Has anyone's life not changed?

[StrangerDays]

Since lockdown, my life is pretty much the same.

I suffer from agoraphobia but thought I was doing quite well recovering the past year or two, but lockdown has made me realise my life is still very isolated and insular.

I don't have friends/family so there's no one I can miss, I don't have a job (DH has an income, luckily unaffected) and my hobbies are running which I can still do once a day, baking, reading and writing which are indoor things anyway.

I just wondered if anyone else was in a similar position, and how they felt?

It's made me feel lucky in one way for knowing I can cope fine with lockdown, but also reflecting sadly that I don't have much of a life. :(

I’m a comfortable/self-accepting introvert and am finding this an interesting process. I am realising just how many of my ‘habits’ are probably self-soothing behaviours because the world as it is normally just over-stimulates me. I’m not tempted to spend too much (er, the fact the shops are closed does help), I’m getting on with hobbies and projects and I’m exercising regularly. My work is impacted massively - I’m able to do my job but very differently - and all my usual outside pressures have pretty much disappeared. I want to look back on this time as having brought something positive as well as the undeniable downsides.

In my head it’s changed massively.
Realistically at home not so much..as we didn’t do much at home this time of year anyway. Clean and tidy up, do the garden when nice but I miss my other life.
The half of the week I live in beautiful N Yorks at our caravan. The scenery, trips here there and everywhere, going to the cinema on the ring round, the music in the pubs.
It feels such a loss.
I miss my kids and grandkids popping in at home
Speaking on the phone is nice but not as good as the real thing.
I’m not going to see family in Wales this month and friends in dorset.
I’m a proper people person and I miss, miss miss them all so much.
I hate this head thing that keeps telling me I can’t do this and can’t do that.
I’m scared we are being lied too.
I certainly im not scared of the virus, I’ve dealt with too much tough shit in my life.

No, I’m scared life will not go back to normal, that all our freedoms have been surrendered and we will never get back what we’ve lost.

I've been in semi isolation for the last 18months for health reasons anyway so my life hasn't really changed. I do have lots of friends from before who I do regularly keep in touch with via WhatsApp but sadly don't see as often as I used to anyway. I guess the only difference is that I used to go to the shops (I'm in a high risk group so no longer leave the house at all) and meet healthy friends for the occasional coffee. I quite like it that my DC and DH have now joined me:-)

Well, I’ve realised I can’t fucking stand people now. I love being at home just schlomping and not being polite to people.
I’ve worked in customer facing roles since I was 16, I’m now 44. Time to re-evaluate my career choices I think

The only thing I'm doing much differently now is that I'm not going out to work. My introverted self is quite enjoying being at home with nothing asked or expected of me. I do, however, miss the spontaneity of being able to go out and do what I want, when I want to do it. I thought I'd cope OK with lockdown and I do for the most part. I miss my sons who live away from home the most, and I long for the day I can hug them again.

Mine hasn't changed too much. The inky places I used to go were my sons nursery on Tuesdays and Thursdays, and my nail and eyebrow appointment every fortnight. Sometimes I'd go and get shopping with dh and ds, but my husband usually cycles as it saves time. Obviously I haven't been doing either of those so that all that's changed for me personally.
My husband usually works full time but he is at home so that's different. That's all that's changed for us. Non contact with other family members so no change there.
I know it may sound selfish but because I'm used to being at home all the time anyway, it's no different for me so I'm not finding it difficult in any way.

It feels like it's Sunday everyday. Especially because dh usually needs to do some work on Sunday mornings. Shopping is delivered as usual. We usually go to park/beach in the afternoons but not always.

@Backyard72 Not intrusive at all - I have worked hard to beat the agoraphobia, I joined a gym, started volunteering, had been driving out and about, made lots of progress. But if I'm honest I did those things because I thought that's what I should be doing and they didn't make me any happier.

I've been really questioning if it was worth the anguish, anxiety and struggle as I didn't feel my life was better, despite battling the anxiety and forcing myself to do 'normal' stuff. Now I'm wondering if I'm just very much an introvert.

It's tough to know exactly what's me and what's the anxiety! I've never heard of ACT, I'll look into it :)

I had agoraphobia a very long time ago.

Then periods of my life when I’ve been trapped in the house eg illness/ isolated/ unsupported single parent so not going out unless to work or for basic shopping has been the norm for long periods of my adult life.

I always feel guilty/ inferior compared to people who do so much.

I am sociable but I find it drains me.

I’ve never had an exercise routine and don’t live close enough to anyone for unarranged visits.

So actually lockdown has rod me if my fomo which usually plagued me when I have time in.

I need the occasional weekend of not leaving the house, to recharge.

Having it forced on me for weeks/ months won’t be good for my mental or physical health though.