Do you feel less risk averse if you've been going out to work everyday?

[headachehair]

Just curious really. If you've been going to the house and working all through lockdown, are you more comfortable with lockdown gradually lifting (in whatever form that is) or has it made you more risk averse?

I've been at work everyday (full time NHS, not frontline but with patients) and I feel very comfortable. We were ALL bricking it when lockdown happened and we had to carry on but I've seen each problem that arise (PPE, redeployment, implementing social distancing etc) be dealt with. It's been fine. We were ALL terrified that there would be major outbreaks (there weren't) but when small outbreaks happened, they were dealt with well and didn't spread, not many people affected and everything carried on.

I'm quite comfortable with getting out and about if we're allowed and doing what I need to do to reduce my risk and this that of others. I think as things open up, people will find ways to work around challenges and the idea of it is definitely more scary than the reality.

How do others feel?

Completely agree. I have been working everyday as well as doing the majority of the shopping. In addition due to the nature of my job (not care or nhs) I absolutely know I have been massively exposed to to virus over Feb and march. I am completely relaxed about it.

I've had to keep going to work and yup I am pretty calm about it all. We've all got quite fluid and dance nicely around each other at work to the best of our ability. The flatten yourself against the wall types calmed down a bit after a few days.

A week or so ago, a colleague who had been wfh since lockdown, so 5 weeks maybe, had to come in and she literally shouted at anyone who was anywhere near her. She screamed in panic if someone got even remotely close and plastered herself against the wall. It was completely ridiculous and over the top. And actually a bit of a piss take as the rest of us have had to be in work every day.

Very interesting thread. I'm bloody terrified of everything. I've been furloughed 6 or 7 weeks now, have only been shopping 3 times and walking if an evening. No small kids. I have too much time to think, worry and catastrophise.

I have lost my job as a result of this bastarding lockdown, so have been stuck at home.

I have no fears whatsoever about catching Covid. I'm taking no special precautions when I go shopping or out for a walk. I'm going along with social distancing just because everyone else is, and I don't want to inflict my own insouciance on anyone else. I wouldn't bother otherwise, thought.

I agree completely I think it's like all anxiety, avoidance techniques actually make it worse and make people's anxiety more intense. Whereas people who haven't been using an avoidance strategy because they've had to keep going out regularly, their anxiety won't have become inflated in a similar way. DH is front line NHS and DD had been going to a hospital-site nursery and I am mostly WFH but occasionally in the office. So we aren't anxious about covid at all and never have been. I can imagine if we were stuck at home all the time though maybe anxiety would increase.

Hi OP. I'm with you and feel quite relaxed but of course I do stick to the rules when i go out and about. I have been WFH but have had to go into the office a few times. My DS has been working at his engineering firm throughout and my DD has been working part time at Sainsbury's throughout lockdown.

I do think the people who have been indoors all this time must feel extremely anxious by now, especially with all the scaremongering press reports and endless reports on the TV news.

People need to keep some perspective; the lockdown was about protecting the NHS mainly.

I've always worked at home, but the kids have been going to school 4 days a week since lockdown started (DP is a keyworker) - I walk them there, pick them up, same route we always do. That continued normality has made feel totally at ease about going outside (though I quite like the streets being quieter). I'll have zero problem going out again when things get back to "normal"

I'm part-time at a local authority and YES. I've had to crack on since late March, and just didn't really get the chance to acknowledge any worries I might have suppressed.

I’m the opposite. NHS nurse so going out to work.
It’s not me going out that scares me. It’s everyone else.
I take precautions but it scares me that others don’t.
I feel like I’m in a bubble and I’m petrified about lockdown being lifted.
This probably says more about me and my mental health then it does about others.

Yes I’ve been going in as normal and using communal kitchen, toilets etc. We are sitting at alternate desks and meant to be keeping 2m but it is very easy to forget when you’re going about your normal work, helping people with stuff on their computer etc.
It’s made me find it very hard to relate to people eg on here saying they are terrified about going to the supermarket

I feel having worked in a hospital during the peak, then surely I would have had it already really. I was terrified having spent all day with covid patients, but now I’m thinking well I didn’t get Ill did I? Surely having a coffee in a coffee shop has got to be less risky then suctioning a covid patients mouth.

No. I've been going to work (NHS but office based) and trying so hard to social distance. Others don't seem to be as cautious as me and I see them taking risks. They have become complacent like many on this thead.

Frontline NhS here, so is my husband. We are both fairly confident we've had it - as are most of my colleagues. Nearly all of us had symptoms in varying intensity between the end of March and early April. We are all back at work and I do feel less frantic and anxious about being at work as a consequence .
I am surprised about how others are so relaxed about it all though. And I'm still very anxious for my parents, I really do worry about my Dad in particular catching it as he would really struggle due to underlying health conditions.
I've seen enough of this virus over the last few weeks to understand it needs to be taken very seriously.

I’m in a similar position to you op

NHS mh small out breaks we had to manage lack off PPE at first. The way we worked changed over night and the unknown, how we would manage was frightening plus the residents anxiety and the staff. Social distancing is difficult at work but I notice at work and when out and about people are less vigilant that they were at the beginning as many are less anxious now.

After a few weeks things settled and we have settled into our new norm. I think this is a perfectly normal way to react to such a change its the unkown but we mostly soon get used to it and manage it humans are incredibly resilient.

I do think we shall now face a second, third and possibly more waves hopefully the hospital admissions and deaths shall be much lower in numbers

What concerns me more is the unanswered questions not knowing when things will go back to how they were but I’m not overly anxious about it

Yes, I was terrified to begin with back in February, stockpiling and I knew what was coming while other people thought I was just suffering from anxiety. Now though, having to go to work every day, I have stopped expecting to get it. I just keep on going, I still wash my hands etc but it seems like it's gone back to being something on the news. I have disconnected it from me/my family.

I've heard people say ''it's only in care homes'' and the attitude in Ireland atm seems to be cautious yes, we're all adhering to the restrictions but we're confident that it's under control in the general population and rampant in care homes. So I think a lot of people here have stopped worrying now

The second wave when the kids go back to school at the end of August is going to be horrendous though. by the end of September , the situation is going to be terrible amongst general population.

I don't want this to look like all NHS workers are taking risks and being complacent because that couldn't be further from the truth in my experience.

It's more that being out in the world has allowed me to assess what my barriers are at work and find work arounds. Look at areas with people and assess how I might move though them easily or not at all. Living with covid around me has made me less anxious about learning to live with it in the future.

I actually think I'm less likely to catch it now because of this. I'm not in the camp that thinks everyone will get it or 'it's just like flu' etc. My paranoia about catching it is way down because I know I've adapted much safer practices than before lockdown.

I think you’re spot on OP. I’m an NHS nurse so being in work all day and unable to socially distance makes all the precautions in supermarkets and places seem quite alien.

Don’t get me wrong, I do comply when not in work but it all seems quite OTT when you’ve been so close to patients and colleagues.

My level of concern has considerably decreased. I'm in probation and while most of my team are wfh, I am still waiting for equipment to be able to do so. The work o can do without this equipment is very little and I cannot be out of action work wise for the foreseeable so I'm going in by public transport . I love it. It is giving me some sense of normality and helping my mental health tremendously. My managers have said even after the equipment comes, I'll be able to work from office a few times a week.

At first I'd anti bac my hands every 2 seconds and was anxious. As the weeks went on, I've become desensitized to the daily death toll. I've realised my risk of getting it badly is lower. I dont know anyone who's not survived it, and I suppose I have become complacent. Because I am already out all day on work,and the supermarket is on my bus route home, I also tend to pop in the shop for the odd bits eg spaghetti, cider, wine, ice cream. Because I've got some routine and haven't experienced covid horrendously, I am becoming complacent.

From the people I know, yes, those going out to work are less anxious than those who've stayed at home.

Dh has been wfh since before lockdown and gets palpitations about going out to Tesco.
I've been wfh but going into the office once a week. Iam happy to shop and have a routine with my hand santiser and anti bac wipes.
Next door go out to work every day and have had a parade of visitors through lockdown

Everytime I use the kitchen at work, I use a paper towel to open the door to the fridge, etc. I see others just walking in and using everything, touching everything as if they are immune or can't transfer the virus. Staff that are used to being in close contact with patients, etc. are the worst. They have become complacent.

Yes I’ve been going in as normal and using communal kitchen, toilets etc. We are sitting at alternate desks and meant to be keeping 2m but it is very easy to forget when you’re going about your normal work, helping people with stuff on their computer etc.

Snap. We do our best at distancing but when you’re sharing the same tiny loos and kitchen spaces you do wonder how effective it really is. I wouldn’t say I’m fearless, but I try not to think about it too much. You’d go mad otherwise.

I’m not very anxious but I have been staying at home “to save lives”. I went into town last week to give blood and was so surprised how many people were around and clearly not dying from rampant covid.
The media would have us believe r is close to 1 only because nobody is leaving home but that’s clearly not true. People are out and about and R is still near 1 and that makes me feel better.

It’s been impossible to social distance at work but we were certainly trying hard to at first when we could but now not really

I notice when in shops at first people would often look panicked if the got too close to others or step aside people still are but not as much as they were. Most of us have relaxed more we can’t live with that heightened state of anxiety it would wear us down

I haven't been going into school every day, but:

First time I stayed elsewhere afterwards for a few days, away from partner and child.

Next time I came home, stripped off in garage and put everything in the wash, washed myself including my hair, put towels in the wash. Wiped down car steering wheel etc with wipes.

Next time (and ever since), I washed my hands when I got in.

Partner is definitely more worried about 'it' than I am. I'd happily go back to school in some form now. I don't think we SHOULD, but we could probably open straight out and only have to deal with 50% of kids because so many parents are so scared of it.

I'm not saying that not being scared is the right attitude, but it's definitely a thing.