Is this now the new way of life?

[Wannaflyaway]

Hi, I just wanted to ask those, who are a lot more knowledgeable than me, if, the way life is now, i.e. face masks in enclosed places, social distancing, the constant threat of local/national lockdowns, travel restrictions, quarantining, no theatres, no concerts, no mass gatherings etc. is really the new normal, not just temporarily, but for the long-term?. I think that it actually really is. I also feel that I'm now starting to come to terms with this new normal, which is what I thought I never would, but it isn't a nice feeling. It's a low-level depression and the feeling that I'm just existing, but not living, and that I have fuck-all to either plan for or to look forward to in the future.

@everythingisginandroses

I knew it wouldn't be long until the turquoise tracksuits came out.

That made me laugh.

My Dh thinks it will probably be the death of the office. Because of the expense of office rental. But I'm not so sure. There might be some changes. But I think once things are safe again it will gradually drift back to not too far different to before. People like to be sociable at work. Well a lot of people do. I think people find it easier to be away from home to work for the most part. Like the culture of getting a latte on the way in, having a drink after work on a Friday etc. Not everyone is an introverted home bod like on Mumsnet. Lots of people are going to crazy with excitement to be let loose again!

I don't recognise my life from these comments. I'm going to restaurants and working my laptop in cafes, meeting up with friends in my house/their house, going on the train, planning my usual September catch ups with business contacts which will be done over coffee or lunch as usual. DD has been back at nursery for months. Life has returned broadly to normal for me. We've even had friends to stay and been on holiday (albeit in the UK).
Yes the face masks are annoying in shops and i haven't gone for a day wandering around a shopping centre lately. And yes being cautious around elderly relatives is awkward. But we're doing as much as we're allowed to and trying to make the most of it.
As soon as they release any remaining restrictions we'll do those things too. If they make masks optional I'm having a ceremonial burning of mine!

I really hope not.

I miss hugging my friends, or just touching them. That has been the worst part of this for me. I have felt really lonely. My colleague burst into tears the other day and I couldn't hug her like I would normally do as we are all being careful, it was awful.

I can cope with masks, one way systems, hand gel all the other stuff but I hate "social distancing". The idea that we must almost fear one another.

Mind you, if the human race is going to continue then it will have to end at some point.

As someone on the extremely critically vulnerable shielding list my life is pretty shot. Can't have my adult kids in my home, can't visit them in theirs. My consultant has told me to continue to shield as much as possible from face to face contact, so all the things that made my life palatable have gone.

Most of us on the shielding list were already living restricted lives due to our health, so covid has completely ended most of what helped us get through the shit we were already dealing with.

The World Economic Forum has started The Great Reset. It sounds like lots of things will be changing, from wfh to digital currency. It's right there on there website.

www.weforum.org/focus/the-great-reset

Honestly I doubt Brits will wear face coverings for longer than necessary. The moment they stop being compulsory, the majority of people will stop wearing them. I could only see myself continuing to wear them on trains, mainly to protect myself from other’s germs as close contact with strangers for extended periods of time.

Obviously the countries where mask usage was the norm will continue to wear them, so Asian international students in the UK would continue to wear them

No, around 1/3 of my friends are musician and actors, my dd is a semi professional singer - they need to earn money

AustBron that sounds really hard. I am sorry and I hope we get positive progress soon.

Maybe I am in denial but I do not think this is the way things will be now. It will drag on longer than any of us feel we can handle but it will end.

Covid 19 has never been isolated and therefore cannot be tested for accurately.

What? Yes it has. Way back in February, from my memory, if not before. How else do you imagine scientists all over the world are working on various vaccines against it?

@everythingisginandroses

I knew it wouldn't be long until the turquoise tracksuits came out.

Oh, thanks for that laugh, I needed that.

@AustBron I get it. Am WFH, don't see anyone. Not happy to go out to a cafe or shopping or anything yet as I'm also shielding list. My parents are out and about so I don't really want to meet up with them and plus local restrictions..

Nothing is forever. The situation is still very much in a state of flux. It's only been 6 months. Things have changed, they will keep changing. I reckon it will take a few years at least for a new equilibrium to emerge. Don't lose hope!

... Quite frankly, I must confess having kids was much more disruptive to my life than COVID-19... And it did get better (after a long while, of sleepless nights, not going anywhere anymore, having to adapt how I did most things, etc.)

I definitely think I preferred lockdown. At least that felt so abnormal I could adjust to that life in a keep going this will pass way.
This 'normality' is much harder to be positive about and as it goes on I'm finding it harder and more depressing.

I just can’t imagine another whole year of this never mind any longer

I could cry reading this thread. We are living through a nightmare.

I’m so sorry for all of you who are shielding and struggling with it

I bloody hope a cashless society will not come into play. I don't want all my transactions recorded for anyone to get their hands on. Privacy = gone.

Thank god for a sensible response - thanks @SomewhereEast

Of course this isn't forever. Our parents and grandparents lived through five years of war and rationing and, for city dwellers, living with the risk of nightly bombing.

It won't even be five years. It will probably be 18 more months max until we've got a functional vaccine along the lines of the flu jab, which opens up society but obviously doesn't remove risk 100 per cent.

I've no idea why people need to feel so much doom and gloom. I've had a rubbish lockdown - wfh with a toddler and a high risk pregnancy with minimal maternity care, and now due to give birth in a couple of weeks with my husband only allowed in for the last hour or so - and I'm still optimistic about the long term.

In life, there are things you can't control. The arrival of a pandemic is one of them. We've just got to get through it as best we can. It will end.

That is very good point @HelloMissus

@Multipack5678

The phrase "new normal" needs to be canned, permanently, along with the view that doing activities virtually is any kind of long-term substitute for face-to-face human interaction.

Oh God...this, so much!

I don't have children of my own, so my personal bugbear at the moment is leisure centres. We're all being told we should be getting fit and losing weight but the local leisure centre is too terrified to open properly. Funny how they're not too terrified to open for the more lucrative activities.

I live alone and am self employed, and my social life has shrunk to virtually nothing. It's appalling to think this nau be long term. And insane.

@AustBron

As someone on the extremely critically vulnerable shielding list my life is pretty shot. Can't have my adult kids in my home, can't visit them in theirs. My consultant has told me to continue to shield as much as possible from face to face contact, so all the things that made my life palatable have gone.

Most of us on the shielding list were already living restricted lives due to our health, so covid has completely ended most of what helped us get through the shit we were already dealing with.

I'm really sorry @AustBron. It bloody miserable

OP I'm operating with the mindset of 'it will pass'. I personally welcome schools returning, I've never seen my 6 yo so chatty and happy after school this week, and he's in the process of returning to his activities.

Personally I've suffered with anxiety and increasing back pain during lockdown, but things are getting better. I do sometimes wake up and think 'Groundhog Day!' but try my best to shake that feeling off.

It's my 40th next month and we have a couple of local meals planned, we're hopefully away in the Lake District for half term too. Is there anything you can plan in, so you have something, however small to look forward to?

Well said @YukoandHiro. So many on MN are heavily into doom and gloom - and how does that help? Honestly, to listen to some of them you would think no-one has ever gone through a tough time before. I'm sure they get some sort of perverse pleasure from being negative. In a few years this will be but a distant memory - in the meantime just deal with it and stay hopeful.

I can’t stand the masks. Absolutely hate them. I have autism as does my son and we can’t read people’s expressions and language so well with half their faces covered. It’s made me feel completely isolated to be honest. Which I know to some will sound ridiculous but just going to a shop and not being able to understand people fully is hugely debilitating.

I was on the clinically vulnerable group/ shielding for chronic autoimmune conditions and being honest now I’ve just almost had to pretend to myself that Covid doesn’t exist anymore just to deal with the constant fear that I might get it. I can’t stay indoors forever; I have two children and dh works full time. I just have to hope for the best and I’m fed up with this whole “new normal” shit. I really, really hate it. All of it.

I saw a comment on Facebook the other day. It said. “Some people are addicted to fear like a drug addict is to drugs”

I’m beginning to agree.