Is the virus making anyone reassess their life? What positive changes do you hope to make after?

[Canyoutellilikrchocolate]

DH and I both work in the City. Well paid. But long hours. Long commute. Toddler in childcare 4 days per week (mix of family help & nursery).

Normal life is so rushed. Everything is rushed, online shopping, quick & easy food all the time, etc etc. we both have hobbies we are passionate about but don’t spend enough time doing things we enjoy. Because we are always working / commuting. Most importantly family time is limited.

Although the virus is horrible and tragic, I have to admit it’s been nice actually having DH around in the evening and all spending more time together at home.

The virus has just got me thinking on so many levels.
Eg, I want to spend more time as a family.

I want to spend more (proper) time with my parents who live the other side of the country while I still can. They are 70s and we currently only manage occasional weekend visits. The virus has really brought this home to me.

I’ve wanted to sort out my garden for ages. We’re so lucky to have a large garden and I’ve always dreamed of growing my own fruit & veg, and never had the time, but this crisis has actually made me realise it’s something I should prioritise.

I want to cook better more nutritious meals instead of relying on convenience foods and wasting loads

I want to prioritise my health and fitness more instead of always being too tired for exercise.

I’m also not happy at work and totally fed up with ridiculous office politics and this crisis is making me question why I would want to be in that toxic environment. It’s also making me realise I’d like to do a job which is actually helping people.

Like most people, we do need to work to live so I can’t just quit my job and spend my days playing with my toddler and growing tomatoes. And I’m also realistic about the fact that - politics aside - I used to enjoy my job and have never seen myself as a SAHM.

Just wondered if the virus has put a few things in perspective for other people and is making them reconsider things?

Fantastic thread.

I'm feeling mortifyingly ashamed that nothing I thought I knew made me ready, in any way, for this.

In future I'm going to try to take more notice.

I'm going to start meal planning more. Not being able to go shopping has helped me with this and I've enjoyed it.

I'll also be changing my career. I'm NHS and once this is all over ( if I live that is) then I'll be doing something new.
The anxiety my job has caused me over the past few weeks really isn't worth it. It has made me mentally unwell.

What carrotcakeforbreakfast said. I came on to post similar. NHS worker, planning on reducing hours and career change when possible. Have already been on OU webpage having a look. It's just not worth it.

Lovely thread.

I am going to stop contacting people who never contact me, try to stop worrying what people think of me as they aren’t thinking of me anyway, ditch the pointless clutter in the house, get rid of my phone addiction, try to get a job in the voluntary sector, do more exercise, get outside more, live for the moment, waste less time, read books, try to get rid of the awful guilt and shame I carry round about stuff including my divorce, get life insurance.

Just for starters .

I'm going to consider my health more and try to lose some weight.
I'm going to home educate full time and we are looking at buying a motorhome so we can nip off whenever we fancy.
We have already started growing our own food so I would like to carry on with that and maybe get a few chickens.
I prepped for covid but I would like to explore prepping even more and learn some bushcraft/survival skills.

I will talk to my friends more. I'll go back to proper meal planning and ensuring my family gets fed good quality food. I'm usually pretty good with that stuff anyway, but now I'm a lot more conscious of making sure my son eats his fruit and veg and generally has a good diet + does exercise.

I would like to be more self sufficient so longer term would like to purchase a house with a garden or some land and start growing my own veg. I've always wanted to do it and I wish I hadn't done it sooner.

Also as soon as this blows over I will leave the UK and take my family with me. I've been putting it off for a while, but now I feel that we just need to bite the bullet and go, as otherwise we'll never do it.

I am going to stop buying stuff just for the sake of it.
I am going to stop working in a place I realise I've come to hate.
I am going to stretch my comfort zone and do things I've put off because it was easier to stay safe and familiar.

Shop less, cook more and have a walk every day. I am even considering home education as even with this weird and stressful situation my children seem less stressed and happier 😳

Literally loving this thread.

When we had CV in mid March, husband and I separately, and later together, sat down and thought through all the permutations of being carted off to hospital, dying, being the survivor, the fate of our daughter and so on. Not that people don't have "if something happens" thoughts and conversations and not that wills don't get written. What was different here is that we had this irritating set of symptoms that might escalate and take us out within days.

It's not something you do with a cold.

I had some "when I feel better I'll..." thoughts but then came lockdown.

So I'm still pondering things. I've been feeling happy to be alive. I've been spotting fear in the faces of strangers and have friends and family who don't know what will happen if/when they are infected.

I think I'll change some future behaviours, but to an extent am biding my time until I glimpse what world we live in after a year or two have passed.