How have you found this lockdown compared to the March - June one in 2020?

[daffodilsandprimroses]

In the first one I missed having my hair done but I didn’t mind other aspects. Quiet roads, wildlife, a general feeling of solidarity.

This one has been utterly horrific and really has affected my mental health, although I’m ‘lucky.’

I pray to god we will never go through another one!

This one hadn't been as bad for me as I left my previous job (where I was on furlough) and got myself a key worker job. I need to be with people so this was essential for my mental health. I didn't know this lockdown would happen so it was extremely fortunate for me that I made that change last autumn.

First time... Everyone in it together. People going out of their way to help each other. Positive blitz spirit moods.
This time.. People very opinionated. People more selfish and looking after themselves first. Every one generally in a bad mood and grumpy.

This one's been worse imo, just feels unending and like the goalposts could be moved again.

The weather does make a massive difference to mood and last year's lockdown had amazing weather.

Also there was a feeling that we would do our three weeks/three months and that would be it but now the end date feels more uncertain despite the vaccine.

And yes there was more "war spirit" or something first time round. This time it is just boring and endless.

Hopefully these feelings are all incorrect and, with heard immunity on Monday, and most adults already vaccinated especially the vulnerable groups, we will really have done with lockdowns come June. Foreign holidays are going to take a bit longer I guess but we can always go to Cornwall and keep fingers crossed for some luck with the weather.

Different. I spent a lot of time grieving what we'd be losing in the year ahead during the first one. I wish I'd been one of the people who thought it would be just for three weeks or to flatten the curve or whatever and thrown myself into a project, then dealt with the reality of the situation later.

This time I've seen friends and family. I've continued with my sport. I haven't had the sense of claustrophobia that I had at being stuck in a small town the first time.
There's been a lot more nuance to discussion, rather than everyone telling each other to stay the fuck at home at every opportunity, so it hasn't felt nearly so isolating.

On the other hand we have the constantly moving goalposts, seeing the figures rocketing down and wondering why we're following dates rather than data and it feels endless.

I never felt much solidarity in the first one, I have to say. I thought that was an idea manufactured by the specialist advisors to keep us compliant...

The first lockdown exacerbated the divide between have and have nots. If you were affluent had a nice house and a garden, and lived in a nice area, the weather was good, you could probably work from home, spend a lot of time in the garden, didn't have to intensely homeschool. Meanwhile people in poorer areas, lower paid jobs, often still had to go in to work, mainly to keep those wfh fed and watered... had a greater risk of lost income, might not have gardens, while playgrounds and some public open spaces were closed.

By comparison this third lockdown, having a garden and living in a nice area are much less consolation when it's cold, wet and dark. Those working from home have had to also manage homeschooling. Those having to go out to work are more likely to be have been able to access keyworker childcare, which has comparatively lightened their load.

So I think the third lockdown has been much fairer, or at least less divided according to relative affluence. Yes it's been crap, but it's been crap for everyone, as opposed to hellish for some and quite pleasant for others. Which is probably more genuinely what solitary is.

I feel worse now than a year ago. I remained upbeat and optimistic, pleased when vaccines were announced, quite liked the peace and quiet.
Suddenly I have gone downhill, I feel quite depressed. I'm not sleeping properly, have put on weight over the winter and seem to have lost the willpower to lose it, fed up with beautiful country walks (!) and my blood pressure seems to have soared suddenly, which is a serious worry.
I moved recently so haven't any proper friends here and really miss all the events where it's possible to meet people and made new ones, like evening classes, church groups, village coffee mornings and so on. I can't even invite the neighbours in for a cuppa (in a flat so no garden to sit in) and folk really don't want to be meeting people at the moment anyway. I really feel quite low.....

Much preferred this lockdown to last year. Last lockdown I was furloughed, DS wasn't at school and we were living in a flat with no garden so we really couldn't enjoy the nice weather. DS is an only child and I'm single so it was incredibly isolating before we were allowed support bubbles. It felt like Groundhog day and I was constantly worrying about being made redundant.

This lockdown I have been working and DS has been at school throughout so it has felt much more structured. We also live in a house with a garden now. It's been cold so we haven't felt like going out much anyway.

This one was much shitter.

@FreeFallingFree

I never felt much solidarity in the first one, I have to say. I thought that was an idea manufactured by the specialist advisors to keep us compliant...

The first lockdown exacerbated the divide between have and have nots. If you were affluent had a nice house and a garden, and lived in a nice area, the weather was good, you could probably work from home, spend a lot of time in the garden, didn't have to intensely homeschool. Meanwhile people in poorer areas, lower paid jobs, often still had to go in to work, mainly to keep those wfh fed and watered... had a greater risk of lost income, might not have gardens, while playgrounds and some public open spaces were closed.

By comparison this third lockdown, having a garden and living in a nice area are much less consolation when it's cold, wet and dark. Those working from home have had to also manage homeschooling. Those having to go out to work are more likely to be have been able to access keyworker childcare, which has comparatively lightened their load.

So I think the third lockdown has been much fairer, or at least less divided according to relative affluence. Yes it's been crap, but it's been crap for everyone, as opposed to hellish for some and quite pleasant for others. Which is probably more genuinely what solitary is.

Yes, this is exactly how it was for me.

This second one by far. I want my life back to normal now am hoping that as these restrictions lift we won't have to go back into lockdown again. In fact I actually don't think we should. I will be honest I have followed the rules the whole way through but I have reached my limit with that now.

This one has been utterly horrific and really has affected my mental health, although I’m ‘lucky.’
This is true for me too. The first lockdown was harder. (We weren't even allowed out to exercise). But this time round I feel so low.

The first was the worst for us, because nurseries were closed and trying to wfh with DD (who was 9 months at the start of the first lockdown) was a nightmare. I cried with relief when they said nurseries wouldn’t close with the schools in Jan.

This one has been worse for me.
The first one was tough, I was 3-6months pregnant with a 18 mo to run around after but I enjoyed it overall and remained positive throughout.

I thought I was doing OK in the one too but I suddenly feel very overwhelmed, not sleeping (even when the babies DO sleep), struggling to eat healthy, moody, low etc.
All of my friends are making garden date plans or appointments to get their hair done, booked their kids swimming lessons. I havent made a single plan, even though I so desperately want to get back out there again.

Good question
Looking back, maybe w rose tinted specs, I quite ‘enjoyed’ the first lockdown as it was a ‘novelty’ - people were happy to be doing Zooms etc, we thought it’d be over in a few months, the weather was good, roads quiet, we were ‘in it together’. Also my job was easier from home (I have since changed jobs). Yes I was bored and I felt terrible for the DCs whose exams and lives were cancelled, DD also struggled more mentally prob cos of that, too but on the whole I was ok.
This one has def got to me more. For DS online school was not good for him, he missed his friends, became an insomniac which led to me not sleeping properly etc. Everyone is bored of zoom, it’s too cold to meet outside properly atm, bored of walks, been too long since seeing some friends but now am def looking forward to being able to sit outside in pub again.

More people have woken up to the fact this whole thing is a crock of shit. Which has made this time around a 1000 times worse. Sooner its over the better. 2 weeks to save christmas they said. Bastards. Full of shit the lot of them.

First one was much harder on me. A truly dark period of my life, and I haven't had an easy life.

I find the idea that there was a so called blitz spirit and us all being in it together laughable.

Both equally challenging for different reasons.

During the first lock down we were both furloughed with huge uncertainty as to whether we would have jobs to go back to. That was very stressful. But there was better weather and less pressure on homeschooling so we really tried to make the best of it and enjoy quality family time. But the threat of losing our jobs, home etc definitely loomed over us all the time and soured every positive thing a bit.

With this lock down I have been back on furlough but with much more certainty that my job is safe and dh has been working, so that has been much better. But crappy weather and more pressure on the homeschooling has made it pretty unpleasant day to day. So no big stresses but lots of little ones I suppose. I've definitely found myself angrier and more irritable this time.

I think one thing that has been better during this lockdown is that, when you did go out, people were a lot more relaxed. During the first lockdown I felt so on edge every time that I was in a supermarket or passing someone on the street that I was going to do something wrong and a stranger was going to shout at me about "2 METRES". This time round it has seemed much less likely and frankly I'd care a lot less if someone did shout at me, I'd probably shout right back
Being out and about during this lockdown has felt a lot more normal, thank god. And hopefully, as restrictions ease, the opening up will feel a lot more normal a lot quicker as well.

Agree with @FreeFallingFree

The idea that there was solidarity. Was there heck.

A lot of people turned into vile, judgmental, nosy, snooping, police state, lockdown loving little Hitlers.

I haven't forgotten the threads on here berating people for going to buy a loaf of bread and telling people to put cheese in their coffee.

The first one was much harder for me. I found all the uncertainty very stressful and missed people desperately. Plus there was more fear of actually getting sick or losing friends to the virus.

Being able to see friends for walks has been a lifesaver this time, and I’ve adapted my expectations this time. I’ve got into a routine that keeps me sane and occupied.

Yes, it was doubly depressing being told their was a blitz spirit when everyone was telling each other to stay the fuck at home. The elderly couldn't go for a walk because benches were taped off. Everyone posted anything with a caveat that they were going for their 'daily socially distanced walk'. If people didn't, they were often quizzed by their friends about whether they were doing things right. Television doctors were talking us we shouldn't wash our cars one it might already covid, when all logic said they were being ridiculous.
There was control to a ridiculous degree that had nothing to do with science and keeping people safe.

First one I was scared, my anxiety levels weer through the roof and I was lonely. My DH works on city centre public transport in a security capacity, and they had no safety provisions at all. I'm in GM so we had about 20 minutes of freedom before local lockdown began.

November lockdown my baby boy died, so that was horrific.

This one had been OK, it's shit, but at least my eldest boy has been in school, I've been able to be busy in a voluntary role and the end is in sight.

This one has been easier for me. First lockdown I had a newborn baby and a toddler and it was hellish.

Now I'm back at work, oldest is in nursery and grandparents are able to do childcare for my youngest. Life feels almost normal in some ways.

I'm so sorry for your loss @BloodyHellAudrey

First lockdown I really struggled with DD (SN) and admitted it on a Zoom call with friends - was met with silence and somebody moved conversation on. Didn't really feel I could admit that again to anyone. It was very lonely.

Last one I was ready for it - just as difficult in parts but it wasn't quite the mental/physical shock it had been.

The first was was fine for us. We were worried but more than happy to follow all rules, really enjoyed the quiet motorways when we did have to go somewhere. Spent a lot of time enjoying being together.

This most recent one I have been the opposite. Very resentful of the mixed messaging, the sudden and drastic u-turns, and the poor and contrived evidence to justify the measures.

It has seriously affected my mood. I think it has disproportionately harmed my children and I am afraid I no longer believe in the measures or the government.