How did lockdown affect you positively and negatively?

[SeasonallySnowyPeasant]

Aside from the obvious things that affected everyone, e.g. not seeing friends and family.

For me, the positives were:

• Enforced WFH meant no commuting, saving a shed load of money and stress;
• Having everyone WFH has changed my company leadership's attitude towards it completely, hooray!
• No social pressure to do anything so I feel a lot clearer about what I enjoy doing socially (things I missed) and what I don't (things I was relieved not to have to go to);
• Ditto with friends;
• I spent a lot more time with the kids;
• I spent weeks on end with my DP 24/7 and thoroughly enjoyed his company.

Negatives:

• Had to postpone my wedding and honeymoon;
• Had to postpone our family holiday;
• It was more challenging to start a new job;
• 10% temporary paycut;
• Homeschooling was stressful for everyone;
• All of us have put on weight, despite doing Joe Wicks every day;
• I've only had half a day's holiday since Christmas and that was to attend a funeral.

Positives are more productive evenings because I'm not commuting; realisation that I have a much stronger marriage than I thought (we've rubbed along really well together WFH, despite my expectations).

Negatives - I've definitely become more inactive and put weight on; generally more slovenly - e.g. working in the morning and not getting showered or dressed properly until lunchtime. Work and home life have effectively merged so I have no real separation.

Positives

I can't actually think of any. The things mentioned on this list by others are mostly things that were already part of my life so I guess the lockdown confirms that I did have my work/life balance right even if (prior to lockdown) others had questioned my choices!

Negatives
virtually everything
the worst is wondering what long term effect this will have on the DC (teen)'s mental health as they've both become more and more withdrawn as the weeks go on.

Negatives

• my boyfriend lost his job
• I was on furlough for a month
• We can only WFH during our usual working hours, no childcare and a job that can’t be done while watching a child means a summer of unpaid leave
• No rugby and its pay for play
• No Bingham cup and I may be too old to play the next one in 2022
• No gyms
• Missing loved ones
• No extra curricular activities for my son
• No school for my son

Positives

• More time with my son
• Boyfriend got a new job with better hours and closer to home
• Boyfriend has moved in

Positives:
Got to grips with whatsapp, zoom, on-line banking.
Completed a distance course on identification of a relatively obscure botanical group
Started playing piano again
Lots of time to mooch around garden - have seen both my first ever elephant hawk moth, and my first ever elephant hawk moth caterpillar - a huge thing, larger than my middle finger.

Negatives
Thought I would never see my father again (but he has had Covid and recovered, so I am now hopeful)
No group music playing
No botanising in the hills. I haven't got many summers left - I really resent missing one of them

I just feel so lucky that we've been in a position to survive this. It's been so much more difficult for most people.

@Puppybum that's awful, I'm so sorry to read that. There's no doubt that shielding has been incredibly difficult for people doing it properly. I'm in an area where shielding is continuing until 17th August but I've been out running early am in a deserted field all the way through and have been doing socially-distanced things with family for a couple of weeks.

Positives
Easier commute
Different work pattern - went onto constant 12 1/2hr shifts but ok
Had kid home from uni since March
Did lots of cooking
Did C25K so now more toned
Gym did online classes

Negatives
Missed going out to eat and an occasional weekday lunch in the pub

Positives
Have more money as not spending as much

Eldest DD more calm without school and stresses of other school girls bullying etc

Spent much less on petrol

Get to spend everyday with the dog who is super happy

Been able to help my neighbour who is poorly by popping in there 3 times per day

Been able to sort through cupboards and drawers in the house that needed doing

Nice to be off work and think about things that I wouldn't have time for normally

Negatives
Made me realise how little friends I actually have

Ate far too much

Too much thinking time which could easily lead to depression etc

Positives:
We got on OK - wasn't super fun, but wasn't awful either
Child going back to school while we were WFH meant we met other parents on the school run (just moved to a new place, knew no one)
Child really loved being in a small class, has made some friends
Our garden looks pretty
Realised who I actually want to see/spend time with

Negatives:
WFH - I'm a teacher, I hated it
Homeschooling - didn't happen!
We all looked at a screen too much
Child being alone for 9 weeks without child company
Not being able to swim

Positives
Saved money by not commuting
Didn't catch covid-19

Negatives
Working from home
Home schooling
No peace
Decline in confidence and mood