing the same small team 3 times a week and chatting over lockdowns/tiers/shared experiences and generally how shit it was, while it was actually happening, helped massively to process it.

do you work? Have children?

Even if I wanted to hole myself up - having children means it’s completely (and thankfully!) out of the question

And you are not on any SSRIs or anti-depressants?