Got used to this casual way of living

I quite like this relaxed quiet life. I’m usually out every day, have many social meet ups and hobbies, but as everyone is in the same boat, it hasn’t really bothered me. The days and weeks fly by and phone calls and zoom keep me in touch with my friends and family.

I’m really looking forward to all the family gatherings though. This is the one thing I really miss.

I think life had to take a breather and slow down. ???

This current Lockdown I have found pretty easy. As I detest winter with a vengeance and always find getting through the first three months of the year really difficult, this year - not being allowed to go out has suited me down to the ground.

First time around, I detested it, but this time, many of my groups meet up with zoom, so still chatting to people each week. I do have my bubble family nearby (off to them soon for Mothers Day),

I miss being able to have my other children come to visit me -as they would all need overnight stays - but apart from that it has been all too easy this time.

I know, however, that as we leave March behind I will start wanting to get out far more and meeting up withe people in real life.

I have found a contentment that I can’t ever remember in normal day to day life when there was always so much to be done.
I yearn for the day I can travel again to be with family and I miss theatres, concerts, eating out etc. plus I feel I have aged in lockdown but in general I’m happy with my lot.

Calendargirl same here!

I think the weather has played a very big part, as Eloethan said, the weather in the first lockdown was glorious.
All the public spaces in our village were closed, but we would walk to the next village, where for some reason, the huge playing field was open. We would take a picnic, a ball, and as i was in charge of homeschooling on Fridays, we had art in the afternoon, they would take their drawing materials, and I would set them to work drawing various things, and taking photos.
We have happy memories is those months, but this time, they are very much harder to motivate, the weather has been grim, and we’re all missing too much.

I think we're all waiting anxiously to see family and friends. I'm also involved in various projects that have been held up and which need to get going again.

However, I'm one of those who has, otherwise, enjoyed the slower and quieter pace of life. I hope some aspects of that will continue.

The thing is if you enjoy the quiet life nothing is stopping you from living that life forever

To my surprise I have not found the past year too difficult, though I might have done if I lived alone. If we had known it would be a over a year, it would have been hard to contemplate.
In winter I do appreciate not needing to go out if the weather is bad, especially at night, as my choirs are all on zoom. I have missed singing together, and the thrill of singing in concerts.

I have realised I do not have many friends, just acquaintances. We are friendly enough when we meet, but have not kept in touch.
I am fortunate in that I have not lost any family to COVID. I am so grateful that a vaccine has been developed and distributed so quickly and I look forward to getting out and about again.

Biscuitmuncher

I spend every day raging, I feel like I'm in prison. My usual happy lovely home feels like a cage. This isn't living it's absolute torturen

I too have spent most of the last twelve months in a rage. I've told my DH to keep an eye on me because if ever the rage goes away we are in real trouble. It is only the anger that is keeping me sane at the moment.

This thread is making me realize that we are all different. Those who enjoy slow living and those who don't.

I am someone that loves this slow living lifestyle. I may be odd but I enjoy my own company. I also love doing nothing and find this slow living to be very stress free.

I hate it too and cant wait to get my lifebackI liked it the way it was there is nothing about this lockdown life I will be continuing.

although we’ve got childcare and support bubbles for one family of grandchildren and for my elderly mother

I thought we could only be part of ONE support bubble?

It's not a massive change for us as we are quite restricted because of health problems. I do miss seeing the GC and going out for lunch etc. One thing that concerns me is that people think it's all over but Chris Whitty made it quite clear last week that we are not there yet.

www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-52637354

I’m counting the days until we are all released. I miss my family, friends, cafes/restaurants, WI, short holidays, mooching around the shops, antiques fairs, sitting by the sea.

DH has taken to Lockdown down like a duck to water.

Counting down to Freedom.

I miss regular contact with my grandchildren, two grandsons have been born within the last 18 months and I doubt they even know I am their grandma, missed them crawling, first steps etc. Having said that this slower pace of life has made me take stock of how much child’s minding I can do, prior to Lockdown I was looking after older grandchildren weekly, not sure I can keep up that pace anymore. Does anyone else feel the same?

Calendargirl, not antisocial, just independent and adaptable! People in general are very good at adapting to change - but maybe not so much when elderly - or with anxiety.

Yes, of course I miss my family, but go for walks with my daughter regularly. We all chat on Zoom. Being 'let off' socialising results in freedom, loads of precious time to spend doing things I really like, rather than 'my duty'.

I'm surprised that people think it must be bad if you live alone. Surely, far worse to be cooped up with a partner?

There's a lot I miss, occasionally, before the lock down we we would seize the day and drive somewhere new. We moved house a couple of months ago, so am itching to explore further afield lots of lovely countryside and villages within an easy drive. Plus the coast is only 13 miles away so really looking forward, when the situation eases to having some days out, including lunches outside on terraces. I miss seeing my family, one of my sons did a flying visit with my grandchildren to deliver card and present for Mother's Day yesterday and I realised I've missed such a chunk of their lives. My other son and girlfriend are getting a puppy so I think that might tie them down to their area for a while, really want to visit them, they live 70 or so miles away.

My husband has joined us both in a golf and country club so we are both looking forward to using their facilities gym and swimming pool, he misses his golf like mad. I miss meeting up with my friends for coffee or lunch. I want to go to the shops again to buy a few things for our new house and although I've ordered a couple of pieces on line, sometimes I want the sight and feel and touch of prospective purchases.

We plan our days round minor things like supermarket shopping, trips to the dump, which were incidentals but now assume far more importance as a focal point of the day. We try to get out for a walk if isn't raining, but right now it's so muddy under foot, I think I need to invest in some wellies.

I think like many when the lock down first commenced we adopted the lets try and make the best of it attitude, but now it seems interminable and looking to Europe also mindful of spikes if we rush the easing.

I’ve realised I love living in virtual seclusion.
I don’t really miss anyone or anything.
I will struggle having long conversations with people again tbh.

maddyone sorry to hear you have been ill with Covid wish you a speedy recovery and to anyone else who has been poorly

Having had a gargantuan moan I do thank my lucky stars in many ways...........having said that I need my hair done, I imagine hairdressers are all going to be sooooooooooo busy as soon as they open up again.

I'm surprised that people think it must be bad if you live alone. Surely, far worse to be cooped up with a partner?

Hetty58 Only if you don't much like your partner or if you don't have much in common.

I doubt life is ever all sunshine and roses for anyone whatever their situation, pandemic or not.

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TerriBull
Thank you so much for flowers. I was in hospital for twelve days from the 1st January, so I am very well on the road to recovery now. I still have the Covid cough and a bit of breathlessness, but otherwise I’m back to normal. It was a horrible time, I wondered if I might die after I was told I had Covid pneumonia and scars on my lungs, but I didn’t thanks to the wonderful care and aggressive treatment of the Covid and I’m grateful to be here. It doesn’t make me any happier with lockdown though, I’m like many others, just fed up of it. It was easier to tolerate when I first came home from hospital as I wasn’t up to doing anything and spent several weeks recuperating at home, but now Spring is here, and I want to get my life back.

Emily
It is allowed to have both a childcare bubble and a support bubble so long as they do not mix. We collect our grandchildren from school some days when their parents are working and care for them, and in addition we care for my elderly mother, alongside her carers, but the two bubbles do not mix. Not that there’s much risk in our particular case, because my husband and I got Covid from my mother after she was hospitalised and got Covid there, and my daughter and son in law got Covid from the Covid Hub where my son in law works. In addition, all five of us have been vaccinated. Obviously that’s not the case for every family, but it is for us. We will all have Covid antibodies now, plus additional protection from the vaccine.

I hate it but am putting up with it the best I can. I don’t want to end not wanting to go out. I do a walk with dh where we live every day so when I get back I feel better for it.
My dh had a knee op just before Christmas so we were a bit tied down anyway, Now he’s improving we are getting to the
Shops by bus and even though only supermarkets are only open and chemists. Let’s hope this is the last time we have to do this.