Never going back to normal

[CathyandHeathcliff]

Do people genuinely think this? The amount of posts I’ve read saying that things will never go back to normal again. I’m honestly interested.

I think we will return to normal in a year or two but not this year.

We have already accepted we won't be getting any holiday this year, not in the UK or abroad.

It will be a while. I also think what's normal will change as sadly some businesses will not make it. People's habits will also change. Hopefully some positive ones too.

It's a bit of a strange thing to say. There will be a vaccine at some point so the idea that we will all be socially distancing forevermore is silly.

However the economy has taken a massive hit so yeah, the coming recession will mean that things won't go back to how they were before this happened.

I keep reading that schools will never re-open and we’ll be on lockdown for 100 years. 🤷🏻‍♀️

'Never' is a long time, OP!

I think possibly it has changed some people's attitudes towards things.

I certainly won't be going back to normal. This space has made me realise that I need to readjust my priorities

I really hope that this world wide crisis has some positive outcomes. I hope that we realise how quickly the environment started to recover from pollution, that we don’t need to consume so much stuff, that family and our community are more important than we gave them credit for. That we took so much for granted and should not do do again.

Sexual habits changed markedly as a result of the HIV epidemic, similar also for polio e.g. periodically closed swimming pools etc etc. Could this have the same impact - yes, if no vaccine found.

Like the post 9/11 world, we'll just accept it and see the previous world as the alien one (albeit missing it!).

I think there will be a culture shift, so in that sense I dont think things will go back to EXACTLY as they were before.

I also read in the news that peoples shopping habits are changing, in the last few years people are doing 2, 3, 4 mini shops a week and some spokesperson at Tesco has said theyve seen a shift where people are going back to doing one large shop per week for obvious reasons (whether that's online or in store) which is how people used to shop 10-15 years ago.

I wonder whether people will now be more likely to continue shopping locally, looking out for one another within communities more, working from home more. Maybe handshakes will no longer be the norm, and people may bit kiss each other on the cheek and hug as a greeting going forward?

We obviously wont be in lockdown forever though.

I'm watching how New Zealand fare with interest.

I'm personally hoping cheek kisses for strange people I've only just met goes by the wayside 🤣

I think there will be some fairly big changes that would probably have happened more gradually without this- eg. I think there will be more people working from home more often, more video meetings rather than travelling, closure of a lot of shops and far more online shopping.

I think that for most people everyday lives and habits will get back to normal after a year or so. But I really think that there will be quite a few people who spend the rest of their lives rather nervous of big gatherings/crowds etc and keep up some of the new cleaning habits we've all had to learn. I fully expect to be in this group and to have younger family members etc humour my odd behaviour. Much like I remember happening with older family members who had lived through the war.

I'm not going to have to keep pretending I'm comfortable hugging people all the time! I hate hugging (except dh and my children) and there was so much social pressure.
It's an ill wind.

I'll most likely travel less. And shop less. Neither of which is a negative really. But it would be a change from what used to be. And dating/sex? I think I'd be too worried to. That's a bit shit because I've definitely realised how essential touch is.

It took the people after WW2 many years to feel normal again. I feel this will the same : a gradual feeling of being as we were before but taking time. For many it will never be the same again :(
The random kissing on cheeks I will not miss at all! The hugging too! When did that all become a thing? But then I'm not a huggy sort ! I'll knock elbows instead.

There will be some changes for sure, some that were happening anyway at some point but have been speeded up! University education being delivered more online etc.

I think things will change for me personally as in I won't be shopping like I used to do buying crap we didn't need and over buying food. I used to go every two three days sometimes but now I just do one shop every 8/9 days and make it last and do mix up meals the last couple of days and make do with what is there which I wouldn't of done before.
I also used to over buy clothes before and cosmetic items I think I've realised how little I need to actually feel mentally content.
I've read more books had more conversations with my kids I think life will change for Everyone in some way.

I think automation will speed up. Companies will want fewer employees.

I think people's habits will change a bit even if the virus doesn't exist in the world any more. I've always done a weekly shop and not been in between to get extra items, which I think a lot of people normally do, but people might feel they can manage fine on one weekly shop and they don't end up spending loads extra.

As for if the virus will be a phenomenon that is just part of life (like flu) as opposed to disappearing forever (like bubonic plague) I have absolutely no idea

I think some people are being hyperbolic on here but I think I've changed: realised how little we need and how little shopping I need!

I won’t be going out to restaurants/pubs at all for quite a while. I’ll also be travelling much less. My work will be moving from office based to mostly home based which is a big change.

More working from home, less commuting but also leisure travel, better paternity leave as dads have been around more. More meaningful, less frequent shopping. I'm interested in how this will affect young children growing up!

I think we have short memories and it'll go back to normal

@IWasThereToo - inclined to agree with you - already people are busting to get back to normal.

The roaring twenties followed the flu pandemic of 1919.

I think there will be a new normal in the short term until there is a vaccine. After that point, there will be societal and behavioural shifts that won't go back to normal - there always is after pandemics. But it won't be EVERYTHING that doesn't go back to normal.