Anyone else noticed a difference between...

[Onceuponatime1818]

Those who continued going out to work throughout this pandemic and those who worked from home?

My friends are pretty split 50/50 and those that still used public transport to work and had to go into work seem to be enjoying the news freedoms way more than those who stayed home. Their kids are back at groups like gymnastics and swimming. Those who worked from home seem to still be staying home and their kids just go to school and back.

Anyone else noticed this?

The government have scared so many people shitless how’ are they going to support those people to get back to normality?

I couldn't agree more. I've worked in retail throughout and my staff see the restrictions and guidelines as nothing more than an inconvenience now. After putting up with the physical and verbal abuse from some customers for over a year we are all very much done with this pandemic and can't wait to get back to normal. It's been much easier the past few weeks with things slowly starting to open back up and taking the pressure off us because we were the only place that people could visit.

I worked from home prior to the pandemic, so little change for me

I'll also add I don't think it's the government that have scared people, it's the media, they've sensationalised this whole thing from the start and were the biggest problem for us in retail scaremongering people into panic buying by running stories of stock running out.

@brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr that's fine if your circumstances allow you to stay at home. Some of us have no option but to work outside of the home! It's not as simple as being 'happy' and 'content' at a less stressful way of living.
Besides, other people being prepared to go out of the house to work eg fuel providers, food suppliers, delivery drivers etc are enabling you to stay at home.

Yes very brave going out in the fresh air. seriously I’m concerned for anyone who feels like this

That's so understanding of you 🙄. As I said I don't feel this way. We've been out and about every day since this pandemic began and aside from a few months last year working from home my life has barely changed, I'm not worried at all but you must realise some people are. Tbh living where I do on a busy shared use network of paths, inconsiderate runners and cyclists have always been an issue so covid just exacerbated it a little

@AllThatFancyPaintsAsFair well put!

This seems to be the general pattern among my friends too.

I've been mainly wfh or on mat leave, but my DP is a doctor. She hasn't been on covid wards but has seeing patients face-to-face all through the pandemic. At the beginning of the first lockdown, we were both terrified, but over time that fear faded.

Friends in education and essential retail have said similar: they started off scared but then got used to being around hundreds of people all day. Friends where both partners have wfh throughout are much more nervous about being surrounded by lots of people again.

The government have scared so many people shitless how’ are they going to support those people to get back to normality?

Nonsense. The government did no such thing.

What you’re seeing are people who have been cautious, continuing to be cautious until things are fully opened up. I’m not scared shitless of anything and I don’t need any support to move back to normality.

DD’s sports still haven’t opened. Outdoor dining, or trips the city are impossible for us because they have taken over all the fucking pavements and made no allowance for wheelchairs. Last time we tried, they had also taken over the majority of the blue badge spaces to make pavements wider.

We went to book a meal out but the place is fully booked for two months.

I’ll continue to work from home as I have done all throughout this because it is a better work life balance for me.

Disagree.

There are people who stayed at home because they're vulnerable and are continuing to stay at home because, surprise... they're still vulnerable.

There are people who have gone out to everything allowed because they don't really think covid will effect them, and, guess what, they've not changed either, except for the ones who caught covid and discovered that it did actually exist after all.

But in the middle, I know people who continued to go to work throughout, who feel that being at work is a risk they can't avoid, so they're not adding to that risk by doing more.
And people who have been wfh throughout who have been queueing up to do something, anything that is outside the house as soon as they can.

True in my case. WFH throughout (firm policy) and am going to really struggle to return to normal even though I desperately want to. So used to being at home that I have to push myself to do things, though am slowly doing more e.g meeting friends, going to attractions, shops etc. I feel quite uneasy in big crowds and can’t quite bring myself to do indoor dining yet (couldn’t face it last summer and don’t think I’ll be rushing to do it from this week). Fine with outdoor stuff but a large group of people inside does make me nervous - fuck knows how I’m gonna go back to pubs / cinemas / restaurants which I normally love!

I feel quite envious and in fact admiring of friends who have worked outside the home and are confident in doing various activities. Their whole attitude just seems so different to mine - a much more balanced perception of risk etc- but it’s not as simple as just shaking it off and getting on with it. This way of thinking feels very ingrained and I know I’m going to struggle when life returns to normal. I always tend to focus on the negative / doom and gloom messaging and imagine the worst case scenario rather than being able to keep things in perspective- I’m sure it would’ve been different if I’d been forced to be out and about throughout.

I think my kids being Pre school age makes a difference too- if they’d been in school I would probably have freaked out for a while and then got used to the idea that we were risking ‘exposure’ and just cracked on...

@brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr

Perhaps people who have stayed at home realise it’s possible to function without all that unnecessary consumption / participation in paid-for experiences ? They have weaned themselves off those requirements and discovered there are other ways to live.

Really? You’ve risen above such mortal failures and reached a higher level?

You sound ridiculous tbh and like you are lashing out.

midnight Tbh living where I do on a busy shared use network of paths, inconsiderate runners and cyclists have always been an issue so covid just exacerbated it a little This, exactly, around here. They actually closed the park to cyclists for several months because of their anti social behaviour. It has always been annoying to have runners and cyclists coming up on your shoulder (and inches from my young dog). Covid just made it even less respectful, especially as lockdown produced a new wave of newbies with illusions of virtue, ignorant of the rules on speed and priority, who seemingly felt even more entitled to your space.

Nonsense. The government did no such thing

Yes they did, it's a matter of record, behavioural physcology has been extensively used during this.

And the media has been the poorest I have ever seen during this with no investigation not questioning things enough.

Honestly, is there any need for people to speak about each other like some on this thread? It’s just unnecessary.

I've WFH throughout. I'm not stressed about going out, but have definitely lost the habit of it! Plus there's the faff of masks, booking, will I end up in a massive queue in the pissing rain, etc etc, that can too easily tip the balance into can't be arsed.

Perhaps people who have stayed at home realise it’s possible to function without all that unnecessary consumption / participation in paid-for experiences ? They have weaned themselves off those requirements and discovered there are other ways to live.

We haven't. We're just disorganized and lazy as fuck

**disorganized and lazy as fuck AND have got into so many different arguments on MN that we don't want to step away in case it looks like we've lost.

Nope - have WFH throughout and quite frankly I can't wait to get out of the house - am sick of the four walls! Was at the gym the first day it was open, pub the first weekend, and have a restaurant booked (inside) for next weekend. I love my house but I also love to go out.

Definitely true based on my experience. I work for a LA and my role has meant that I have still had to go into work regularly. Not everyday but at least once a week all the way through. My 3 best colleagues/friends work for a different service in the LA and have been wfh the whole time. They are all a lot more cautious and worried about coming out of lockdown than I am. Lots of fears about coming into th e office, when in reality it’s managed well. I think it’s a bit Stockholm syndrome, we’re safe at home so we’ll stay at home forever.

I would go straight back to "normal life" today.
But I act like I'm afraid to get close. I step into the road, I wear masks when supposed to, I haven't tried to socialise.
Mostly because I don't want to upset all the people who want distance, and I can't tell who they are or aren't.

It might be hard to spot those of us who would have accepted no Lockdown conditions at all & feel no virus fears, only fears of Authoritarianism. We're just keeping our heads down in public.

We both work from home and this is now a permanent feature in our life, employers decision. Kids are back at school and other activities. The only activities they aren't attending are the ones that haven't reopened and I haven't tried to replace those activities as I actually like the balance of a less hectic schedule and might keep it that way as the kids seem happy.

I’ve worked from home throughout and am in no rush to go back to normal, not because I’m scared of COVID but because it’s been a revelation to discover how much I love the peace, quiet and calm of being at home.
I have no desire to go back to racing all over the place being super busy like I used to.

I've always worked from home and I home educate my son. The biggest difference to my life due to covid is the fact DH now works from home too.

Other than that it honestly hasn't changed beyond recognition, as others seems to have done. I wouldn't have gone shopping on Oxford Street on a Saturday pre covid, or to soft play, or to the science museum in the school holidays and I still won't be doing any of those things. I'll be sticking to quieter times, not because of covid but because it is significantly more pleasant.

And I will never go back to working in an office because I hate it, and I've been home based for 5 years now.

I only notice that there are those who are incensed that we locked down after the first one and see subsequent ones as an over-reaction - and if they've had Covid themselves they've been fortunate that it was very mild and they've [at least so far] escaped long-covid - and those who are more cautious and look at the bigger picture.

I think the latter are mostly those who've had a bad dose of Covid or know someone who has died and / or those who have either themselves or a family member who has an underlying health condition.

We're in the latter category, so the kids are mixing at school, DH has done a mix of WFH and in work depending on lockdown rules and I've been WFH since lockdown 1. We couldn't get shopping delivered so have been at shops from the beginning and even go to non-essential retail for fun stuff. But I don't take unnecessary and avoidable risks, I'm happy to do things where I have more control of the environment, eg I can leave a shop if it gets busy, but I couldn't get off a bus so easily, so I've continued to avoid public transport.

Support will be needed for many as some folk are even more cautious with the Indian variant. Then others don't seem to care as witnessed by the scenes in Glasgow. Im reluctant to go out, not for any of the above reasons, just that everywhere is packed. All this having to pre-book months in advance and not being able to browse in my local library just leaves me cold. I have been out for some lunches/dinner, but not much else.