To think that life just hasn’t been the same ever since covid

[Youcantbeseriousmate]

Does anyone feel the same?

It feels like something changed. Life carries on and there are sometimes good times, but it doesn’t feel the same, people don’t seem genuinely happy anymore.
When I think back to before covid, it seems like a different world

I think as someone who was an adult before COVID I've at least got a reference point for the time before. I know what sort of life to try and recreate even if that's hard to do.

The people who spent their more formative years in lockdown are the ones I feel really sorry for. I don't think you get a do-over of this time and if they go badly then it can leave you with a lot to unravel later in life.

I had a great time during COVID and many of the things that I discovered then have continued. I live 300 miles away from my family and we now do regular virtual activities which I would never have thought of without COVID.

Yeah I feel the same. Everybody is miserable, the costs of living is through the roof, everybody’s on social media I don’t like it.

I feel we went from a post covid world to a pre war world, and as a result everyone is just unhappy and anxious.

Teaching has become more difficult. Parents are astonishingly aggressive, rude and unsupportive. Their kids have no social skills or manners, and think every interaction is the start of a conversation (‘Actually, Bert, I just want you to sit down so I can teach my lesson, not commence a debate about the affront to your human rights that is me asking you to sit down in the first place.’). Attendance is terrible - I have one class in particular that never seems to have the same kids in at the same time on any one day. It makes progress very difficult, as half the class are always missing the work we did earlier in the week. Behaviour is truly appalling - I think that some kids, for whatever reason, were completely left to their own devices during lockdowns and now simply can’t handle any sort of restriction or even the basic requirements of normal social interaction and school life. Many of them also think it’s my job to provide them with basic equipment. I can’t imagine being in Year 11 and not even bothering to slip a 10p biro into my blazer pocket so I have something to write with, yet it’s now commonplace and speaks volumes about lack of interest in learning. It’s really hard - a constant battle.

I’m far happier with the “new normal” 🤷‍♀️

I honestly don’t think people seem as genuinely happy?

I think you are projecting. COVID affected everyone differently not everyone suffered, I know I didn’t. I started saving properly because I couldn’t go anywhere and I was forced to slow down and readdress my work life balance. The lock downs gave me the kick up the backside that I probably wouldn’t have taken otherwise and COVID made me realise that life is short and that I was extremely fortunate.

There was less than a week, between Covid restrictions being lifted, and most people heaving a sigh of relief, and the war with Russia starting. I remember it being like some sort of weird stress dream. So we ricocheted from lockdown, to the fuel shortage and COL crisis without a breather in between (not to mention how emotionally upsetting it all was / is). Such a wild (and bad) period, historically.

This for me too. I feel much more vulnerable to factors outside my control and I act accordingly, especially around things like savings and job security.

That’s been going on since I was younger though. I was always asking for a pen! And trust me kids have always been naughty. Yes parents do leave kids to their own devices these days though. No pun intended. The amount of screen time younger kids get is disgusting and why are kids as young as 5 on social media?

I agree. I can’t seem to find my happy any more, and it’s definitely since covid.

I think this is very true

For many people lockdown would have been a very lonely experience, others were probably surprised by how little they missed other people.

To the extent that there has been a change since lockdown, it's probably that the people who were happy with their own company have stopped bothering to go out and socialise.

We’ve moved towards a more cashless society and more reliant on phones to do basic tasks such as paying for parking tickets etc. My children lost the ability to use physical money as they lost that phase where they would have started by things like ice creams with loose change. Everyone wanted card only.

Having to pre book days out mean it’s harder to be spontaneous. Prices have shot up everywhere meaning we can do less things (unless you save or are well off). Even having to pre book dump runs is a pain as sometimes you just want to get stuff sorted.

There has definitely been a shift. I think people being able to take time out of work and school have made them realise that work is tedious and boring too unless they are in a career they love. It’s changed our collective attitude about it.

People are less social now which I struggle with. I miss after work drinks. WFH isn’t good for everyone. My partner has depression and really struggles with the lack of interaction all day.

I have worked in n a university mental health team for years and post Covid young people have little resilience which isn’t their fault. I will worry about their ability to be in the workplace

I think I feel happier than I was before Covid. I was very stressed and actually appreciated the enforced rest. Things seem to be back to normal now as far as I can see.

O don’t think people are as genuinely happy but I’m not sure Covid is the problem

I think society has been changing faster than usual since the 90s and what you're noticing about COVID is that the change just continues to accelerate. When I think back to times when there was more community, people spent more time with others and less time using tech/rushing around everywhere all the time. It feels generally worse now, like people might have everything they want but don't have the time/energy to enjoy it. Even people who don't work and have more free time can't enjoy it as life is generally more stressful and people are more hostile. I think it's a combination of factors including bad economy, fractured communities due to both huge levels of immigration and people having to move away from their families to find work, and the increased use of technology every day.

Yes I agree, not sure if it was caused by COVID, but people seem super weird in incidental ways. Nobody used to play their phone on speaker on the train. You could hire nannies easily. Work was much more social, not just trekking in on my 90 minute commute to sit at a row of empty desks on zoom to the rest of the world and the people who can't get childcare or can't be arsed. The days that really bug me are Japan calls in the morning and US calls in the evening.
The other day I had a meeting I'd arranged with a guy who had flown over to London from the US, a range of other people from the London office, and one guy from Brackley who was on Zoom due to no childcare...

With respect social norms do change. The Victorians/ Edwardians were horrified by the roaring 20's. Those same bright young things were in turn shocked by the rock n roll era and then free love. Plus ca change.

You could hire nannies easily.

This is likely to be Brexit. Also au pairs.

I’ll never trust the public voice again

I agree with this. I think Brexit plus social media meant that people have retreated to echo chambers on all sides and find it difficult to listen to other people's points of view which then follows through into generally more unpleasant and selfish behaviour in everyday life as everyone is that bit more on edge.

Life moves on, everything is different for me as I have one more child and weve3 moved house. So life would have been different after five years, Covid or not. I socialise more with my family than anyone else because we make the most of our time together, but that tends to happen with young families. But everyday life is just as busy, the kids are happy at nursery and school (prep school so insulated from the worst behaviour issues I guess), and DH is in the office 5 days a week. Financially we've done better since Covid as I bought stocks during the crash and they've risen rapidly since then.

I completely agree. I think covid showed us how our government could really let us down, did not have our best interest at heart and were prepared to lie blatantly.

For me this disillusionment is the worst, and politics now seems very dirty. Additionally our NHS has gone even further down the pan, our schools have few resources and overworked teachers. Also for me my work is largely at home which I don’t really like.

And another thing, it always seems to be raining now. the weather is worse!! is it global warming? I don’t know!

Absolutely agree nothing feels the same as before. My mother passed away during covid so that's part of it for me my normal never came back. I've had horrendous luck since covid also. More has happened in the last five years than had done in the rest of my life combined.

I think this is true. Also SM became incredibly negative post Brexit/pandemic. People who feel resentful or powerless found an outlet and they now complain about everything so you feel more like everything is terrible.

I severely limit news/SM/phone ins in my life. I avoid negative people. I block negative nellies on the forums I'm on.

Socially I arrange things myself, go to the cinema/events/theatre on my own if no-one else can make it. The more I surround myself with positivity/avoid negativity the happier I feel.

OP is there a chance you feel depressed? It may be an idea to see a therapist to talk it through if so.