How were the lockdowns for you?

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looking back

Horrific please leave it in the past.

I loved them! I was very happy to work via Zoom. I'm lucky enough to have a garden and to live a short walk from a large green space, so I never felt trapped. The massive reduction in traffic meant the air was fresher and road noise vanished - birdsong sounded so wonderfully loud. As an introvert the periods of loss of face-to-face contact were no big deal. It all seemed to open up so much time and space. I caught up with loads of projects that had been on my to-do list for literally years, and decorated several rooms in my flat. I know many people struggled, but I was certainly one of the fortunate ones.

I enjoyed the first one. Second one was fine. Third one was hard going.

It led to a number of changes in my life that have been mostly for the better, so overall for me it wasn't a negative experience.

I actually found lockdown helped me - I went through a really bad break up with the kids dad and the other woman involved was at the school so it gave me a break from seeing them both and gave me time to get my head together, I then met my new partner as we came out of lockdown, I had some quality time with the kids with no school and work rush, getting food etc was hard but obviously would never wish to go through all that again just because of how badly it effected most people and I am definitely in the minority.

The worst time of my life. I was a senior manager in good retail. The stress did terrible things to people during that time, the general public and colleagues alike. I endured more stress and poor treatment during than I ever thought possible before. I am forever changed by it.

^food

Mixed. It badly affected my kids but it gave me an enormous opportunity to recover from something very traumatic.

I actually enjoyed how much simpler and slower life became, I was a first time mum to a 6 month old when the first lockdown started and dh worked away so it was just us two. Yes there were extremely hard days but it allowed us to spend so much time just one to one and we have an incredible bond now she's almost 4. DH was home with us during the second lockdown and so got to spend so much time with her too that he otherwise would never have got to. Silver linings and all that!

Strange, although I never understand why eg local pound shops could be open, etc
To me all essential business's I presumed would be main supermarkets, chemists etc rather than most businesses still operating

Bloody awful some ways - great in others. So busy I didn’t have time to snack so lost weight! Walk was only time I got any peace so I made it happen lost weight!
colleague couldn’t cope with new ways of working so finally left - nightmare at the time so much better with her replacement! Schools on strike was horrendous managing work and home school but really got to see my son learn so much by finding new things to keep him busy!

I worked throughout which meant I couldn't see my dad- he ended up alone for over a year - and my then 14yo was on her own all day every day. My bubble people decided I was too high risk so dropped us after 2 weeks and we had no other local options. On the plus side I got to hang out with my Dd every day and watched some great box sets and drank a fuckton of wine. So a mixed bag.

Sad that we didn’t seem to learn much from them and embrace a different way of life where we appreciate the doctors and nurses and those who kept things going.

It’s like those in power wanted to sweep or under the carpet and I pay the staff who made a difference .

I loved them and probably romanticise that time. When it started I was single for the first time in years, middle of having therapy and had my own home to myself (apart from the dogs). It was exactly what I needed & being an introvert I was built for being at home.

Some days were difficult and a bit scary. I missed being touched or hugged but I found ways to manage. Bubbling up definitely improved things in the later lockdowns.

Feels like a bad dream now.

Nervous wreck we would bring it home to my ill, vulnerable, mostly housebound daughter.
But also glad that her world opened up. Everyone was online more etc. Far more opportunities for her.

I wish I'd done more for myself in the time as others seem to have managed.

Most of all, I'm so grateful that we lost noone close.

Completely changed my life. So much worry for my husband and parents who are clinically extremely vulnerable. Plus trying to parent a toddler and work on zoom. I still don’t feel quite past the background anxiety even after all this time. Lost a baby and had to be in hospital on my own, with no support. Missed the last good year of my FiL’s life.

Never went back to my office except to pack my things as I went straight from lockdown to maternity leave with our rainbow and decided I couldn’t ever see myself returning to that job. Was so weird that I just walked out one day thinking I’d be back in a couple of weeks and it never happened. Have a new job now working completely from home - the kind of job that didn’t exist really exist pre-pandemic.
Made a decision to move across the country to be nearer family and friends. Lockdown put things in perspective. It’s been a seismic shift for us as a family.

I struggle quite a lot with processing it all I think.

Mixed. First one was OK. Spring was coming and the lighter evenings. The kids were pleased to be off school. We went for walks together and discovered online learning. I was worried about my Mum living alone. Second was a lot harder. Work expected a lot more from me. Kids were restless and I missed family. The last minute Xmas lockdown was heart breaking.

Long-term effects of lockdowns have been devasting for my wider family. Effects of stress and not being able to see a GP for 2 years mainly. I cry for the life and good health we had before this. I can never forgive many of those in power for their arrogance, lack of foresight and mistakes.

Awful. I was redeployed to covid ICU which has traumatised me. Tales of other people’s lovely days sipping Prosecco in the sun lovely days in the sun meant I shut down from most social media thus further isolating myself. I won’t ever be the same.

I absolutely loved them as I hate going out anyway. I locked my door and was in my own bubble with no one else to annoy me 😁

A golden summer for me.
Two DC sent down from their respective uni's, so bonus time spent with them.
Appreciated my garden.
Got to know far more local beauty spots to exercise the dogs.
Planned meals from scratch with all the spare time, as did DC, so got healthier - and saved money.
Enjoyed online events, no need to clean the house when chatting with people.
DC1 is a clinician in the NHS, and although she was frantically busy, was ultimately much more fortunate than some colleagues.

It was absolute hell. I’m an NHS doctor. The whole thing is still affecting me and work has been absolute hell ever since (not that it started out all that great). I know lots of people loved the lockdown period but it was all sheer stress for me.

Horrific. I was in Melbourne in a 2 bedroom flat with no garden, single parent to 2 young teenage boys. My sisters were outside if the allowed area so couldn't see them until they extended the limit toward the end of the lockdown.

The only shops open were the supermarkets and even when they had stock in there were strict limits, eg only 2 tins of canned food per person.

Everything else was click and collect - I remember tracing DSs feet out onto a paper and working out their trainer size and hoping for the best. Bought cheap ones as I couldn't risk spending a lot of money on poorly fitting shoes as they both have slightly pronating feet. Could only travel 5km as well, so I my 1 shopping centre we could go to (police set up random roadblocks and would check your licence and issue hefty fines if you were outside your area).

My DDad who lived interstate fell ill and passed away in the gap between our two main lockdowns so I was able to see him before he died and was there for the funeral. But one week difference either way and one of them wouldn't have happened and I would have been broken hearted.

Police used to patrol our park and if you dared to stop there you got fined. Couldn't even rest on the grass or a bench, you had to keep moving.

We were allowed outside (off your own property) for 1 hour a day and my DSs were very conscientious and wouldn't break the rule by going out for 2 walks in a day.

I ended up buying a totem tennis set and setting it up in the small communal lawn near the front fence and letting the boys work off some energy that way.

Please can we move on? It was bad enough without folks dredging up those times again.

It's the Covid section. Don't read if it's too painful.

Loved them, would happily go back

Out of the negatives came positives for me. It gave me the incentive to move interstate and in now live with my mother (in an oversized granny flat so have my own space) and am saving the money I would be spending on rent (and will hopefully be able to eventually buy something) and am reconnecting with her after many years living overseas.

I am working in a job that lets me WFH as the company have completely changed their structure and at the most, I would only ever have to go in twice a week (but actually only go in know a month for now).

My DC value school and where we live far more than they would have.

I've also become more focused on what 'sparks joy' and refuse to put up with crap from other people anymore. Life is too short to put up with people that don't contribute to my happiness.