Has Covid changed life for you?

You are right. But most people I speak to say their lives have been changed by covid so it isn’t just us older folk.

I think that any major event in a country’s life changes lives for its citizens. Look at how war changes our lives.

I certainly don't get out as much as I used to and as I am not significantly less mobile than before Covid, I fear this might be more about a altered mind-set.

I think you’re around my Mum’s age AnnSixty if I remember right, early 80’s ?
For sure Mum has become more hesitant since Covid about going anywhere unless I or one of my DD’s is with her.
My own age group and my DD’s seem to be normal getting on with life and doing things and seeing people.

A bit fat yes.
My ex son in law was able to finally persuade my daughter to agree to moving to New Zealand during Covid. Long story, but basically he tried to persuade her to go abroad from the day of their marriage, first to Canada, she refused, then Australia, she refused, Scotland and Cornwall, no, but during Covid he managed to persuade her that a year to two years in New Zealand would be preferable to lockdown. He told her she’d be better off without her very loving and close family. It nearly broke my heart.
They’re now in the middle of an acrimonious divorce, in New Zealand.

I get what you are saying annsixty. Although I’ve never been the most socially active person I did think after several years I was picking myself up and going out and about after my husbands death.

Covid put paid to that and I feel I had to start all over again. Sitting about practically doing no exercise has affected my mobility and where I once thought nothing of walking into town and back I now use my car to go everywhere. I still do my garden but I don’t worry about how it looks anymore and find ways to get around doing the things that need doing.

It affected me too. I felt uneasy for a long time after Covid. DH and I were lucky not to have caught Covid and he went back to work quite happily. For me it was different. I found it hard to go out and it was a while before I met up with friends and got back to some sort of reality again. It's only recently that I feel 'normal' and that is due to the support of my family.

I think you are doing well Annsixty to go out as much as you do. I think I'm a bit of a recluse in some ways. I keep thinking I should join something but apart from exercise classes - which are fun and there's time for a chat - I can't find anything that suits. I go to the occasional concert if my granddaughters partner is playing and enjoy catching up on their news but I do watch a lot of TV, knit and read a lot in the meantime

Oreo yes I shall be 87 next month, roughly 50ish in my head but not in my body 🥹

So very sad maddyone I hope there will be a happy outcome in the end.It was selfish of your SIL in the first place and doubly so now.

Yes, I am terrified of driving now. I really want to, but am unable to pluck up the courage, and embarassed.

I used to often go out on trains or buses but after covid I don't enjoy being packed in with other people. I still go out but in my car more now.

annsixty

Oreo yes I shall be 87 next month, roughly 50ish in my head but not in my body 🥹

That’s the thing ain’t it! We all feel younger in our heads than our age.Mum used to be quite feisty and unafraid to try and do anything, now I have to gee her up to get out and about.
Getting older kind of sneaks up on us, we know it’s coming down the line but then suddenly it’s here and we have no experience of it or know how to deal with it.
I hope you’ll find enough to do indoors, do you have a garden?
I guess the Internet is a lifeline, but Mum has never taken to it and just reads and does jigsaws.

I'm not as confident as I used to be since covid.
Not sure why this is but sometimes I have to force myself to go out into Central London, whereas before I thought nothing of going up to museums or shops.If I do go it's usually well planned and not s spontaneous.

Yes I agreeannsixty I don’t have so much confidence when driving and am very reluctant to go anywhere that’s crowded.

I don’t seem to have the get up and go I had before Covid and I spend far too much time on the internet and social media.

The other strange thing is that I have always been a very avid reader and since the Pandemic find it difficult to concentrate on reading a book for longer than half an hour. Maybe that’s connected to the increase in time spent on social media which encourages short attention spans?

I sympathise Annsixty. Today is grey and chilly here and we are all reeling from the sad news over the last 3 days. I had my covid jab yesterday afternoon and feel achey and shivery...to be expected of course. So not a good day at all. Chemo finished 2 years ago so I am improving. But chemo through covid lockdown was very isolating.

I was very active. Lots of walking with a group and with a friend who sadly died during lockdown. So yes my life has changed very dramatically and I didn't see the change coming. DH health is very poor so I am taking each day as it comes. I am 15 years younger than my friend and she always said choose younger friends.
If I work out an answer for you and me I will let you know. But you are very much not alone.

I think I am back to usual now but life in our village has changed. No more community events, neighbours don't visit each other as much and life is much quieter.

It's affected me. One of the main objectives of lockdown was to protect the NHS. Matt Hancock decided that anyone working for the NHS and over 70 or vulnerable had to be off work for 12 weeks. That meant me but when the 12 weeks was over and Covid still very much a threat that time off work kept getting extended by my hospital. After the second lockdown I reluctantly decided to retire. I miss my job and my mobility has suffered with enforced house arrest.

Yes. Totally. I stopped going to the cinema, theatre, using buses etc and still don’t do so. Having prevented myself from catching covid I’m now scared of putting myself in a situation in which I might catch it. Stopped going to the gym and the sauna and my arthritis is much worse because of it. Although my dog was well socialised just before the pandemic so is fine with other dogs and very confident going to strange places etc she isn’t, unlike my previous dog, used to being left alone for periods of time so one of us has to stay with her if we want to go somewhere that doesn’t allow dogs. I don’t think she suffers badly from separation anxiety ( ie don’t think she’d destroy the house) but she does get upset. I lost two of my dearest friends during the pandemic, not having seen them for quite a while because of it. I miss them so much. I don’t get in a train to visit other friends or relations, or even have a day out somewhere. I spend most days at home which should save me money but I now tend to impulse buy in the internet instead of in shops. Don’t even contemplate a holiday abroad as worried about catching it on the plane going there and being on holiday alone and poorly ( DH has no interest in foreign travel). I’ve lost confidence in driving having not driven for so long.

I know this will sound silly, but reading these posts has made me feel much better about myself. I thought I was the only person who was still feeling the effects. And I do think it's more difficult if you live alone.

During the first lockdown the only person I talked to face to face for almost four weeks was the Sainsbury's delivery man.

I kind of got used to the isolation and I've actually just moved to be a bit nearer some of my family, bit I'm still having to push myself to go anywhere.

Unfortunately, Covid, the progression of arthritis in my spine and feet, coupled with three years of limited activity has taken its toll.

I doubt there's many people who haven't been affected by it even if only in a small way.

Bakingmad0203

Yes I agreeannsixty I don’t have so much confidence when driving and am very reluctant to go anywhere that’s crowded.

I don’t seem to have the get up and go I had before Covid and I spend far too much time on the internet and social media.

The other strange thing is that I have always been a very avid reader and since the Pandemic find it difficult to concentrate on reading a book for longer than half an hour. Maybe that’s connected to the increase in time spent on social media which encourages short attention spans?

I’m the same. I still buy books but don’t read them. At the start of the pandemic I had to have background noise at night to stop me lying awake worrying and I got used to listening to audio books on BBC Sounds and podcasts. I keep intending to subscribe to audible but I know that, once I do I definitely won’t read any more, and books have been such a huge part of my life.

Yes, it very much changed my life. My work came to a juddering halt as soon as the first lockdown was put into place, as my main employer immediately cancelled all their freelance contracts. I'm one of the 3.8 million Excluded UK who didn't receive a penny in support from the government, meaning I had to live off my savings, thus impacting on my retirement plans too. And I'm still getting over the physical effects of having Covid too - I get breathless very easily and tire quickly now too. I think it also affected my confidence and mental health to an extent as well.

Life didn’t change for me personally as soon as restrictions were lifted we were out and about again making the best after lost freedom.
But it did for my step mum and not because she was bothered about catching Covid as she pointed out I am in my late eighties and something will get me and what’s the point of all the vaccinations if I am still going to stay in. But the loss of company and her clubs ect in the early months of Covid certainly seemed to make her more forgetful she did develop dementia as time went on and it all seems a bit of a coincidence. She did go out as much as possible and went on holidays outings again as soon as it was possible but these were less readily available due to Covid and it’s extended effect on groups ect even after restrictions were lifted.

In some respects, I have been hugely affected, as DH died during, but not from Covid.
I now find myself rattling around a biggish house, but I’ve a list of good tradespeople to call on - at significant cost of course!
Socially, I’ve thrown myself into meeting my friends - (having lost 2, one to cancer and one to Alzheimer’s) a different one most mornings and as my DGSs are older, I’m keen to see them as they grow and love to watch their weekly football and swimming lessons. I also have DD2’s Little Dog for a couple of days, every other fortnight.
I enjoy driving, which is a bonus and love taking myself off somewhere in good weather.
DH hated holidays, although he had no objections to me going with whoever, so now I’m away 3 or 4 times a year for some sun. Thankfully, I’m still fairly fit and mobile and hope that continues.
I think the thing that has changed most is eating out at night, as none of my friends are interested in that.

Not really any problems or many changes. We pretty much still do whatever we want to do. Maybe that's because I'm younger than many on here and don't have any health problems. Also there are two of us and I do feel people living on their own may have greater problems.

The only real difference I've noticed is that people drive much faster and there are many, many, noisy, untrained dogs around.

Yes, we certainly don't get out and about as much. The odd thing is that we have 'lost' 2 years, although both of us continued to work throughout the pandemic, neither of us in jobs that we could do from home, we still saw people, but in a different way.

Two years of our lives slipped by. My OH's condition worsened and suddenly we find ourselves in a very different place physically and yes, emotionally. So rather than pick up the threads of our previous life, we have had to adjust to a different, less active lifestyle.

On a lighter note, since my first dose of Covid, when i lost my sense of taste, my liking for Gin has never returned! Gutted!