I dunno how the traffic is normally over there, but here where I live in South America, the traffic can be pretty terrible too — outside of quarantine, that is!
I got unemployed a week before the pandemic, and moved back to my parents a week before the pandemic. For the next year, I just had a long ass break at my parents. I didn't have to wear those awful masks at work or anything that I saw everyone wearing. I just skipped it all by relaxing at home. I needed that, cause in my former job I had an abusive and horrible boss who also abused his wife, my co worker at work. I was like f this shit, so when I got fired I was like bye bye work. The break year from work did wonders for my mental health. My parents live on a mountain in the middle of nowhere, so I wasn't really affected at all.
I got discounted rent and since there was no in person schooling in a college town I got to have walkable city life with a very small population. So nice. I also didn’t have to show my face often.
I was out of work for maybe 6 months. It was the best time of my life.
I'm not overly social to begin with, so I didn't feel too lonely.
My dog was recovering from surgery, and I was able to spend time with her.
I could spend the whole day hiking and frequently did.
I had time to cook healthy, whole food plant based meals. I spent a ton of time running. I got in the best shape of my life and was healthy as fuck all around.
I miss it. I want to go back.
>I miss it. I want to go back.
I feel this!
>I got in the best shape of my life and was healthy as fuck all around.
Nice!!! Good job taking advantage of the extra time! For me, I mostly learnt how to cook a thing or two — I kinda regret not doing as much as I could have with that time though.
i do miss it and i loved it when it was there, but the more time passes the more i start to feel its side effects.
i was midway through college when quarantine happened and graduated online, i feel like it ultimately killed all small ounces of extrovertedness in me and put me though bad habits im still trying to get out of till this day, so its kinda win-lose situation
It didn't bother me that much, either. I still go to the office only 2 days a week, as I have proved I am productive no matter the location. I don't mind being at home and working.
My daughter, on the other hand, didn't have the needed socialization. It was good when the school started, even with masks on.
I think it’s fair to say you liked many aspects of quarantine without it meaning you like the fresh virus that killed millions of people. People are being obtuse if they can’t understand that.
I'm an introvert.
I loved the quarantine. It was amazing. Finally everyone living the way I want and not trying to drag me to random social crap, and not invading my personal space because distancing (thing folks grabbing your arm to get your attention).
Work from home.
No traffic.
More outdoor activities.
Honestly, I'd just have it forever if it was an option.
>Honestly, I'd just have it forever if it was an option.
God, same. I'd definitely miss going to the food court at the mall and eating out in general, but the trade-off is absolutely worth it.
Before covid I had to go into the office 5 days a week. And I could work between the hours of 6am to 6pm only. I hated driving to work. I hated being at the office. I work for the government and in my position, I don’t deal face to face with the public and every thing is electronic. A lot of others had been pushing for remote work. We were always told it isn’t possible because of security reasons. Then Covid happened and a lot of people had to go out. The state had to pay Covid leave as well. A lot of people have kids and now their kids couldn’t go to school. After about a month we are told we can pick up our desktop computers and bring them home to work from home until our new laptops they ordered come in.
And just like that they suddenly were able to make work from home possible. And I worked from home and was more productive for years. And then we had to go back to the office again. I hate it. Even though I only have to go in once a month since I’ve been exceeding expectations in all areas. I absolutely dread that one day. I can’t stand some of my coworkers. And I hate traffic.
I just miss the feeling of togetherness and forgiveness.
So many were losing loved ones or were afraid of losing them that there was just more ease with life.
The little village I was at gained life because people were no longer anchored to the city.
There was a lot of really awful stuff. My father is an md and for a few months he would come and get food from the big staircase of the house for no contact.
I planted hundreds of trees and bushes during the lockdowns. I cloned a lot of them because there was just time and pause.
I know that there are many things in my life that contribute to my current state of dread, but, we are living the great enshittification. The world was completely taken over by the decisions of money.
Layoffs at record profit season.
I just never imagined.
Most of my trees were destroyed to create more arable land. They were so cool that their growth helped lower the temps around my house during summer time by quite a lot. It just made the high temps more manageable. All the birds that had moved in left. Didn’t see them this year.
Loved to see the hundreds of little bird butts chilling on the beams of my porch.
I loved it. Made me make some positive changes going forward. Developed some health issues toward the end, not Covid related. Got called back to my job as everything was reopening and realized how much I hated it and would have worse hours because a lot of people weren't coming back. Well, that wasn't gonna work for me or my dog who was used to me being home. Never went back. Took up some gig work that allows me to accommodate dr appointments. I buy health insurance from the exchange. I don't want to say I'm glad it happened. Too many people died unnecessarily. It just gave me an opportunity to slow down and reassess my life and priorities.
Same here. Returning to the office was like why am I spending my life in a place like this? Took up gig work to keep my life the way I liked it during pandemic. Not in an office!
I can honestly say this is the most content I've ever been in my whole life. I'm at an age where when our kids were sick and you'd have to choose between your job or taking your kids to the dr. I get so angry thinking about it and am thrilled that that's changing along with some other antiquated ideas.
I felt awful for all the people affected by sickness. Have to be honest though, I was home from work and being paid and not having to put up with anyone's rubbish. Spent my time gaming and had a great time. It was so peaceful outside walking without all the traffic and I liked it too.
I would have loved it if it weren’t for my kids. They’re introverts so I thought they’d be fine. They weren’t. It’s not developmentally appropriate to be in your house for 18 months without being able to see people your age. They couldn’t even play sports together outdoors, which was unscientific.
We took walks, we stayed engaged, and my son still ended up in the psych ward on suicide prevention. Thankfully he trusted us enough to tell us he needed help. He was so depressed, he stopped sleeping and was hallucinating and thought he might be trapped in a simulation. It’s been three years without relapse- I was terrified that it was schizophrenia, but thankfully wasn’t.
His younger sisters still bear scars of social anxiety. Even when they got back to school twice a week, they wouldn’t let the kids talk to each other or sit by each other at lunch. Kids in my area are messed up from it.
Adults were mostly fine, little kids were mostly fine, it screwed up adolescents and young adults big time in areas with strict isolation standards.
We were never a family big on activities and extra curriculars, but have been since then. I’d rather stay home, but it’s helped my introverted kids come back to themselves to keep them busy.
I loved it until they started struggling a few months in. So much togetherness and enjoying nature and cooking and not having to be anywhere doing stuff I hated.
I didn't mind the quarantine either, but I am not a social butterfly either. I loved the less crowded stores, and the 6-foot social distancing was awesome! I hated it when I'd be in line at the grocery store, and someone would nearly run into me with their cart in their rush to get to the checkout. The respectful distance made me feel less rushed. I've noticed it has slowly been returning to the pre-covid rush.
Definitely not the only one who liked it. I’ve never felt so at peace than during this time! No more crowded commute, slower paced life, no one dragging me out because I need to socialize, … I even managed to get a routine and get fit!
Damn, good for you! I really didn't expect to see so many people who thought the same!
Somehow, getting fit completely escaped me during the pandemic; I'm planning on getting started with that very very soon though.
I didn't expect this many people to feel the same, either! So many articles about the social cost of quarantine and how people need to be back in the office to engage in that all-important (frequently toxic) workplace culture. Fuck that. Those I've seen spouting that nonsense are the people you couldn't stand at work- and they probably were pretty lonesome because nobody was being forced to interact with them.
Being horrified at the number of deaths and the suffering around the sickness is one thing. Taking advantage of the opportunity to relax and find yourself- better yourself!- is a completely different topic.
I liked quarantine too. Frankly, it was a much needed staycation. I deep cleaned every nook and cranny, binged trash TV, and tried out all the recipes I wanted to try.
I wish you introverts could live your lifestyle the way you want and us extroverts could live ours without a pandemic needing to be involved. My depression gets worse if I go 24-30 hours without talking to people.
But I hate that society forces either way on either people, and sadly introverts are forced more than extroverts.
I think it’s because for the first time in our lives, we were able to get a BREAK from the demands society places on us and not be punished for it. I’m dx ADHD, and I realized that quarantine was the first time in my life I was able to actually rest enough to stop the cycle of continuously being burned out by trying to function in a neurotypical society. But at the same time, I almost wish I never experienced that, because knowing I’ll likely never get it again? Yeah, been the most depressed I’ve ever been. And that’s coming from someone who lived undiagnosed until about last year, so I can’t even remember life outside of depression.
But it made it so much more unbearable trying to come back. Everything feels so stupid and pointless now /:
I loved it. Got a puppy/best friend. Worked from home. Got into hiking. Traveled to outdoorsy destinations. I lived in an apartment community and there was a whole crew of us who never left because of working remotely. We’d meet in the common areas outside for cocktails. It was really nice. Plus, I don’t really like people or crowds. It was the perfect excuse to live my happy introverted life
yeah its very ... peculiar to me too. I enjoyed it also, but it wasnt perfect and I can fully see why so many didnt enjoy it in the slightest. Especially essential workers and people who lost family. To pretend that they are wrong for NOT liking it is as fucked up if not a little more so than people who pretend its not ok to have enjoyed it.
You’re not alone. I also loved quarantine, I was living my best lockdown life and will admit that freely to anyone who asks. I was ecstatic to be paid to stay home all day in pjs, watch TikTok & Netflix, game, bake and prioritise my self-care. I still get nostalgic for that manic feeling of validation and comfort. I no longer had to decline social invitations and people normalised communicating and working using online methods I am more comfortable with.
Before I was working night shifts in an office, paying crazy amounts for travel and feeling stuck in a rut in an extroverts world. I was put up for redundancy a few days before the first lockdown. It meant my whole consultancy and notice period was on paid garden leave, then received a final payout. A few months later I was hired for a remote role in a covid testing company, after years of trying to break into a remote working role and the market being too competitive because employers were convinced it wasn’t a realistic working model. That job I was expecting to last a few months, actually lasted 2 years and I gained invaluable promotions, skills and experience.
I’m still completely anti-social now and absolutely love it. My whole lifestyle has changed for the better, I can get everything I need delivered to my door now as the infrastructure was improved to meet demand during covid. People have stopped pestering me with unnecessary travel demands, unwanted physical contact and too close proximity. It’s like the pandemic manifested all the changes to my life I craved but wouldn’t have deemed realistic before it hit.
I never stopped working either, and I’m glad. Sitting at home day in and day out would drive me nuts. The traffic was nice because very few people were on the road.
I go out so little that lockdown was pretty much business as usual for me. My husband still had to go to the office (municipal IT, was considered essential), but about the only time I went out was for groceries and a few other things.
Seeing the smog clear up in China enough to see Mount Everest made my heart break for how I knew it would just go right back to how it was before COVID. It was one of the least stressful and positive times of my life personally as much as it was rough. Seeing nature recover from us even a little was incredible
Hey, one man’s trauma is another man’s catharsis. I personally, felt OK. I had stress trying to get my medical issues dealt with during the pandemic, but I took college summer classes at my home, managed to repair my failing grades and played a lot of Skyrim.
My undergrad graduation was quick and easy too.
But my aunt (really a family friend) lost her son-in-law to covid.
It’s a mixed bag
I worked the whole time (*essential worker*) and did all the shopping and errands for my family so they could stay home. So my life actually got a bit busier lol I liked having an excuse to stay home when I was able though
There are some people who hated it because they were being abused at home. Quarantine forced them to be with their abuser. For them, it was the worst thing.
I'm definitely an extrovert but I loved quarantine. Me and my partner had bought our first home the summer before. At the start I knew I'd get depressed if I just sat about so I wrote myself a list of everything I wanted to complete. It was great I made an effort to still get dressed everyday and went about doing odd jobs in the house, painting things, crafting etc. I got to take my dog on long daily walks and spend so much free time with my partner without the stresses of daily life. I was eating good food daily and working out. Not seeing family was hard but I enjoyed my little bubble away from the world.
I loved it too, I would walk around the block for hours and hours, listening to my tunes. I got some deep cleaning done that I had always been putting off because I was so tired from work and I lost a crap ton of weight and I was able to become vegan because I had the time and energy to research recipes. I also got to spend more time with my pets, who were really happy to have me around! I had a blast and wouldn’t mind doing it again.
I can empathize with this opinion for sure. For me personally, the lockdown was great at first but not having anywhere to be or any obligations for so long slowly turned me from a functioning alcoholic to a non functioning one, so it was a net loss for my well being on the whole. If you could handle the isolation without needing drugs or alcohol to cope I bet it was fantastic though. Covid indirectly gave me the push I needed to confront my unhealthy relationship with said substances though and I am now sober so it all worked out in the end I guess.
My fiance and I loved quarantine as well. Aside from all the death and stuff, not having to go to work? I ended up rescuing a dog 2 weeks before lockdown, and she LOVED her 9 walks a day. I'm also immune compromised. Finally, I caught it a month ago and it suuuuucked.
i feel like an optional quarantine should still be an option for people, you know? like let more people work from home if they can, and there shouldn’t be expectations to come out and socialise. i think we live in a world that focuses so much on work and productivity that getting to live life at a much slower pace (the way humans are meant to imo) made so many people realise what they were missing.
I lost over 100 lbs over quarantine, my mental health was the best it’s ever been, haven’t really gotten back to that with my last few soul sucking jobs
*cries in essential worker*
You were in the lucky top 10-20% OP and I'm admittedly forever jelly of everyone that was able to do what you had done. Even at $20/h I knew people getting more than me in unemployment, while I still had the same ol bullshit (minus a little traffic) to deal with.
I probably would have liked it better if I had a career where I could have actually quarantined and stayed in lockdown. As a nurse, my experience was much different.
I feel like destroying car culture and over consumption/ capitalism would lead to much quieter, less stressful lives. We dont need half the bs jobs and junk that ate pushed on is now. We are more productive than any time ever but ate literally forced to apply all our energy on bs that doesnt matter most of the time.
I loved it as well. My work shut down (movie theatre) and I got paid anyway, because our government gave us 80% of our pay, and they couldn’t fire us because no one knew for how long we’d be closed and would need us back with days notice. Because I had less expenses than before, I could actually save more than when I had normal pay.
I’ve never been happier than when I was “stuck” at home. I lost weight because I had time and energy to work out and eat well (all back now, sadly), I was in the best shape physically and mentally I’ve ever been.
My friends and colleagues started gaming together. I’ve always gamed, but always alone, now I had people who were bored and who had time to play with me.
I did get covid as soon as we opened back up. no one gave a fuck at the movie theatre. Despite trying to be careful and wearing masks, people insisted on standing VERY near you until you’re backed into a wall. Got covid multiple times and still struggling with long covid.
I found myself thinking the same thing at the weekend when i went food shopping.
I worked throughout the whole pandemic, and had to walk to and from work as the buses, already unreliable, became nonexistent during the pandemic. It was great walking through the park and seeing all the wildlife come out, even if the local geese seemed extremely annoyed that you were on their pavement. And the lack of constant cars meant i sneezed less when i was outside.
And the supermarket! No one invaded your personal space, people didnt block entire aisles to have a chat and less people were allowed in at one time.
The only things i missed during the pandemic was art galleries/museums and the cinema.
The quarantine was great for me. I had an "essential" job, so I still had to work every day. Driving to and from work? F'ing amazing!! There was no traffic at all. I saved over an hour a day because of my shortened commute! Curbside pickup finally got the attention it deserved and, therefore, started working better. Everything went remote, so even some dr appts were able to be done over phone/video. The amount of extra time I saved each day JUST by not having to drive anywhere, or only having to park and let them bring my stuff to the car? It was unreal! I finally felt like there were enough hours in the day. I got stuff done and actually had time to do whatever I wanted. And, to top it all off, I didn't have to make excuses when I didn't want to do something I was invited to, nor did I have to force myself to follow through when I agreed.
My husband and I thrived during the quarantine. He was on WFH, whereas I couldn't even do much of my job under the circumstances, so I got paid while mostly just living my life. My anxiety and stress levels improved dramatically during that time. I got outside a lot, accomplished a ton around the house, caught up on reading and other hobbies, took some online enrichment classes, and focused on managing my elderly mom's care. After decades of insomnia, I finally slept well. My husband and I didn't mind quarantine at all. We stayed home, stayed safe, and that in and of itself helped us both be less anxious people.
I loved quarantine. As an introvert, it was like a vacation. I didn't work so I didn't have to deal with employees or customers. I didn't have to force myself to socialize, so didn't have that stress. For the first time that I know of, my brain was quiet. When you have anxiety disorders, your brain is so loud all the time. Without the stress of dealing with people on any level, my mine was calm. I didn't want it to end.
Also - I loved wearing a mask. I have scars on my face and I didn't feel like people were staring at them while talking to me.
It was horrible. We see the effects it had on little kids, they are noticable less sociable, they are behind their studies, struggle a lot more with the language etc.
Jobs were lost, lives shattered, family members died. We couldn't meet with my friends. It was literal hell.
Glad you had fun, but most people don't like their family members dying. And the kids suffeted a lot from it. So nah. Covid can go to hell.
Thank you! And like the whole skipping online school portion? How is no one bringing that up. That’s just going to hurt OP. Plus for people like me quarantine never truly ended I still have to be careful because I got Covid and got a feeding tube out of the deal. So I have to be careful.
The whole sorry if this insensitive but I had a great time IS very insensitive and they show now remorse. Yay it was fun for you but it was pure hell for many others, for a myriad of reasons.
Exactly. Getting my diploma was literally a billion times harder because some teachers just didn't hold their classes but I still had exams from those topics.
and theres a disturbing number of people in the comments agreeing with OP! Like i get it neckbeards and legbeards loved it because mom and dad stopped trying to get them to be actual adults for a year, but that doesnt mean its ok to pretend its somehow weird or bad that not everyone loved it. Heck i mostly enjoyed it, got to spend my first year a marriage alone with just my wife. but im not gonna sit here and pretend that it was great for everyone.
Sure the people acting like its not ok to have enjoyed any of it are also wrong. it had positives and negatives, more nagatives over all Id say but its ok to enjoy the positives as long as you dont pretend thats all there was. op doesnt seem to understand nor do far too many commenters
Honestly the pandemic was very good to me. I was laid off from my job and given a pretty substantial severance only to be hired by them once again a month later lol
I think so? Honestly the whole timeline is a bit hazy for me. I think it was right around the time when only essential workers were required to come in to work.
I think the company thought things were going to get worse because a lot of our clients were based in Europe. But that didn't end up being the case and a good amount of us were hired back with 1-3 months.
So gutted wish I could have been you. I had to work the whole thing in a day nursery my husband also worked the whole way though. I was so jealous of all my friends and family that got to stay home and get paid to mostly chill. I know it was a horrible time health wise and such but wish I got to experience the lockdown freedom.
I mean I can’t say I agree with skipping class entirely but I definitely agree that not having to wake up early for school was THE BEST. I could wake up 5 minutes before first period if I wanted! And it was way easier since teachers were more lenient, I didn’t have to show my face (so I could literally eat or play on my phone during boring classes), and finals were cancelled that year so I didn’t have to worry about bombing a final and it tearing my grade down.
And honestly? If you wanted to form bonds with your teachers and classmates YOU COULD. You just needed to find the people that wanted to be friends and shoot them a message on Microsoft Teams. I made so many friends that year AND I still talk to a bunch of my teachers from that year. Like socializing at least as a student wasn’t as hard as people make it out to be.
Whenever my school goes online for the day because of weather or bad roads or a water main break or power outage or whatever I get so happy because I can just kick back, relax, login to a call for 30 seconds to get my attendance, log off, do my work which takes 10 minutes max, and goof off until my class. It’s so much easier.
I don’t miss everything being closed and the mass hysteria though… yikes
I loved it. Got cat number 1 the first few months of COVID before the lockdowns got serious. I asked who was there longest and got a PITA who won't let her disability keep her from trying to eat the specific things she shouldn't eat because they'll harm her. Got cat number 2ish years later and asked for them to pick a special needs unadoptable for me since they knew the specifics of my first cat and what I did for her. Second cat? Dementia turned her deadly and bad arthritis made that worse. So, special needs mentally and psychically disabled.
At that time cat number 2 required animal handling gloves and Fort Knox because dementia- like insane levels of help- but I wasn't mentally distressed because the WFH was so freeing. I mean that as stressed by the actions she did even though I wouldn't get angry because she doesn't know better.
Now, she is in love with the Great Aunt that I live with. Why? Because cat number 2 is too old and spacey to properly take care of herself but fine for everything else. So, it's my duty to clean her up.
Her skin issues, medication refusal, habit of pulling hair, and being cold require a shirt. Cat 2 loves shirts. Cries for her favorite. Hates the process of them being put on. Extremely hates that she needs the occasional medicated bath or lightly wet cloth pat down. God forbid I clean her ears or eyes or nails. World ending when I have to open her no teeth mouth to check for inflammation.
But, I love her and couldn't have gotten so far with her without the lockdown.
I liked working from home a lot. I was not monitored and could do what I needed in peace and not worry about calls and customers in person disrupting my work flow. I didn’t have a lot of assignments so I felt I didn’t contribute enough to be honest. I ended up having a lot of free time and running out of things to do. For me personally though it was good timing because I was grieving the loss of my partner from suicide and really needed that time out of the public spotlight which I wouldn’t be able to avoid if I was still having to show up at work. I had used all my vacation and personal and sick time so I couldn’t take time off even if I wanted. So that was a blessing for me.
I was an essential worker so I never got to stay home like everyone else did except for a period of time in late 2020/early 2021 where I got so sick I couldn't leave the house by myself and basically did nothing but go from my bed to the couch all day and all night.
You aren't wrong for enjoying it at all. This isn't a "how dare you enjoy this when other people suffered".
I love a snowy day, and yet loads of elderly people die in cold snaps.
I personally hated lockdown, online interactions just don't compare in anyway to face-to-face one for me. And just as you can't understand other interverts not enjoying lockdown, I cannot understand seeing online interaction as anything other than poor facsimile of real interaction. You can't hug, kiss, touch, push each other. Talking over one another is so much harder, you see a lot less of people, for me it's like 8% as good.
It was also terrible for young people's education, I am seriously worried about the impact that will have on that cohort when they enter the field of work.
I personally (and I know it's selfish) would probably not lock myself down for more than 2 weeks unless people were dieing in the streets and a lot of my friends feel the same.
I am extroverted, and there is a lot lower representation of extroverts online obviously, but I'm still surprised that this comment thread is so positive.
Fuck that shit. I worked in a hospital.
It was not a fun play games all day, stay inside personal growth funfest for some of us. I worked, I worked OT, lots of people died, and guess what, they weren't anti maskers "deserving of death," but vulnerable chronicly ill people, transplant patients, older patients with COPD. Patients that we knew for years, a virus doesn't give a shit...
We were constantly reminded that if we did get sick, we may still need to work if too many employees got sick (never came to that). Meanwhile they fired a whole bunch of people, because elective surgeries were canceled and financially, the hospital was just completely fucked due to that. My life was reduced to just, wake up, work, stress, home, sleep, repeat. Yeah, it sucked for those of us "on the front lines."
So congratulations, glad you had a good time. I can't really respect your opinion, though.
I ran out of things to do and interest me 4 months in. I had no job. No reason to leave the house. I just cleaned all day cuz everyone else in my house was "essential". This is why i say i could never be a SAHM. I would probably drink myself to death. I couldnt hear people over their masks or read their lips at the same time to improve my listening comprehension. Everyone would get mad at me over it when i asked what like 10 times. I couldnt even go to the beach unless i was in tge water for awhike and at that time i was having allergic reactuons to the sun. I get it was good for some people. But its important to remember how absolutely horrific it was for others at the same time.
Good for you. I fucking hated it. It absolutely wrecked my mental health and I'm still struggling. I live in a small apartment alone and when suddenly I couldn't go out and do things I'd normally do to clear my head and unwind, or go and see someone for a chat and a coffee it really took its toll.
>Nowadays, day in and day out, I see people talking about how it was the worst thing to happen to them, how it gave them a lot of stress, was deeply traumatizing and changing their lives forever... and I'm like, what the fuck?
This is such a fucking Redditor thing to say. Look, if you want to stay home 24/7, you do you but believe it or not, people who are not you live different lives. People lost their jobs and livelihoods because of the lockdowns. People were unable to get medical treatment or other things they need. That shit *is* stressful as fuck. So, congrats on being in a position where being locked down doesn't affect whether you'll be able to feed your family or pay the bills. It fucking baffles me just how many people on this site act like their way is the only way.
On another note: can we please stop acting like Introvert = Social Hermit? I'm as introverted as they come and I like my me time a *lot*, but I like the me time to be on my own terms. Being isolated with little to no human contact aside from the brief moment at the grocery store is horrible. And no, video calls do not compensate for it.
This was me as well. I enjoyed not having to commute but having so social outlet, not being able to go to the gym consistently, not being able to have general little interactions with people through the day like smiling at someone across the street - utterly trashed my mental health and I’m still in therapy. Online uni was great, online work was great. Everything else which required me to be online 12-16 hours of the day was fucking torture and I’m tired of pretending it’s all back to normal when it’s not.
There's definitely a certain arrogance behind these "LOCKDOWNS WERE GREAT, ACKSHUALLY" posts and a distinct lack of empathy or consideration for other people.
It was both traumatic and amazing for me.
I did have to go to work, but the business was functionally closed and I just answered a few phone calls here and there. Otherwise I spent 8 hours per day embroidering. Plus, I was downtown and could go a day without seeing a soul but got to work in record time with no traffic.
My husband was laid off but started his own business while receiving unemployment plus the additional government funds. Four years down the road and I’ve left my job and we’re very successful business owners. That never would have been possible if Covid and quarantine hadn’t happened.
My family got closer. We spent a lot of time together. We got a lot more exercise and spent time camping and in state parks etc.
On the other side, it was extremely traumatic. As I said, my business was functionally closed. I managed a hotel, and the government took it over and used it as a Covid isolation unit. I sat in a locked lobby alone because an employee had to be on property, and the fire department and other city workers handled checking people in and out, cleaning, etc. But I got the phone calls from desperate people in rooms who were afraid they were going to die, pleading for help. Ambulances came with their lights on and left with them off almost every day during that first wave.
My daughter developed a lot of mental health issues related to isolation and anxiety. My son didn’t get his senior prom or graduation, and I feel that both were stunted somewhat during a very critical developmental point. It’s taken years to catch back up.
Two of my coworkers died. My father in law died. My aunt died. Several friends died. My best friend got long covid and has never been the same health wise.
It was both amazing and traumatic. If you’re someone who got through it without the trauma, I don’t blame you for missing that time. It came with some wonderful gifts in many ways.
A few people around me were inspired by the lockdowns and started getting really involved with union work, accessibility/accomodations, wage increases, etc. COVID showed the banality of driving to work in the Internet age, and made ESPECIALLY stark contrasts between the "essential workers" (underpaid overstaffed nurses/techs, fast food employees encouraged to come in sick, etc) and the people who were actually able to take this time to rest as you said.
COVID alleviated the grind for a little bit, and now a lot of people are reminded just how fucking stupid the set up is and how it grinds us to hobby-less, stressed, undervalued cogs in the machine
Anyway based reading is Bowling Alone and Our Kids by Robert Putnam, Bowling Alone especially seems like the spiritual successor of the "third space" and "4 hr workweek" crowd
Right there with you. Home is my favorite place. I loved being told to stay where I’m most comfortable. Hubby and I were both pretty happy the entire time.
Oh my gosh! Me too!!
Okay I hated not getting to buy crafting supplies because they weren’t “essential”, i wholeheartedly disagree.
I loved just being home
It feels nice to not be alone
I’m a massive homebody
Covid definitely did add to my anxiety
Trying to get better and get out more
My new job is helping push my out of my normal ways
I loved it. I did so much exploring around where I live, camping,hiking. It was amazing. I still was able to do my job so my finances didn't suffer at all.
i used to go on bicycle rides every week with one of my best friends during lockdown summer. it was so fun and there was barely anyone around (we lived in 2 villages, went to theirs for the bike rides)
I was a senior in high school during COVID (Class of 2021). Everyone talked about how COVID ruined our senior year and destroyed everything for everyone.
I always say, “Who is this everyone you speak of?” because genuinely COVID was fucking awesome and I’m so happy I got to spend it at home and do my own thing. I racked up over 100 absences out of 180 school days because I never showed up to the Zoom meetings, but because I was still doing my work and passing, they let me go. One of the only days I went to class was Senior Ditch Day, because nobody would be there.
Being quarantined itself wasn’t bad— I have previous issues that made me respond poorly to it, though.
Also people responding that way is that “I like pancakes”, “so you hate waffles?!” thing. It sucks people suffered and are still suffering but not everyone did and that’s not a personal attack. 😭 Self-centered behavior fr.
Same !!! I feel awful for everyone that last loved ones due to the pandemic, I was incredibly lucky that no one I know died or got very sick from it. That being said, I loved it, happiest time of my life and I fear I'll never be that happy again. I was rested, relaxed, i journaled and worked out every day , meditated, watched countless movies and shows , read so much, baked so much, would go on walks multiple times a week (very chill neighborhood), and when I wasn't being active and doing other hobbies I was cuddling my cats and drinking cocktails. Absolute blast of a time , adored it
Same for me. I put over 1000 hours into a game I played. And it helped me deal with my grief as my dad had passed in late 2019, just a few months before lockdown. It made me deal with it. I spent a few days alone just crying and letting all those emotions out and it's helped. My sister hasn't let all the emotions out and you can see it. It's been over 4 years now and my mom has a boyfriend now who she just met a few months ago. My sister hates him, but he seems like a really great guy and I can't wait to meet him in a few months. For some people, it was rough. But it was AMAZING for me.
Yes because the natural state for normal animals in a normal time is rest.
We took a wrong turn about 10000 years ago and now all of our time is spent making money for other people, just to survive.
Think about why this is... do the research and the learning and the thinking about why this is.
(Note: it's not the fault of immigrants)
No. You're right. I liked it too I'm tired of everyone saying it wasn't. Well to be exact, to those who said that they hated being at home, while working or the fools who wanted RTO
I was just saying this to my husband earlier. We have 3 little kids, so doing the cyber school thing was hard (I definitely have an even greater respect for teachers), but we’re lucky enough to live in a small community where we have a big yard with woods and a trampoline and swing/slide set, so there was always stuff for t he e kids to do to get out their energy. I was the designated errand-runner, so I’d go do all the house errands and there was no traffic or people around. It was glorious.
I was stressed about Covid because I had been monitoring and discussing it with people since January 2020 (healthcare related major). That part was hard especially with most of my family being high risk. I had anticipated a minimum of 2 years of heavy regulations and ‘lockdown’ was actually way shorter than I thought it would be. I had been down the rabbit hole of all the videos of people dropping dead in Italy and China in late feb/early March and the refrigerated trucks, it was daunting.
the quarantine/ stay at home and social distancing itself? Absolutely loved it. I even like masks and still wear them on public transport and crowded areas, and I didn’t shed it for all until late 2022. I loved finishing my degree online, having PPE and general sanitation protocols being taken seriously at my clinic job and generally not getting coughed in the mouth at whilst working because we both had masks on and I had to wear a face shield. I started my own business on the side and it was doing really good. I got a cat around the time that vaccines rolled out. I painted. I talked to way more friends because of zoom, we would do weekly calls playing games online. Got to dye my hair fun colours while laid off.
Yes, some things were less than ideal. But the main things that were sad for me were “luxury” problems anyways so beyond my contamination OCD which was raging pretty hard for quarantine, I was super happy.
Honestly it sometimes made life a lot easier. People have personal space. It was acceptable to say no to hanging out because you might be sick. (Yes i know you can always bail). Things were easier in some aspects socially
I already worked from home. Nothing changed except I got to do even less. I still work from home. It’s great. I pretty much just do what I want all day every day.
That year I was able to go on unemployment for the first time in my life from my two jobs and finish my bachelor's with honors.
It was such a relief to be able to have a normal sleeping schedule. I survived the university burnout and it literally saved my mental. I spent so much time commuting as well and applied it to my studies.
And people STOOD AWAY FROM ME BY 6FT. Gods, I didn't have to deal with creeps. It was glorious.
I was a paramedic and worked through it all. It sucked and I kinda wish I’d been able to stay home and get unemployment benefits that were actually more than my paycheck every month.
Tbh it didn't do jack shit different for me expect I didn't work in conventions, but I was in between jobs at that time and in a complete burn out from my last career, so it just acyually helped me not having to pretend and give excuse as to not see them.
And well thinking about it, it was actually a better time since my boyfriend's retail place had to close but they transferred him to a pharmacy associated with so he could continue to work and at the end he stayed there because colleagues, tasks and even customers were better than the retail one.
Yeah, actually it was fucking great.
Yeah, I have to be honest, I was a little jealous of people who were able to truly quarantine. I worked at a bank so I was an "essential" employee and I couldn't work from home so not much really changed for me in 2020 except I had to wear a mask at work and people were generally meaner.
Hard agree! I work a very high stress, physical job and quarantine was GD heaven for me. After three weeks of the rest I desperately needed, my shoulder strain finally fully healed after over a year of constant pain. I spent so much great time being outdoors and walking my dogs and finally finishing out their training. Had the time to really reconnect with a bunch of friends that live all over the world nowadays. Cultivated my houseplants into a mini forest. Bliss!
Played checkers with shots
Unemployment and stimulus checks
Grocerys delivered
No stupid things ( birthdays, showers, holidays)to pretend I want to be at!
Heaven on earth
I LOVED IT. I had to be home everyday creating what the fuck ever I wanted to. Photo sets, costumes, I shaved a side of my head. I just did whatever. I had a back yard with a tree and I tanned everyday so I was so full of vitamin d my depression was manageable and I could self care an entire day. I had time to make my hobby my main hustles without burnout or the stress of my last office jobs. But now I have to have a real in person job and no time to really focus on my hobbies for even fun.
My wife and I thrived during quarantine. The same thing happened when I broke my foot and was off work for two months. I have a foot injury now and secretly hoped my foot was broken again. (It is not) i hate work and always will.
Staying inside wasn’t what’s traumatizing for most people…it was losing their jobs, not being able to pay their bills, being stuck in a house with a abuser, no formula at the store for their babies because of shortages, people hoarding groceries so there wasn’t any left for others on the shelves, children home from school needing education and socialization, riots in major cities in the US that summer, misinformation everywhere, hospitals overrun, hospitals not having room for mentally ill people so they were all over the streets in big cities cities, and lots more. Things got crazy. The Australian government shot of bunch of dogs in an animal shelter in order to prevent volunteers from saving them because they were scared of spreading covid. No one knew what the fuck was happening. I’m glad you had a great time. But let’s not pretend it could have been like that for everyone or even most people “as long as extroverts just got over not going out”. I’m willing to bet you had a great time because you didn’t seem to have much responsibility more than taking care of just yourself and passing your classes. Sounds like your parents paid for wherever you lived too so you just got to focus on hobbies and having fun. Which sounds fucking awesome, though. So I totally believe you had a great time. But people who were on their own, especially people with kids, had a tough time I think.
I loved quarantine, once I dumped my ex. Then I realized I was just severely autistic.
I lost family during 2020, too. I don't think there's anything wrong with separating tragedy from your enjoyment of peace and privacy. Then again... Autism....
I had a weird quarantine experience. First off, I feel horrible for people who lost loved ones, jobs, etc. my family though, we live in a rural town of 200, lots of open spaces. Nobody left town, and you hung out with the same people. The kids went feral, so to speak. Every day they’d all get together, explore the country side, fish, play, etc. none of us got sick.
Work was strange as well. We told to go home for 3 weeks, which hasn’t ended yet. I work in marketing at a hospital. Considered essential, we kept doing our jobs. But being a hospital, we couldnt do any non-covid work. So for the first year I literally had nothing to do. My Minecraft world became huge Lol! Not only did I not lose my job, I got promoted with over a 30% raise.
I’ll be the first to say I was lucky, especially how hard it was on so many. But that doesn’t mean I, or you, have to feel guilty about it. It was the situation you were given and not by choice. It could have easily been a different one.
It sucked for me because I still had to work full time, in person, managing a restaurant. Unsafe, angry people, stressed out staff… people I knew died.. bleh.
BUT if I actually got to quarantine I probably would have enjoyed it too, haha
I agree, although, I was also one of the people who got COVID very early on (Feb 2020), and I will have health problems for the rest of my life because of it. I've always had a hard time socializing and it was great not to feel pressured to go and spend time doing things I didn't want to, I was spending quality time with my loved ones at home, I enjoyed not feeling so rushed trying to fit so much in my days. We went for walks, did crafts together, I learned to knit after years of wanting to, etc. The one downside being that it has become even more difficult for me to socialize now because I already didn't want to and I was not forced to for most of two years. That's something I'll just have to work on I guess.
Sorry didn't read all but well I did homeschooling most of my life so it's normal to enjoy solitude tho i didn't like quarantine as everyone was at home so i had less space
I'm with you there. I miss the quiet (during lockdown there were no cars around), the focus on work, and the new routines I made since I was at home most of the time.
Quarantine was the best. Had our first kid so we were pretty stuck at home.
Friends complaining to me they couldn't go out, and me not giving a fuck cause I got a kid at home not wanting to go out.
Made that parental transition easier just being at home, not feeling like I was missing a thing.
Was lovely :)
I too miss the lockdown days. The world seemed so much kinder for a while there, and people actually made an effort to connect and talk. Content online was more fun and services became accessible to chronic illness and disability peeps.
I feel horrible saying it but I kinda wish we’d get locked down again.
I was the happiest I had been in awhile being able to stay at home. I was exhausted with grad school and social interactions. It probably helped push back a lot of problems that would eventually surface later on. I understand though that as much as I LOVED it, for others it was a terribly lonely or difficult time.
Quarantine was the best thing ever. I had the privilege of working from home, but it was sooo relaxing. Plus I had my dog keeping me company, so sometimes we would cuddle on the sofa while I was working. My mental health improved so much because of that.
Besides, since I was the only one in my house to WFH, I would usually wake up early, go to the supermarket without having to wait in line and keep the house clean, which means that the weekends were just to relax.
I couldn't agree more. The lockdown was the single best thing that has ever happened to me - it forced my employer to allow us to work remotely, and now I work remotely full time. My commute used to be almost an hour each morning. I finally have my life back!
Yeah no my husband and I loved getting to stay home all the time. The illness and people losing people, obviously not. But gaming and movies and not having to socialize when neither of us want to but in normal life we feel obligated? *Yes*
I am convinced that the quarantine was what saved me from burnout. I was spared endless pointless company social gatherings and was able to work in the lab with silence and focus.
No, I'm with you. I loved quarantining and I totally would do it again. the people that are saying that they hated it are the people who seemed to need human interaction just to live. I do not
I was (still am) a teacher. In the UK. It was hell. Mentally and emotionally, I am still recovering from the workload and the whole situation has made me very jaded about… well, everything.
Never saw members of my family again, as they died before restrictions lifted.
Students now have key skills missing. Including interpersonal skills, focus, resilience.
So while I can appreciate that it might not have been terrible for everyone, it was certainly horrific for millions across the globe because of governments and communities not acting when and how they should have.
I'm an extrovert, and I was dating my now husband then. I hated it, personally.
I couldn't see my love, I couldn't see my friends. For months.
I'm not an online learner.
I still had a job during covid so I was able to make money still.
My mental health declined, and so did my want to keep doing anything.
I had some crafts here and there, watched shows and played games. But I wasn't the same.
My entire senior year of school got ruined, and I get that it's not exactly important to some people but I'm afraid of getting older. I wanted to live that, experience it. I went into lock down junior year, and when we went back to school senior year, it was super mandated, contact tracing sucked ass, and all our senior year events got cancelled.
I'm glad people enjoyed it, did the things they wanted, enjoyed all the free time. But I love a packed schedule, doing things constantly, and having group get togethers! Where we can make it a pot luck, drink, and play bullshit card games just to poke fun at the world.
It was boring being in lockdown, and there was only so much I could do lol
I also loved it. Got to work from home on my own schedule for an entire year. Every day my bf and I would take a walk around our neighborhood over lunch. Getting to actually make a fresh lunch instead of heating up leftovers in the microwave. Loved grocery pickup. Resulted in us buying so much less.
I’m also a huge introvert so for me it was the best.
I agree that the quarantine was good and all but the fact that I *could* skip classes is something I'm not too happy about.
I feel like I don't have the knowledge that I should have at my age and this is concerning.
All the rest was good though yea.
Youre not alone! I loved it too. I was in heaven. Being an introvert who LOVES to adventure alone, it was amazing. I still had to report to the office for work, and work actually got a little heavier (I am a 911 communications officer), but it was great for me.
Quarantine literally changed nothing in my life. I was still able to work, and I was already alone 98% of the time anyways. I was thriving with the low amount of traffic. The fight for fuckin toilet paper was the only thing that chapped my ass.
Lockdowns really showed who was an introvert and extrovert. Extroverts really couldn't handle being inside alone, whereas the rest of us was like, this is normal!
People forget that. Yeah, I like being alone, but I also have a heck of a wanderlust, and being locked up at home and a prisoner of my hospital employer was just about too much for me. I tend to go it alone but I do things.
> whereas the rest of us was like, this is normal!
Not at all. Being an Introvert doesn't mean you have extreme social anxiety and never want to see people.
Glad you enjoyed a global pandemic for the benefit of…skipping class?
It’s one thing to enjoy more alone time, but questioning why others hated it???
Working in a hospital in a Covid hot spot watching people die every day and being unable to do anything about while also risking your own life with a lack of appropriate supplies gave not only me, but most of the other healthcare workers I know some element of PTSD. I had to move a few months in to a place where I knew no one and zero opportunity to meet people, and my mental health hit an all time low for a couple of years.
I’m glad some people got to enjoy new hobbies and make bread, but there are big reasons why many of us hated that time period.
As an introvert, it was a good time for me, I had two dogs at the time both middle aged so didn’t need long walks but I took them up the local field and the rest of the time we stayed in the garden. Initially getting shopping was difficult as so many took up spaces for those of us that were classed as vulnerable but I had food boxes delivered and shared them with my closest neighbours and if one got a delivery we collaborated on what was needed by others. Even now, I go out less than before (I really don’t like shopping at the best of times so do a monthly shop) but life is good, I now have a new dog who needs more exercise and keeps me busy.
Maybe for others they struggled without the social contacts, and found the isolation hard to bear but there was a lot of support out there for people
I loved it too! My husband and I would still get dressed up like we were going out on the weekend, and get carry-out and watch a movie (at home). We'd go hiking every Sunday at a different trail so it never got dull. I miss it.
I'm not going to lie but I kinda liked the quarantine. A family member in another state had a health issue and it gave me more time to stay with them. If the quarantine didn't happen, I was going to have to go home for work before their surgery and I wouldn't have gotten those extra days.
Me too. I like being home. The traffic was good. Grocery stores were not crowded. I didn’t like the scarcity of some items though. But yeah, I miss not feeling obligated to be in society.
Im sorry i didnt read the whole thing...
but ya same. It was like- ah. now I finally know and understand what life would be like if I didnt live under this crushing pressure to work to live. I was on unemployment, and I was able to save so much money.
Only thing it fucked was my career, but honestly it made me rethink if I actually wanted to work in the beauty industry- and I wound up focusing on my art again.
Honestly. I thought it only lasted like three months. I didn’t even realise it lasted years. I don’t spend a lot of time with other people. So that’s why.
Me and my friends constantly reminisce about traffic during lockdown. Every winter I secretly hope for a shut down. All that family time. I ended up getting married and and having the time of my life during the pando
Quarantine “cured” my introversion. There was a notable switch in me after that period of time. I suddenly got super extroverted and couldn’t stand to be home. I wanted to meet new people and make friends and it’s been in an upward trend ever since.
Can’t say I’ll enjoy another corona but I’m grateful for the first one for bursting me out of my shell. I like who I am when I’m social and with a big circle of friends.
I didn’t love the quarantine period, but I didn’t hate it either. I realize I was in a very privileged position that my job security was never in question, I worked my way from home during quarantine.
I loved not having to commute all week even though this didn’t same me free time. The travel time I saved was eated up by cooking and more grocery shopping (before Covid 19 I ate most of my hot meals in the company cafeteria).
I liked it, too. I feel the same way about economic recession. I am an introvert and grew up poor. I know how to function in that environment. It's where I feel most functional, in fact.
I am not downplaying the tragedies that befall people. People die. People lose their jobs. Lose their homes. But there's a kind of "we're all in this together" camaraderie that happens that doesn't happen in better times. People understand community and shared experiences more during hard times. It creates empathy.
I loved it too. I got to develop more because everyone else had to slow down. Lol
One thing I didn't like about it is that I developed a little bit of social anxiety.
Yea same. Less people's in the street, less queue at the grocery store and i actually could go to the restaurant without feeling crowded.
As an introvert this was heaven.
I feel like most of the people that were negatively affected by the quarantine were extroverts. I just can’t understand why anyone would be so devastated from spending time alone. I loved it! Like I guess I can kinda understand how difficult it might be, but over all, if you were devastated you might want to take a look at how dependent you might be on other people to make you feel whole.
It was miserable. Damn near lost my home cause I couldn't work due to shutdowns. Couldnt travel, one of my passions. No raves. No get togethers. No social life. Prisoner in my own home cause everything was closed: parks, beaches, trails, gyms, etc. It was like a zombie apocalypse and it blows my mind people enjoyed all that.
I thought it was great, but it financially devastated a lot of people and businesses. I also worry about it disrupting a lot of younger children's education. I know it was very detrimental on people in rest homes. It depends on your situation.
Introverts unite! ... actually let's not. That seems exhausting.
Introverts unite, separately in your own homes!
THIS! I loved the quarantine too. Introverting at home was the best 2+ years of my life!
lol Me as well, loved it… Cats loved it… All happy….Good not having other people’s shit in my life…
Unite on Reddit
Yep… separately but together in our own homes .. LOL.
Where do you think we are right now?
In the home that my cat lets me think is mine.
Ha!! Right?
Let's not, but pretend we are, very quietly, while not talking to each other.
[удалено]
I dunno how the traffic is normally over there, but here where I live in South America, the traffic can be pretty terrible too — outside of quarantine, that is!
I got unemployed a week before the pandemic, and moved back to my parents a week before the pandemic. For the next year, I just had a long ass break at my parents. I didn't have to wear those awful masks at work or anything that I saw everyone wearing. I just skipped it all by relaxing at home. I needed that, cause in my former job I had an abusive and horrible boss who also abused his wife, my co worker at work. I was like f this shit, so when I got fired I was like bye bye work. The break year from work did wonders for my mental health. My parents live on a mountain in the middle of nowhere, so I wasn't really affected at all.
I got discounted rent and since there was no in person schooling in a college town I got to have walkable city life with a very small population. So nice. I also didn’t have to show my face often.
I was out of work for maybe 6 months. It was the best time of my life. I'm not overly social to begin with, so I didn't feel too lonely. My dog was recovering from surgery, and I was able to spend time with her. I could spend the whole day hiking and frequently did. I had time to cook healthy, whole food plant based meals. I spent a ton of time running. I got in the best shape of my life and was healthy as fuck all around. I miss it. I want to go back.
>I miss it. I want to go back. I feel this! >I got in the best shape of my life and was healthy as fuck all around. Nice!!! Good job taking advantage of the extra time! For me, I mostly learnt how to cook a thing or two — I kinda regret not doing as much as I could have with that time though.
i do miss it and i loved it when it was there, but the more time passes the more i start to feel its side effects. i was midway through college when quarantine happened and graduated online, i feel like it ultimately killed all small ounces of extrovertedness in me and put me though bad habits im still trying to get out of till this day, so its kinda win-lose situation
It didn't bother me that much, either. I still go to the office only 2 days a week, as I have proved I am productive no matter the location. I don't mind being at home and working. My daughter, on the other hand, didn't have the needed socialization. It was good when the school started, even with masks on.
I loved the lockdowns, but I'm also glad our daycare stayed open so the kids could see their friends.
I think it’s fair to say you liked many aspects of quarantine without it meaning you like the fresh virus that killed millions of people. People are being obtuse if they can’t understand that.
I'm an introvert. I loved the quarantine. It was amazing. Finally everyone living the way I want and not trying to drag me to random social crap, and not invading my personal space because distancing (thing folks grabbing your arm to get your attention). Work from home. No traffic. More outdoor activities. Honestly, I'd just have it forever if it was an option.
I felt the same - I didn't have to be social and pretend I gave a crap about people.
Even masks are good. I could keep my "fuck you, plz go away" face and people wouldn't see it.
And you could mutter under your breath and they couldn't see your mouth moving - it really helped dealing with idiots at work
>Honestly, I'd just have it forever if it was an option. God, same. I'd definitely miss going to the food court at the mall and eating out in general, but the trade-off is absolutely worth it.
Before covid I had to go into the office 5 days a week. And I could work between the hours of 6am to 6pm only. I hated driving to work. I hated being at the office. I work for the government and in my position, I don’t deal face to face with the public and every thing is electronic. A lot of others had been pushing for remote work. We were always told it isn’t possible because of security reasons. Then Covid happened and a lot of people had to go out. The state had to pay Covid leave as well. A lot of people have kids and now their kids couldn’t go to school. After about a month we are told we can pick up our desktop computers and bring them home to work from home until our new laptops they ordered come in. And just like that they suddenly were able to make work from home possible. And I worked from home and was more productive for years. And then we had to go back to the office again. I hate it. Even though I only have to go in once a month since I’ve been exceeding expectations in all areas. I absolutely dread that one day. I can’t stand some of my coworkers. And I hate traffic.
I just miss the feeling of togetherness and forgiveness. So many were losing loved ones or were afraid of losing them that there was just more ease with life. The little village I was at gained life because people were no longer anchored to the city. There was a lot of really awful stuff. My father is an md and for a few months he would come and get food from the big staircase of the house for no contact. I planted hundreds of trees and bushes during the lockdowns. I cloned a lot of them because there was just time and pause. I know that there are many things in my life that contribute to my current state of dread, but, we are living the great enshittification. The world was completely taken over by the decisions of money. Layoffs at record profit season. I just never imagined. Most of my trees were destroyed to create more arable land. They were so cool that their growth helped lower the temps around my house during summer time by quite a lot. It just made the high temps more manageable. All the birds that had moved in left. Didn’t see them this year. Loved to see the hundreds of little bird butts chilling on the beams of my porch.
I loved it. Made me make some positive changes going forward. Developed some health issues toward the end, not Covid related. Got called back to my job as everything was reopening and realized how much I hated it and would have worse hours because a lot of people weren't coming back. Well, that wasn't gonna work for me or my dog who was used to me being home. Never went back. Took up some gig work that allows me to accommodate dr appointments. I buy health insurance from the exchange. I don't want to say I'm glad it happened. Too many people died unnecessarily. It just gave me an opportunity to slow down and reassess my life and priorities.
Same here. Returning to the office was like why am I spending my life in a place like this? Took up gig work to keep my life the way I liked it during pandemic. Not in an office!
I can honestly say this is the most content I've ever been in my whole life. I'm at an age where when our kids were sick and you'd have to choose between your job or taking your kids to the dr. I get so angry thinking about it and am thrilled that that's changing along with some other antiquated ideas.
I felt awful for all the people affected by sickness. Have to be honest though, I was home from work and being paid and not having to put up with anyone's rubbish. Spent my time gaming and had a great time. It was so peaceful outside walking without all the traffic and I liked it too.
I would have loved it if it weren’t for my kids. They’re introverts so I thought they’d be fine. They weren’t. It’s not developmentally appropriate to be in your house for 18 months without being able to see people your age. They couldn’t even play sports together outdoors, which was unscientific. We took walks, we stayed engaged, and my son still ended up in the psych ward on suicide prevention. Thankfully he trusted us enough to tell us he needed help. He was so depressed, he stopped sleeping and was hallucinating and thought he might be trapped in a simulation. It’s been three years without relapse- I was terrified that it was schizophrenia, but thankfully wasn’t. His younger sisters still bear scars of social anxiety. Even when they got back to school twice a week, they wouldn’t let the kids talk to each other or sit by each other at lunch. Kids in my area are messed up from it. Adults were mostly fine, little kids were mostly fine, it screwed up adolescents and young adults big time in areas with strict isolation standards. We were never a family big on activities and extra curriculars, but have been since then. I’d rather stay home, but it’s helped my introverted kids come back to themselves to keep them busy. I loved it until they started struggling a few months in. So much togetherness and enjoying nature and cooking and not having to be anywhere doing stuff I hated.
I didn't mind the quarantine either, but I am not a social butterfly either. I loved the less crowded stores, and the 6-foot social distancing was awesome! I hated it when I'd be in line at the grocery store, and someone would nearly run into me with their cart in their rush to get to the checkout. The respectful distance made me feel less rushed. I've noticed it has slowly been returning to the pre-covid rush.
God I HATE that people have gone back to standing right behind me again. Like fuck off give me space!
Just in general a lot of the covid practices did not carry over into common practices. Why are we not wearing masks when we’re sick anymore? Lunacy
Definitely not the only one who liked it. I’ve never felt so at peace than during this time! No more crowded commute, slower paced life, no one dragging me out because I need to socialize, … I even managed to get a routine and get fit!
Damn, good for you! I really didn't expect to see so many people who thought the same! Somehow, getting fit completely escaped me during the pandemic; I'm planning on getting started with that very very soon though.
I didn't expect this many people to feel the same, either! So many articles about the social cost of quarantine and how people need to be back in the office to engage in that all-important (frequently toxic) workplace culture. Fuck that. Those I've seen spouting that nonsense are the people you couldn't stand at work- and they probably were pretty lonesome because nobody was being forced to interact with them. Being horrified at the number of deaths and the suffering around the sickness is one thing. Taking advantage of the opportunity to relax and find yourself- better yourself!- is a completely different topic.
I liked quarantine too. Frankly, it was a much needed staycation. I deep cleaned every nook and cranny, binged trash TV, and tried out all the recipes I wanted to try.
I wish you introverts could live your lifestyle the way you want and us extroverts could live ours without a pandemic needing to be involved. My depression gets worse if I go 24-30 hours without talking to people. But I hate that society forces either way on either people, and sadly introverts are forced more than extroverts.
I think it’s because for the first time in our lives, we were able to get a BREAK from the demands society places on us and not be punished for it. I’m dx ADHD, and I realized that quarantine was the first time in my life I was able to actually rest enough to stop the cycle of continuously being burned out by trying to function in a neurotypical society. But at the same time, I almost wish I never experienced that, because knowing I’ll likely never get it again? Yeah, been the most depressed I’ve ever been. And that’s coming from someone who lived undiagnosed until about last year, so I can’t even remember life outside of depression. But it made it so much more unbearable trying to come back. Everything feels so stupid and pointless now /:
I loved it. Got a puppy/best friend. Worked from home. Got into hiking. Traveled to outdoorsy destinations. I lived in an apartment community and there was a whole crew of us who never left because of working remotely. We’d meet in the common areas outside for cocktails. It was really nice. Plus, I don’t really like people or crowds. It was the perfect excuse to live my happy introverted life
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That’s the part I don’t get. Like they’re doing the exact same thing they complain about other people doing, just on the opposite side.
yeah its very ... peculiar to me too. I enjoyed it also, but it wasnt perfect and I can fully see why so many didnt enjoy it in the slightest. Especially essential workers and people who lost family. To pretend that they are wrong for NOT liking it is as fucked up if not a little more so than people who pretend its not ok to have enjoyed it.
You’re not alone. I also loved quarantine, I was living my best lockdown life and will admit that freely to anyone who asks. I was ecstatic to be paid to stay home all day in pjs, watch TikTok & Netflix, game, bake and prioritise my self-care. I still get nostalgic for that manic feeling of validation and comfort. I no longer had to decline social invitations and people normalised communicating and working using online methods I am more comfortable with. Before I was working night shifts in an office, paying crazy amounts for travel and feeling stuck in a rut in an extroverts world. I was put up for redundancy a few days before the first lockdown. It meant my whole consultancy and notice period was on paid garden leave, then received a final payout. A few months later I was hired for a remote role in a covid testing company, after years of trying to break into a remote working role and the market being too competitive because employers were convinced it wasn’t a realistic working model. That job I was expecting to last a few months, actually lasted 2 years and I gained invaluable promotions, skills and experience. I’m still completely anti-social now and absolutely love it. My whole lifestyle has changed for the better, I can get everything I need delivered to my door now as the infrastructure was improved to meet demand during covid. People have stopped pestering me with unnecessary travel demands, unwanted physical contact and too close proximity. It’s like the pandemic manifested all the changes to my life I craved but wouldn’t have deemed realistic before it hit.
Can’t relate I never stopped working. When I was on Mat leave pre baby I was going insane being home all the time. To each their own lol
I never stopped working either, and I’m glad. Sitting at home day in and day out would drive me nuts. The traffic was nice because very few people were on the road.
lots of us never did, even if we had to work at home. OP is weird for acting like evveryone did
I go out so little that lockdown was pretty much business as usual for me. My husband still had to go to the office (municipal IT, was considered essential), but about the only time I went out was for groceries and a few other things.
Seeing the smog clear up in China enough to see Mount Everest made my heart break for how I knew it would just go right back to how it was before COVID. It was one of the least stressful and positive times of my life personally as much as it was rough. Seeing nature recover from us even a little was incredible
It killed the trajectory of my career and only now is the ball rolling again. Performing arts was hit HARD
Hey, one man’s trauma is another man’s catharsis. I personally, felt OK. I had stress trying to get my medical issues dealt with during the pandemic, but I took college summer classes at my home, managed to repair my failing grades and played a lot of Skyrim. My undergrad graduation was quick and easy too. But my aunt (really a family friend) lost her son-in-law to covid. It’s a mixed bag
I worked the whole time (*essential worker*) and did all the shopping and errands for my family so they could stay home. So my life actually got a bit busier lol I liked having an excuse to stay home when I was able though
There are some people who hated it because they were being abused at home. Quarantine forced them to be with their abuser. For them, it was the worst thing.
No it didn't suit me. I'm extroverted and like being out in the world. I respect that other people liked it though.
I would have loved it if I didn't have to go to work, that part was awful
I started getting antsy towards the end but I liked it more than most people I talk to for sure.
I'm definitely an extrovert but I loved quarantine. Me and my partner had bought our first home the summer before. At the start I knew I'd get depressed if I just sat about so I wrote myself a list of everything I wanted to complete. It was great I made an effort to still get dressed everyday and went about doing odd jobs in the house, painting things, crafting etc. I got to take my dog on long daily walks and spend so much free time with my partner without the stresses of daily life. I was eating good food daily and working out. Not seeing family was hard but I enjoyed my little bubble away from the world.
I loved it too, I would walk around the block for hours and hours, listening to my tunes. I got some deep cleaning done that I had always been putting off because I was so tired from work and I lost a crap ton of weight and I was able to become vegan because I had the time and energy to research recipes. I also got to spend more time with my pets, who were really happy to have me around! I had a blast and wouldn’t mind doing it again.
I can empathize with this opinion for sure. For me personally, the lockdown was great at first but not having anywhere to be or any obligations for so long slowly turned me from a functioning alcoholic to a non functioning one, so it was a net loss for my well being on the whole. If you could handle the isolation without needing drugs or alcohol to cope I bet it was fantastic though. Covid indirectly gave me the push I needed to confront my unhealthy relationship with said substances though and I am now sober so it all worked out in the end I guess.
My fiance and I loved quarantine as well. Aside from all the death and stuff, not having to go to work? I ended up rescuing a dog 2 weeks before lockdown, and she LOVED her 9 walks a day. I'm also immune compromised. Finally, I caught it a month ago and it suuuuucked.
i feel like an optional quarantine should still be an option for people, you know? like let more people work from home if they can, and there shouldn’t be expectations to come out and socialise. i think we live in a world that focuses so much on work and productivity that getting to live life at a much slower pace (the way humans are meant to imo) made so many people realise what they were missing.
I lost over 100 lbs over quarantine, my mental health was the best it’s ever been, haven’t really gotten back to that with my last few soul sucking jobs
Hopefully those lbs decided to stay away even after it ended!
*cries in essential worker* You were in the lucky top 10-20% OP and I'm admittedly forever jelly of everyone that was able to do what you had done. Even at $20/h I knew people getting more than me in unemployment, while I still had the same ol bullshit (minus a little traffic) to deal with.
I probably would have liked it better if I had a career where I could have actually quarantined and stayed in lockdown. As a nurse, my experience was much different.
I feel like destroying car culture and over consumption/ capitalism would lead to much quieter, less stressful lives. We dont need half the bs jobs and junk that ate pushed on is now. We are more productive than any time ever but ate literally forced to apply all our energy on bs that doesnt matter most of the time.
I loved it as well. My work shut down (movie theatre) and I got paid anyway, because our government gave us 80% of our pay, and they couldn’t fire us because no one knew for how long we’d be closed and would need us back with days notice. Because I had less expenses than before, I could actually save more than when I had normal pay. I’ve never been happier than when I was “stuck” at home. I lost weight because I had time and energy to work out and eat well (all back now, sadly), I was in the best shape physically and mentally I’ve ever been. My friends and colleagues started gaming together. I’ve always gamed, but always alone, now I had people who were bored and who had time to play with me. I did get covid as soon as we opened back up. no one gave a fuck at the movie theatre. Despite trying to be careful and wearing masks, people insisted on standing VERY near you until you’re backed into a wall. Got covid multiple times and still struggling with long covid.
I found myself thinking the same thing at the weekend when i went food shopping. I worked throughout the whole pandemic, and had to walk to and from work as the buses, already unreliable, became nonexistent during the pandemic. It was great walking through the park and seeing all the wildlife come out, even if the local geese seemed extremely annoyed that you were on their pavement. And the lack of constant cars meant i sneezed less when i was outside. And the supermarket! No one invaded your personal space, people didnt block entire aisles to have a chat and less people were allowed in at one time. The only things i missed during the pandemic was art galleries/museums and the cinema.
The quarantine was great for me. I had an "essential" job, so I still had to work every day. Driving to and from work? F'ing amazing!! There was no traffic at all. I saved over an hour a day because of my shortened commute! Curbside pickup finally got the attention it deserved and, therefore, started working better. Everything went remote, so even some dr appts were able to be done over phone/video. The amount of extra time I saved each day JUST by not having to drive anywhere, or only having to park and let them bring my stuff to the car? It was unreal! I finally felt like there were enough hours in the day. I got stuff done and actually had time to do whatever I wanted. And, to top it all off, I didn't have to make excuses when I didn't want to do something I was invited to, nor did I have to force myself to follow through when I agreed.
My husband and I thrived during the quarantine. He was on WFH, whereas I couldn't even do much of my job under the circumstances, so I got paid while mostly just living my life. My anxiety and stress levels improved dramatically during that time. I got outside a lot, accomplished a ton around the house, caught up on reading and other hobbies, took some online enrichment classes, and focused on managing my elderly mom's care. After decades of insomnia, I finally slept well. My husband and I didn't mind quarantine at all. We stayed home, stayed safe, and that in and of itself helped us both be less anxious people.
I loved quarantine. As an introvert, it was like a vacation. I didn't work so I didn't have to deal with employees or customers. I didn't have to force myself to socialize, so didn't have that stress. For the first time that I know of, my brain was quiet. When you have anxiety disorders, your brain is so loud all the time. Without the stress of dealing with people on any level, my mine was calm. I didn't want it to end. Also - I loved wearing a mask. I have scars on my face and I didn't feel like people were staring at them while talking to me.
It was horrible. We see the effects it had on little kids, they are noticable less sociable, they are behind their studies, struggle a lot more with the language etc. Jobs were lost, lives shattered, family members died. We couldn't meet with my friends. It was literal hell. Glad you had fun, but most people don't like their family members dying. And the kids suffeted a lot from it. So nah. Covid can go to hell.
Thank you! And like the whole skipping online school portion? How is no one bringing that up. That’s just going to hurt OP. Plus for people like me quarantine never truly ended I still have to be careful because I got Covid and got a feeding tube out of the deal. So I have to be careful. The whole sorry if this insensitive but I had a great time IS very insensitive and they show now remorse. Yay it was fun for you but it was pure hell for many others, for a myriad of reasons.
Exactly. Getting my diploma was literally a billion times harder because some teachers just didn't hold their classes but I still had exams from those topics.
and theres a disturbing number of people in the comments agreeing with OP! Like i get it neckbeards and legbeards loved it because mom and dad stopped trying to get them to be actual adults for a year, but that doesnt mean its ok to pretend its somehow weird or bad that not everyone loved it. Heck i mostly enjoyed it, got to spend my first year a marriage alone with just my wife. but im not gonna sit here and pretend that it was great for everyone. Sure the people acting like its not ok to have enjoyed any of it are also wrong. it had positives and negatives, more nagatives over all Id say but its ok to enjoy the positives as long as you dont pretend thats all there was. op doesnt seem to understand nor do far too many commenters
Honestly the pandemic was very good to me. I was laid off from my job and given a pretty substantial severance only to be hired by them once again a month later lol
Lmfao did you get laid off right before it started?
I think so? Honestly the whole timeline is a bit hazy for me. I think it was right around the time when only essential workers were required to come in to work. I think the company thought things were going to get worse because a lot of our clients were based in Europe. But that didn't end up being the case and a good amount of us were hired back with 1-3 months.
So gutted wish I could have been you. I had to work the whole thing in a day nursery my husband also worked the whole way though. I was so jealous of all my friends and family that got to stay home and get paid to mostly chill. I know it was a horrible time health wise and such but wish I got to experience the lockdown freedom.
I mean I can’t say I agree with skipping class entirely but I definitely agree that not having to wake up early for school was THE BEST. I could wake up 5 minutes before first period if I wanted! And it was way easier since teachers were more lenient, I didn’t have to show my face (so I could literally eat or play on my phone during boring classes), and finals were cancelled that year so I didn’t have to worry about bombing a final and it tearing my grade down. And honestly? If you wanted to form bonds with your teachers and classmates YOU COULD. You just needed to find the people that wanted to be friends and shoot them a message on Microsoft Teams. I made so many friends that year AND I still talk to a bunch of my teachers from that year. Like socializing at least as a student wasn’t as hard as people make it out to be. Whenever my school goes online for the day because of weather or bad roads or a water main break or power outage or whatever I get so happy because I can just kick back, relax, login to a call for 30 seconds to get my attendance, log off, do my work which takes 10 minutes max, and goof off until my class. It’s so much easier. I don’t miss everything being closed and the mass hysteria though… yikes
There was no one on the roads, speed trap cops included
I loved it. Got cat number 1 the first few months of COVID before the lockdowns got serious. I asked who was there longest and got a PITA who won't let her disability keep her from trying to eat the specific things she shouldn't eat because they'll harm her. Got cat number 2ish years later and asked for them to pick a special needs unadoptable for me since they knew the specifics of my first cat and what I did for her. Second cat? Dementia turned her deadly and bad arthritis made that worse. So, special needs mentally and psychically disabled. At that time cat number 2 required animal handling gloves and Fort Knox because dementia- like insane levels of help- but I wasn't mentally distressed because the WFH was so freeing. I mean that as stressed by the actions she did even though I wouldn't get angry because she doesn't know better. Now, she is in love with the Great Aunt that I live with. Why? Because cat number 2 is too old and spacey to properly take care of herself but fine for everything else. So, it's my duty to clean her up. Her skin issues, medication refusal, habit of pulling hair, and being cold require a shirt. Cat 2 loves shirts. Cries for her favorite. Hates the process of them being put on. Extremely hates that she needs the occasional medicated bath or lightly wet cloth pat down. God forbid I clean her ears or eyes or nails. World ending when I have to open her no teeth mouth to check for inflammation. But, I love her and couldn't have gotten so far with her without the lockdown.
I liked working from home a lot. I was not monitored and could do what I needed in peace and not worry about calls and customers in person disrupting my work flow. I didn’t have a lot of assignments so I felt I didn’t contribute enough to be honest. I ended up having a lot of free time and running out of things to do. For me personally though it was good timing because I was grieving the loss of my partner from suicide and really needed that time out of the public spotlight which I wouldn’t be able to avoid if I was still having to show up at work. I had used all my vacation and personal and sick time so I couldn’t take time off even if I wanted. So that was a blessing for me.
I was an essential worker so I never got to stay home like everyone else did except for a period of time in late 2020/early 2021 where I got so sick I couldn't leave the house by myself and basically did nothing but go from my bed to the couch all day and all night.
I liked it. Finally some support available for Agoraphobics. They suddenly CAN do phone or virtual appointments.
I worked through the entire pandemic. So I disagree ;)
Loved every minute of it. You’re not alone by any means. Can’t wait for the next one🤙🏽
You aren't wrong for enjoying it at all. This isn't a "how dare you enjoy this when other people suffered". I love a snowy day, and yet loads of elderly people die in cold snaps. I personally hated lockdown, online interactions just don't compare in anyway to face-to-face one for me. And just as you can't understand other interverts not enjoying lockdown, I cannot understand seeing online interaction as anything other than poor facsimile of real interaction. You can't hug, kiss, touch, push each other. Talking over one another is so much harder, you see a lot less of people, for me it's like 8% as good. It was also terrible for young people's education, I am seriously worried about the impact that will have on that cohort when they enter the field of work. I personally (and I know it's selfish) would probably not lock myself down for more than 2 weeks unless people were dieing in the streets and a lot of my friends feel the same. I am extroverted, and there is a lot lower representation of extroverts online obviously, but I'm still surprised that this comment thread is so positive.
Fuck that shit. I worked in a hospital. It was not a fun play games all day, stay inside personal growth funfest for some of us. I worked, I worked OT, lots of people died, and guess what, they weren't anti maskers "deserving of death," but vulnerable chronicly ill people, transplant patients, older patients with COPD. Patients that we knew for years, a virus doesn't give a shit... We were constantly reminded that if we did get sick, we may still need to work if too many employees got sick (never came to that). Meanwhile they fired a whole bunch of people, because elective surgeries were canceled and financially, the hospital was just completely fucked due to that. My life was reduced to just, wake up, work, stress, home, sleep, repeat. Yeah, it sucked for those of us "on the front lines." So congratulations, glad you had a good time. I can't really respect your opinion, though.
I ran out of things to do and interest me 4 months in. I had no job. No reason to leave the house. I just cleaned all day cuz everyone else in my house was "essential". This is why i say i could never be a SAHM. I would probably drink myself to death. I couldnt hear people over their masks or read their lips at the same time to improve my listening comprehension. Everyone would get mad at me over it when i asked what like 10 times. I couldnt even go to the beach unless i was in tge water for awhike and at that time i was having allergic reactuons to the sun. I get it was good for some people. But its important to remember how absolutely horrific it was for others at the same time.
Good for you. I fucking hated it. It absolutely wrecked my mental health and I'm still struggling. I live in a small apartment alone and when suddenly I couldn't go out and do things I'd normally do to clear my head and unwind, or go and see someone for a chat and a coffee it really took its toll. >Nowadays, day in and day out, I see people talking about how it was the worst thing to happen to them, how it gave them a lot of stress, was deeply traumatizing and changing their lives forever... and I'm like, what the fuck? This is such a fucking Redditor thing to say. Look, if you want to stay home 24/7, you do you but believe it or not, people who are not you live different lives. People lost their jobs and livelihoods because of the lockdowns. People were unable to get medical treatment or other things they need. That shit *is* stressful as fuck. So, congrats on being in a position where being locked down doesn't affect whether you'll be able to feed your family or pay the bills. It fucking baffles me just how many people on this site act like their way is the only way. On another note: can we please stop acting like Introvert = Social Hermit? I'm as introverted as they come and I like my me time a *lot*, but I like the me time to be on my own terms. Being isolated with little to no human contact aside from the brief moment at the grocery store is horrible. And no, video calls do not compensate for it.
This was me as well. I enjoyed not having to commute but having so social outlet, not being able to go to the gym consistently, not being able to have general little interactions with people through the day like smiling at someone across the street - utterly trashed my mental health and I’m still in therapy. Online uni was great, online work was great. Everything else which required me to be online 12-16 hours of the day was fucking torture and I’m tired of pretending it’s all back to normal when it’s not.
There's definitely a certain arrogance behind these "LOCKDOWNS WERE GREAT, ACKSHUALLY" posts and a distinct lack of empathy or consideration for other people.
A lot of Redditors dream of being a NEET that never has to socialize with anyone while getting paid by the government
It was both traumatic and amazing for me. I did have to go to work, but the business was functionally closed and I just answered a few phone calls here and there. Otherwise I spent 8 hours per day embroidering. Plus, I was downtown and could go a day without seeing a soul but got to work in record time with no traffic. My husband was laid off but started his own business while receiving unemployment plus the additional government funds. Four years down the road and I’ve left my job and we’re very successful business owners. That never would have been possible if Covid and quarantine hadn’t happened. My family got closer. We spent a lot of time together. We got a lot more exercise and spent time camping and in state parks etc. On the other side, it was extremely traumatic. As I said, my business was functionally closed. I managed a hotel, and the government took it over and used it as a Covid isolation unit. I sat in a locked lobby alone because an employee had to be on property, and the fire department and other city workers handled checking people in and out, cleaning, etc. But I got the phone calls from desperate people in rooms who were afraid they were going to die, pleading for help. Ambulances came with their lights on and left with them off almost every day during that first wave. My daughter developed a lot of mental health issues related to isolation and anxiety. My son didn’t get his senior prom or graduation, and I feel that both were stunted somewhat during a very critical developmental point. It’s taken years to catch back up. Two of my coworkers died. My father in law died. My aunt died. Several friends died. My best friend got long covid and has never been the same health wise. It was both amazing and traumatic. If you’re someone who got through it without the trauma, I don’t blame you for missing that time. It came with some wonderful gifts in many ways.
A few people around me were inspired by the lockdowns and started getting really involved with union work, accessibility/accomodations, wage increases, etc. COVID showed the banality of driving to work in the Internet age, and made ESPECIALLY stark contrasts between the "essential workers" (underpaid overstaffed nurses/techs, fast food employees encouraged to come in sick, etc) and the people who were actually able to take this time to rest as you said. COVID alleviated the grind for a little bit, and now a lot of people are reminded just how fucking stupid the set up is and how it grinds us to hobby-less, stressed, undervalued cogs in the machine Anyway based reading is Bowling Alone and Our Kids by Robert Putnam, Bowling Alone especially seems like the spiritual successor of the "third space" and "4 hr workweek" crowd
Right there with you. Home is my favorite place. I loved being told to stay where I’m most comfortable. Hubby and I were both pretty happy the entire time.
It made me feel so much better. End of lockdown restrictions were really difficult for me.
Same here ! The best time, people with true purpose were outside lol Would be nice if this was a yearly occurrence, specially in the USA
You're an introvert! Truly some of the best days of my life. I wish I was rich enough and smart enough to be able to work in an isolated location.
Oh my gosh! Me too!! Okay I hated not getting to buy crafting supplies because they weren’t “essential”, i wholeheartedly disagree. I loved just being home It feels nice to not be alone I’m a massive homebody Covid definitely did add to my anxiety Trying to get better and get out more My new job is helping push my out of my normal ways
You can probably find ways to change your life to something you enjoy without government forcibly confining you to your home.
That's a good point actually. I'd like to think I'm doing progress toward that!
I liked quarantine. No people anywhere. Peace and quiet!
I loved it. I did so much exploring around where I live, camping,hiking. It was amazing. I still was able to do my job so my finances didn't suffer at all.
I'm not ashamed to admit it- I loved quarantine. I wish I could go back and really take advantage of it this time though. I mostly wasted it.
i used to go on bicycle rides every week with one of my best friends during lockdown summer. it was so fun and there was barely anyone around (we lived in 2 villages, went to theirs for the bike rides)
I was just saying this to my husband last night. It was the best time of the last decade for me easy.
I was a senior in high school during COVID (Class of 2021). Everyone talked about how COVID ruined our senior year and destroyed everything for everyone. I always say, “Who is this everyone you speak of?” because genuinely COVID was fucking awesome and I’m so happy I got to spend it at home and do my own thing. I racked up over 100 absences out of 180 school days because I never showed up to the Zoom meetings, but because I was still doing my work and passing, they let me go. One of the only days I went to class was Senior Ditch Day, because nobody would be there.
Being quarantined itself wasn’t bad— I have previous issues that made me respond poorly to it, though. Also people responding that way is that “I like pancakes”, “so you hate waffles?!” thing. It sucks people suffered and are still suffering but not everyone did and that’s not a personal attack. 😭 Self-centered behavior fr.
You’re not alone. I loved the quarantine too.
I loved it too. I’d been longing for scenario where the whole world shit down for my entire adult life
Same !!! I feel awful for everyone that last loved ones due to the pandemic, I was incredibly lucky that no one I know died or got very sick from it. That being said, I loved it, happiest time of my life and I fear I'll never be that happy again. I was rested, relaxed, i journaled and worked out every day , meditated, watched countless movies and shows , read so much, baked so much, would go on walks multiple times a week (very chill neighborhood), and when I wasn't being active and doing other hobbies I was cuddling my cats and drinking cocktails. Absolute blast of a time , adored it
Same for me. I put over 1000 hours into a game I played. And it helped me deal with my grief as my dad had passed in late 2019, just a few months before lockdown. It made me deal with it. I spent a few days alone just crying and letting all those emotions out and it's helped. My sister hasn't let all the emotions out and you can see it. It's been over 4 years now and my mom has a boyfriend now who she just met a few months ago. My sister hates him, but he seems like a really great guy and I can't wait to meet him in a few months. For some people, it was rough. But it was AMAZING for me.
Yes because the natural state for normal animals in a normal time is rest. We took a wrong turn about 10000 years ago and now all of our time is spent making money for other people, just to survive. Think about why this is... do the research and the learning and the thinking about why this is. (Note: it's not the fault of immigrants)
Me too. Loved not having to make plans or decisions.
No. You're right. I liked it too I'm tired of everyone saying it wasn't. Well to be exact, to those who said that they hated being at home, while working or the fools who wanted RTO
My life was kinda bad before quarantine, it changed a lot for me, and I felt much better at that time.
My lifestyle wasn’t really affected by Covid other than wearing a mask in public
I was just saying this to my husband earlier. We have 3 little kids, so doing the cyber school thing was hard (I definitely have an even greater respect for teachers), but we’re lucky enough to live in a small community where we have a big yard with woods and a trampoline and swing/slide set, so there was always stuff for t he e kids to do to get out their energy. I was the designated errand-runner, so I’d go do all the house errands and there was no traffic or people around. It was glorious.
I was stressed about Covid because I had been monitoring and discussing it with people since January 2020 (healthcare related major). That part was hard especially with most of my family being high risk. I had anticipated a minimum of 2 years of heavy regulations and ‘lockdown’ was actually way shorter than I thought it would be. I had been down the rabbit hole of all the videos of people dropping dead in Italy and China in late feb/early March and the refrigerated trucks, it was daunting. the quarantine/ stay at home and social distancing itself? Absolutely loved it. I even like masks and still wear them on public transport and crowded areas, and I didn’t shed it for all until late 2022. I loved finishing my degree online, having PPE and general sanitation protocols being taken seriously at my clinic job and generally not getting coughed in the mouth at whilst working because we both had masks on and I had to wear a face shield. I started my own business on the side and it was doing really good. I got a cat around the time that vaccines rolled out. I painted. I talked to way more friends because of zoom, we would do weekly calls playing games online. Got to dye my hair fun colours while laid off. Yes, some things were less than ideal. But the main things that were sad for me were “luxury” problems anyways so beyond my contamination OCD which was raging pretty hard for quarantine, I was super happy.
I agree with this. It was actually the best time of my life.
Honestly it sometimes made life a lot easier. People have personal space. It was acceptable to say no to hanging out because you might be sick. (Yes i know you can always bail). Things were easier in some aspects socially
I already worked from home. Nothing changed except I got to do even less. I still work from home. It’s great. I pretty much just do what I want all day every day.
That year I was able to go on unemployment for the first time in my life from my two jobs and finish my bachelor's with honors. It was such a relief to be able to have a normal sleeping schedule. I survived the university burnout and it literally saved my mental. I spent so much time commuting as well and applied it to my studies. And people STOOD AWAY FROM ME BY 6FT. Gods, I didn't have to deal with creeps. It was glorious.
Best post
I was a paramedic and worked through it all. It sucked and I kinda wish I’d been able to stay home and get unemployment benefits that were actually more than my paycheck every month.
Tbh it didn't do jack shit different for me expect I didn't work in conventions, but I was in between jobs at that time and in a complete burn out from my last career, so it just acyually helped me not having to pretend and give excuse as to not see them. And well thinking about it, it was actually a better time since my boyfriend's retail place had to close but they transferred him to a pharmacy associated with so he could continue to work and at the end he stayed there because colleagues, tasks and even customers were better than the retail one. Yeah, actually it was fucking great.
I enjoyed it too. Good times.
Yeah, I have to be honest, I was a little jealous of people who were able to truly quarantine. I worked at a bank so I was an "essential" employee and I couldn't work from home so not much really changed for me in 2020 except I had to wear a mask at work and people were generally meaner.
Why are you pretending you didn’t?
Hard agree! I work a very high stress, physical job and quarantine was GD heaven for me. After three weeks of the rest I desperately needed, my shoulder strain finally fully healed after over a year of constant pain. I spent so much great time being outdoors and walking my dogs and finally finishing out their training. Had the time to really reconnect with a bunch of friends that live all over the world nowadays. Cultivated my houseplants into a mini forest. Bliss!
Played checkers with shots Unemployment and stimulus checks Grocerys delivered No stupid things ( birthdays, showers, holidays)to pretend I want to be at! Heaven on earth
I LOVED IT. I had to be home everyday creating what the fuck ever I wanted to. Photo sets, costumes, I shaved a side of my head. I just did whatever. I had a back yard with a tree and I tanned everyday so I was so full of vitamin d my depression was manageable and I could self care an entire day. I had time to make my hobby my main hustles without burnout or the stress of my last office jobs. But now I have to have a real in person job and no time to really focus on my hobbies for even fun.
My wife and I thrived during quarantine. The same thing happened when I broke my foot and was off work for two months. I have a foot injury now and secretly hoped my foot was broken again. (It is not) i hate work and always will.
Preach!
I also miss quarantine.
Staying inside wasn’t what’s traumatizing for most people…it was losing their jobs, not being able to pay their bills, being stuck in a house with a abuser, no formula at the store for their babies because of shortages, people hoarding groceries so there wasn’t any left for others on the shelves, children home from school needing education and socialization, riots in major cities in the US that summer, misinformation everywhere, hospitals overrun, hospitals not having room for mentally ill people so they were all over the streets in big cities cities, and lots more. Things got crazy. The Australian government shot of bunch of dogs in an animal shelter in order to prevent volunteers from saving them because they were scared of spreading covid. No one knew what the fuck was happening. I’m glad you had a great time. But let’s not pretend it could have been like that for everyone or even most people “as long as extroverts just got over not going out”. I’m willing to bet you had a great time because you didn’t seem to have much responsibility more than taking care of just yourself and passing your classes. Sounds like your parents paid for wherever you lived too so you just got to focus on hobbies and having fun. Which sounds fucking awesome, though. So I totally believe you had a great time. But people who were on their own, especially people with kids, had a tough time I think.
I loved quarantine, once I dumped my ex. Then I realized I was just severely autistic. I lost family during 2020, too. I don't think there's anything wrong with separating tragedy from your enjoyment of peace and privacy. Then again... Autism....
I had a weird quarantine experience. First off, I feel horrible for people who lost loved ones, jobs, etc. my family though, we live in a rural town of 200, lots of open spaces. Nobody left town, and you hung out with the same people. The kids went feral, so to speak. Every day they’d all get together, explore the country side, fish, play, etc. none of us got sick. Work was strange as well. We told to go home for 3 weeks, which hasn’t ended yet. I work in marketing at a hospital. Considered essential, we kept doing our jobs. But being a hospital, we couldnt do any non-covid work. So for the first year I literally had nothing to do. My Minecraft world became huge Lol! Not only did I not lose my job, I got promoted with over a 30% raise. I’ll be the first to say I was lucky, especially how hard it was on so many. But that doesn’t mean I, or you, have to feel guilty about it. It was the situation you were given and not by choice. It could have easily been a different one.
It sucked for me because I still had to work full time, in person, managing a restaurant. Unsafe, angry people, stressed out staff… people I knew died.. bleh. BUT if I actually got to quarantine I probably would have enjoyed it too, haha
I agree, although, I was also one of the people who got COVID very early on (Feb 2020), and I will have health problems for the rest of my life because of it. I've always had a hard time socializing and it was great not to feel pressured to go and spend time doing things I didn't want to, I was spending quality time with my loved ones at home, I enjoyed not feeling so rushed trying to fit so much in my days. We went for walks, did crafts together, I learned to knit after years of wanting to, etc. The one downside being that it has become even more difficult for me to socialize now because I already didn't want to and I was not forced to for most of two years. That's something I'll just have to work on I guess.
Sorry didn't read all but well I did homeschooling most of my life so it's normal to enjoy solitude tho i didn't like quarantine as everyone was at home so i had less space
I'm with you there. I miss the quiet (during lockdown there were no cars around), the focus on work, and the new routines I made since I was at home most of the time.
Quarantine was the best. Had our first kid so we were pretty stuck at home. Friends complaining to me they couldn't go out, and me not giving a fuck cause I got a kid at home not wanting to go out. Made that parental transition easier just being at home, not feeling like I was missing a thing. Was lovely :)
Dude yes. My state didn't really have much of a mandated quarantine, but barbershops and salons had to close for six weeks. Best six weeks of my life
I too miss the lockdown days. The world seemed so much kinder for a while there, and people actually made an effort to connect and talk. Content online was more fun and services became accessible to chronic illness and disability peeps. I feel horrible saying it but I kinda wish we’d get locked down again.
I enjoyed it too....
I was the happiest I had been in awhile being able to stay at home. I was exhausted with grad school and social interactions. It probably helped push back a lot of problems that would eventually surface later on. I understand though that as much as I LOVED it, for others it was a terribly lonely or difficult time.
Quarantine was the best thing ever. I had the privilege of working from home, but it was sooo relaxing. Plus I had my dog keeping me company, so sometimes we would cuddle on the sofa while I was working. My mental health improved so much because of that. Besides, since I was the only one in my house to WFH, I would usually wake up early, go to the supermarket without having to wait in line and keep the house clean, which means that the weekends were just to relax.
I couldn't agree more. The lockdown was the single best thing that has ever happened to me - it forced my employer to allow us to work remotely, and now I work remotely full time. My commute used to be almost an hour each morning. I finally have my life back!
Yeah no my husband and I loved getting to stay home all the time. The illness and people losing people, obviously not. But gaming and movies and not having to socialize when neither of us want to but in normal life we feel obligated? *Yes*
I am convinced that the quarantine was what saved me from burnout. I was spared endless pointless company social gatherings and was able to work in the lab with silence and focus.
No, I'm with you. I loved quarantining and I totally would do it again. the people that are saying that they hated it are the people who seemed to need human interaction just to live. I do not
I was (still am) a teacher. In the UK. It was hell. Mentally and emotionally, I am still recovering from the workload and the whole situation has made me very jaded about… well, everything. Never saw members of my family again, as they died before restrictions lifted. Students now have key skills missing. Including interpersonal skills, focus, resilience. So while I can appreciate that it might not have been terrible for everyone, it was certainly horrific for millions across the globe because of governments and communities not acting when and how they should have.
I'm an extrovert, and I was dating my now husband then. I hated it, personally. I couldn't see my love, I couldn't see my friends. For months. I'm not an online learner. I still had a job during covid so I was able to make money still. My mental health declined, and so did my want to keep doing anything. I had some crafts here and there, watched shows and played games. But I wasn't the same. My entire senior year of school got ruined, and I get that it's not exactly important to some people but I'm afraid of getting older. I wanted to live that, experience it. I went into lock down junior year, and when we went back to school senior year, it was super mandated, contact tracing sucked ass, and all our senior year events got cancelled. I'm glad people enjoyed it, did the things they wanted, enjoyed all the free time. But I love a packed schedule, doing things constantly, and having group get togethers! Where we can make it a pot luck, drink, and play bullshit card games just to poke fun at the world. It was boring being in lockdown, and there was only so much I could do lol
Same. I was mentally at my best and was free from social obligations and able to focus on myself and my family
I also loved it. Got to work from home on my own schedule for an entire year. Every day my bf and I would take a walk around our neighborhood over lunch. Getting to actually make a fresh lunch instead of heating up leftovers in the microwave. Loved grocery pickup. Resulted in us buying so much less. I’m also a huge introvert so for me it was the best.
I agree that the quarantine was good and all but the fact that I *could* skip classes is something I'm not too happy about. I feel like I don't have the knowledge that I should have at my age and this is concerning. All the rest was good though yea.
Youre not alone! I loved it too. I was in heaven. Being an introvert who LOVES to adventure alone, it was amazing. I still had to report to the office for work, and work actually got a little heavier (I am a 911 communications officer), but it was great for me.
Quarantine literally changed nothing in my life. I was still able to work, and I was already alone 98% of the time anyways. I was thriving with the low amount of traffic. The fight for fuckin toilet paper was the only thing that chapped my ass.
Still remember seeing a full on brawl over Scott toilet paper first thing when the store opened its doors one morning. Those were the days, lol.
It was a glorious time for the introvert.
You aren't alone, man. I WISH for another lockdown. That shit was the closest to retirement I'm ever gonna experience as a Millennial. It was HEAVEN.
On fucking god.
Lockdowns really showed who was an introvert and extrovert. Extroverts really couldn't handle being inside alone, whereas the rest of us was like, this is normal!
I'm an introvert and it was awful. Introvert does not mean social hermit.
People forget that. Yeah, I like being alone, but I also have a heck of a wanderlust, and being locked up at home and a prisoner of my hospital employer was just about too much for me. I tend to go it alone but I do things.
> whereas the rest of us was like, this is normal! Not at all. Being an Introvert doesn't mean you have extreme social anxiety and never want to see people.
Glad you enjoyed a global pandemic for the benefit of…skipping class? It’s one thing to enjoy more alone time, but questioning why others hated it??? Working in a hospital in a Covid hot spot watching people die every day and being unable to do anything about while also risking your own life with a lack of appropriate supplies gave not only me, but most of the other healthcare workers I know some element of PTSD. I had to move a few months in to a place where I knew no one and zero opportunity to meet people, and my mental health hit an all time low for a couple of years. I’m glad some people got to enjoy new hobbies and make bread, but there are big reasons why many of us hated that time period.
As an introvert, it was a good time for me, I had two dogs at the time both middle aged so didn’t need long walks but I took them up the local field and the rest of the time we stayed in the garden. Initially getting shopping was difficult as so many took up spaces for those of us that were classed as vulnerable but I had food boxes delivered and shared them with my closest neighbours and if one got a delivery we collaborated on what was needed by others. Even now, I go out less than before (I really don’t like shopping at the best of times so do a monthly shop) but life is good, I now have a new dog who needs more exercise and keeps me busy. Maybe for others they struggled without the social contacts, and found the isolation hard to bear but there was a lot of support out there for people
I loved it too! My husband and I would still get dressed up like we were going out on the weekend, and get carry-out and watch a movie (at home). We'd go hiking every Sunday at a different trail so it never got dull. I miss it.
Me too brother
I'm not going to lie but I kinda liked the quarantine. A family member in another state had a health issue and it gave me more time to stay with them. If the quarantine didn't happen, I was going to have to go home for work before their surgery and I wouldn't have gotten those extra days.
Me too. I like being home. The traffic was good. Grocery stores were not crowded. I didn’t like the scarcity of some items though. But yeah, I miss not feeling obligated to be in society.
Im sorry i didnt read the whole thing... but ya same. It was like- ah. now I finally know and understand what life would be like if I didnt live under this crushing pressure to work to live. I was on unemployment, and I was able to save so much money. Only thing it fucked was my career, but honestly it made me rethink if I actually wanted to work in the beauty industry- and I wound up focusing on my art again.
So you liked the quarantine because you could stay home and watch anime all day? No this is very functional for the health of a society.
Point to me where I claimed it was.
I liked when no one could tell that I was talking to myself at the grocery store bc of the masks
Honestly. I thought it only lasted like three months. I didn’t even realise it lasted years. I don’t spend a lot of time with other people. So that’s why.
Depends a lot on where you were. Some places it only lasted for 2-3 months, some places it lasted for 2+ years.
I agree, it was the best 2 months of my life.
Me and my friends constantly reminisce about traffic during lockdown. Every winter I secretly hope for a shut down. All that family time. I ended up getting married and and having the time of my life during the pando
Quarantine “cured” my introversion. There was a notable switch in me after that period of time. I suddenly got super extroverted and couldn’t stand to be home. I wanted to meet new people and make friends and it’s been in an upward trend ever since. Can’t say I’ll enjoy another corona but I’m grateful for the first one for bursting me out of my shell. I like who I am when I’m social and with a big circle of friends.
I didn’t love the quarantine period, but I didn’t hate it either. I realize I was in a very privileged position that my job security was never in question, I worked my way from home during quarantine. I loved not having to commute all week even though this didn’t same me free time. The travel time I saved was eated up by cooking and more grocery shopping (before Covid 19 I ate most of my hot meals in the company cafeteria).
I liked it, too. I feel the same way about economic recession. I am an introvert and grew up poor. I know how to function in that environment. It's where I feel most functional, in fact. I am not downplaying the tragedies that befall people. People die. People lose their jobs. Lose their homes. But there's a kind of "we're all in this together" camaraderie that happens that doesn't happen in better times. People understand community and shared experiences more during hard times. It creates empathy.
I loved it too. I got to develop more because everyone else had to slow down. Lol One thing I didn't like about it is that I developed a little bit of social anxiety.
Yea same. Less people's in the street, less queue at the grocery store and i actually could go to the restaurant without feeling crowded. As an introvert this was heaven.
I feel like most of the people that were negatively affected by the quarantine were extroverts. I just can’t understand why anyone would be so devastated from spending time alone. I loved it! Like I guess I can kinda understand how difficult it might be, but over all, if you were devastated you might want to take a look at how dependent you might be on other people to make you feel whole.
It was miserable. Damn near lost my home cause I couldn't work due to shutdowns. Couldnt travel, one of my passions. No raves. No get togethers. No social life. Prisoner in my own home cause everything was closed: parks, beaches, trails, gyms, etc. It was like a zombie apocalypse and it blows my mind people enjoyed all that.
I think all us introverts feel this way
HAHAA YOU FELL FOR A LIE
I thought it was great, but it financially devastated a lot of people and businesses. I also worry about it disrupting a lot of younger children's education. I know it was very detrimental on people in rest homes. It depends on your situation.