Does anyone else just hate not knowing what might happen next

[TheCloudsHavePassed]

I know there's no point predicting really. I could get COVID tomorrow. I have two very young children under 5yo. But its watching the number every day wondering if there's going to be a lockdown, should I take the kids to this event, do we need to test....on loop.

Everyone in my family keeps telling me they think we will lock down on the 27nd but purely based on as much info as we have. But all the comments from Boris suggest we won't (with a pinch of salt) and the majority of people suggest they won't comply...so what the bloody hell will happen??

I don't know where I am going with this but it just all feels so uncertain

No point borrowing tomorrow's worries.

I've never known what will happen next. It's a mixture of disconcerting and intriguing, but it's life.

Sorry I realise I am rambling but I don't feel like someone that can just 'get on with it' nor someone that wants to hide away. Especially with the kids.

Yes I guess you're right.

You aren't rambling.
It's a normal reaction to the barrage of news we are receiving.

💪elbow bump of solidarity, Op.

I know Boris has said he isn’t locking us down but school have sent home home learning passwords in case, friends seem to think the kids won’t be back in January and people in here seem to think they’ll be a lockdown so I’m now worrying about it. If they are going to have one I want to just know so I can prepare for the shit and face it.

I totally agree. I’m in a very fortunate position, ie young ish, triple jabbed, husband the same, two kids of reasonable age- ok from missing schooling / socialising & easy to look after (later primary age).

However, we are both nhs and senior although can do our jobs online. I’m absolutely dreading;

The unknown- rules/ late decisions/ everything we know is coming
The effect of this on colleagues
The long covid being created
Businesses failing
Schools closing
Loads more people dying

This is always the worse for me- this middle ground when we have to choose to be sensible but government are being dicks.

Sending lots of good wishes- this is really hard

I think things are very uncertain - very much like when the pandemic first started but with way worse infection numbers.

I'm really struggling with it this time. I want to see my family at Christmas but I don't want to put them at risk.

Everyone being told to decide for themselves just causes a massive difference in attitudes and actions, which I think makes things even more uncertain and uncomfortable.

There were several quite religious elderly people in my life growing up. They couldn't make plans or even say things like 'see you on Friday' without tacking on 'God willing' or 'DV' (deo volente = God willing), or the more pessimistic 'If the Lord spares us'.

I guess they felt less in control of their own destinies a century ago. They may have been right.

Ihate not knowing. Anxiety is sky high in the in between .i d rather know "no school for 2 weeks" or "need to shield for 2 weeks over the worst" or whatever but hate not knowing.

I'm convinced we are likely heading back to school of mum from Jan 2022..!

I am so with you op. I have a sense of impending doom for Jan re schools in particular. I cannot do it again, I really can't Also agree re the impossible decisions, tonight I was tron between the brownie Christingle service (they are expected there) and common bloody sense of loads of people in atiy church singing. I could not even decide ffs.

You are not alone. The last minute nature of whatever is to come is also hard as others have said. Who has forgotten the we won't close schools debarcle in Jan 2021 with one day of school for some children? It's a mess of epic proportions.

Sorry for typos, I am clearly also useless tonight as well as anxious!

Life is full of uncertainty, we made it this far, l don't watch the news and take each day as it comes, it is absolutely pointless worrying, it will drain you of energy.

Head sent a very irked email today telling us all to stop panicking about the school closures until it ever actually happens!

I'm just limiting news exposure, teaching the kids to see the ridiculous in some of this and existing basically. It's not life - it's existence and just trying to protect the kids from the worst of this - we've written lots of hypothetical episodes of Horrible Histories between us to get them to see how fucking daft some of it has been (bog roll shortage, petrol queues, Boris's million parties).

You're not alone. I feel the same way.
Hair appointment tomorrow then a meal with a friend. Panto with my 6yo Sunday.
We have a 1 year old too. It's all a bit bizarre trying to decide what's best.

I said to my husband earlier I've sort of made peace that we're doing all we can to be okay if we get covid (albeit too late because we're losing weight now rather than earlier) but I feel like we should be staying in to protect others and the hospitals.

I thinkk the endless new reel of covid/omicron seems to have dwindled a bit today, so suspect maybe it's not as bad as they first thought. I look at Scotland for what England is likely to do in 3 weeks and afaik schools are still planning on opening in January in Scotland. And SA seems to be over it's peak already.

So maybe with the 2 weeks off work/schools/uni, plus wfh, masks and social distancing plus boosters it will hopefully be a storm in a teacup.

I don't think anything will change between now and Christmas. So 27th will be the first possible date for announcements by which time we will know more about hospital admissions so will probably be a able to work out for ourselves what is likely to happen.

Atm I am expecting them to go back. If that doesn't happen I will deal with it then.

I think the way you feel is a completely normal reactions. Other completely normal reactions are available! Such as ignoring it, hibernating, preparing for the worst, doing as much as possible while you can etc. etc.

I think we are all absolutely drained. And we have more to come!! The one thing I think is I can not believe what it must be like to be going through all this uncertainty PLUS have to go to work in a hospital right now.

Just be kind to yourself and accept that you feel uncertain because it is uncertain.

I guess if the hospitals get overwhelmed there will be lockdown but no one know yet

Thanks everyone. Think it's difficult for me to talk to people irl as I get eye rolled. I am also so keen to see my parents this year just after Christmas I'm just not sure whether to get my hopes up or prepare for a let down.

I had a lockdown baby that has no idea what things are meant to be like too so I feel a lot of mum guilt (and people telling me he doesn't know really doesn't help)

Maybe I need to step away from the news for abit

Yep.

I travel Sunday 3/4's of the world from the UK on Sunday....

I've been so worried about it it's taken a physical toll. I need to stop worrying. I'm 34 young to some but I don't know how far in life I am or what my destiny is or the age I will reach...but I'm sick of worrying and wasting my days in anxiety.

Every fucking day gone by since march has been one weird twisted journey yet losing my grandad to covid in Feb has made me want to live more. It's twisted

I don't think any restrictions will be implemented between now and Christmas, there's little point as they'd be ignored.

We are due to go away on the 27th (not abroad) so it's slightly annoying being in limbo for that. What will be will be though.

Ah it's so crap. I know others have it so much worse than me so I probably sound precious.

@TheCloudsHavePassed, you really don't sound precious. Uncertainty is bloody hard and already there are lots of us on this thread that are finding things tough. Take care of yourself