AIBU to feel life has never felt quite the same since Covid

[Littlebearbutadog]

Looking even at memories that come up
on my Sm just before covid hit, it was all so happy. Life since then has had normal moments, but it doesn't feel right/genuine in my soul
Does this make sense? I look back on life pre covid and it's like a dream, people just aren't truly the same

YABU and looking at the past through rose tinted glasses.

I don’t feel that at all, I think we all very quickly got back to normal as we were desperate for it.
Has your personal life changed a lot in that time and maybe thats making you feel this?

For those of us still living with the effects of long covid it certainly hasn't.

YABU. Things have got expensive. That's the difference.

My life is so much better since COVID. Wholesale acceptance of wfh has changed my life

Of course YANBU. A big whole system shock like that has an impact. Some things and some people never get back to how they were before.
But also, things like Brexit, Ukraine, long term underfunding and repeat changes of PM have impacted on how the country feels.

Covid has not left any lasting legacy on my life apart from drastically improving it for me and my team as we all work predominantly from home now. Without the pandemic, we’d all still be pointlessly schlepping into the office. My work life balance and resultant quality of life have improved exponentially.

Nor did it affect us at the time beyond the inconvenience aspects. I’d say this is true for everyone we know.

If that is how you feel, that's not unreasonable. And it's sad. What specifically do you miss?

As a single lone mum, covid had a positive effect. I was furloughed for 4 months which gave me a chance to spend more time with my ds. It took the pressure off and allowed me to rest.

Then I was diagnosed with BC in late '21 but was able to work through from home without my colleagues noticing or me having to brave the office in a wig. It made the whole miserable process easier. And the oncology wards were quiet, no queues.

Since then life has carried on as normal for us. I was already isolated because I had no babysitting support so that didn't change. It was just normal. And I didn't lose anyone close. Parents died years ago.

For me things have got better, I've moved jobs, more money, a couple of decent holidays. Ds now has a part time job, is much more confident and is off to uni next week.

It depends on your individual circumstances. I hope things cheer up for you.

You're mixing up Covid with the very real impact of Brexit and the economic downturn which has occurred in the same time period.

Covid was just extremely convenient for the Tories to hide their economic shitshow behind for a few years.

We lost two family members one who was young fit and healthy and picked it up and a sports event just before the first lock down and my partner has long covid so it changed us. They left a legacy of living more for today, and I changed careers after putting it off which has worked out for the better.

I think the main difference has been more flexible work, which is flipping great.

Certainly, socially it took a long time for things to get back to normal. It was summer 2024 when I went to a party at my sister's house and then to a few other events in the weeks following and I realised socialising had finally gone more or less back to normal. It could have done so two years earlier but I think a lot of us, after this period of separation, got hit by a sort of decision paralysis where it was kind of 'I really want to see my friends again but who and where and how?' and then ended up doing nothing. But then the momentum seemed to get running again about 2 years ago.

Certainly there are other non-Covid related issues now like everything being so bloody expensive, which doesn't help with getting out and about.

It accelerated the cash free and app culture we have now, and the end of Covid coincided with brexit and the war which pushes prices sky high which they never really dropped back from.

On a more personal level it accelerated my mums death as she didn’t get to see her consultant through 2020/21 and the isolation from me and her grandchildren impacted her extensively.

Well had Trump and ai not messed with the world we’d be a lot closer to recover times instead of the craziness we’re all in!!

I can't believe I was worried about cleaning the food shopping.

It all reverted to normal very quickly!

That's so awful. And sadly not an uncommon story - a friend had a similar situation.

Meanwhile Boris and his parties...

The effects on children who are midteens now is very clear and sad to see. (Those who lived in families who stuck to the rules).

A benefit for me from Covid was the change to WFH. This has opened doors for people who otherwise might not have been able to work in the role they now have. I love WFH, the thought of being in the office 5 days a week like I used to makes me feel sick.

I think for some younger kids there has been a social effect, along with social media, that has created for some real difficulty in having to interact with anyone they don't know, like shop staff or a waiter - also exacerbated by the cash-free app/touchscreen type culture mentioned by @Bryonyberries

My oldest, who was in Y7 when it hit, is part of the cohort this is supposed to have hit worst by this but fortunately they seem to be very socially able (much more so than me and their dad at same age TBH!)

I agree with you completely. For me and my family.
I had 18 months working at home, i got so fit as I wasnt exhausted travelling 4 hours everyday, my mental health was better, physical health better. I realised just how much the hustle and bustle and stresses of travelling, trying to raise young kids and working full time made me stressed.

My life has improved immeasurably since 2019 (other than I’ve aged like a pear and look about 20 years older than I did then).

You can’t keep blaming “Covid” for everything. If you want to make changes in your life, then do it.

I look at my 8 year-old nephew and I think how lucky for everyone his age and younger that they have no memory of Covid. That’s millions and millions of people in the country for whom Covid means nothing. Isn’t it time we joined this cohort in not giving Covid a moment’s thought and getting on with our lives?

No I think the only things that have changed really is certain things picked up during Covid and stuck eg more people wfh or hybrid working and more contactless payments eg local shops etc. even Big Issue sellers and ice cream vans accept them now!. Other than that I think we’re pretty much back to normal.

Pre Covid there didn't seem to be so much stress and anxiety about, especially with children and young people.

It could have been the disruption in school and learning coupled with the isolation from friends and other family members.

I do think younger people seem to have suffered more than us oldies, who tend to get on with what life throws at them a bit easier.

Obviously different for each person so I can’t really vote.
My personal experience Covid made things worse for. Had recently had formal autism diagnosis. Very slowly managing to begin to socialise and getting somewhere then it all stopped. I live alone and was lucky to spend Covid with family but the hard won independence just stopped.

Post Covid some of the social groups never started again. I feel that people are more family oriented and less likely to attend social groups and if planning more likely to cancel. So hard if it took a lot to just ask. I can understand the feeling of wanting to be with you direct family but hard for people who are single.

I agree with this. Life got back to normal fairly quickly but the inflation (particularly food) has put a dampener on things a bit.

Also, I do feel that people are less patient about things than before. That might be social media led rather than a post pandemic hangover, but who knows?!