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As a cyclist it was fantastic, loads of car free roads to ride about on. Plus, the weather was amazing. Most tanned I've been in years.
Personally I loved it.
I worked reduced hours which gave me every afternoon off. I lost a shedload of weight, completed C25K for the first time, got a lot fitter and rode my bike locally. A lot. The quiet roads were great, but I could see them getting busier week on week as time progressed to the point I wasn't prepared to use them any more long before lockdown officially finished.
I actually got more riding and running in during lockdown than I have since, but the weather is partially responsible for that.
I missed riding with my mates and missed riding at my regular haunts even more, but I think I've made up for that now.
My wife was furloughed on full pay and she got loads done in the house and garden, even managing to get an actual tan for the first time in her life!
I don't like pubs, or people for that matter, so didn't miss the forced "nice" evenings out. I only returned to the pub this weekend, post ride, with one of mates and it's as grim as I remember. Fortunately, my wife is very CV19 cautious and currently has no desire to go out in the evenings so I'll be able to escape it for a while longer.
I am glad the gyms have re-opened though.
Overall, it was great.
No expectation to attend social gatherings or to spend loads of cash on eating out in restaurants with food less good than we can make at home, no weekends blocked off to fun stuff because you have to go out on Sat eve.
Loads of time for walking the dog in the countryside next to where we live, loads of time in the Garden reading and pottering about. WFH throughout so had mental stimulation & wages coming in too. Learn't how to make really good home brew beer.
Spent way less money on general life admin. One tank of fuel lasted 3 months, not one week. Managed to spend more on upgrades on the boat which add value - We can now be self sufficient off grid for a few weeks at a time comfortably.
Road noise way down, bird song volume turned up. More wildlife. Work meetings were shorter and more efficient - no 1 or 2 hour drive to drive each way meeting so less impetus to drag it out.
Only thing I missed during lockdown was getting away on the boat / up mountains watching sunset. However since boat launched been away every weekend since.
As a couple we spent loads of time together, made delicious food and generally enjoyed spending time together. Made us really focus on what was important in our lives and shape our wee bubble to how we want to live our lives...
Overall work life balance and quality of life improved massively.
Down side is I can't wait to retire now but only mid thirties so long push still to go.
yeah this was a massive, unexpected benefit. Not that I do exactly the same, but without having ANY plans at all for months it made it very easy to live mindfully i.e. just day to day.I found it good in that I could relax and go with the flow of doing very little. I normally spend all my waking hours making holiday plans and trying to work out the best days to go skiing, climbing, kayaking. When and where.
I actually found lockdown a massive relief when it came as I was starting to get pretty worried about coronavirus & the fact that the government weren't actually doing anything about it!!
dick comment as coronavirus has happened, can't change that... obviously no-one is saying that's a good thing - but without lockdown many, many more were predicted to have died so that is one obvious benefit 🙄Err kind of, might have been better if 40,000 people weren’t dead, millions lost their jobs and the economy pooped into the gutter though eh?
no change here in Sweden. Still working from home mind, much better
I barley saw the MIL for about three months, it was bliss.
So, what we’re saying is that people who enjoyed ‘lockdown’ the most, are the ones that got out and about whilst everyone else was staying at home?
Who’s looking forward to a second wave then?
Personal benefits:
-forced my work into WFH, long may it continue
-the two places I used to have to pay cash, have been pushed into taking contactless or online prepayment.
-lost 8 kilos, which I attribute to the time when you could only go out once a day. It forced me to go out (run walk or bike) even if I didnt feel like it, or the weather was bad; as there was no way to promise yourself to go out twice the next day.
Everything else awful. Ruined what was planned to be a great summer, economy in the toilet, no job security especially reading the doommongers on here telling me I'll be part time on minimum wage with no holiday before christmas.
it helped reset things a little in my house. We spent our lives chasing kids to activities, music lessons, sports etc. Instead of that we spent time as a family and that was very, very good.
Good and bad.
Discovered loads of new trails to run and to ride, meaning I'm fitter than I've ever been.
But, no races to really use that fitness.
Working from home gives me more time and flexibility on the hours I work.
But, no interaction and no real management in this time has been a real challenge for my motivation levels.
No bars and restaurants being open at the start really helped me save money.
But, I missed going out to eat and drink.
Loads of spare time mean the garden has never looked better and I feel I've really appreciated the seasons more.
But, there's definitely been a few days when there's been far to many hours in the day.
A few people I know, including myself and Mrs Lunge have had it and not really been hit very hard at all.
But, Mrs Lunge still hasn't got her taste back after 5 months and so she's less inclined to go to out and eat at the moment!
No, I just didn't.
There were some benefits:
The quiet roads at the start meant I was happy riding around our little estate with my Daughter, taking a wobbly 5 (now 6) year old on the roads was unthinkable before. She's come on so much with her riding and we spent a lot of fun time together. It was shit for my relationship with my teenage son though, I hadn't realised but it was strained before lock-down, but we hated each other by the end of it, there's nothing like being stuck in a small house to realise you can't stand to be in the same room as someone, even if you love them. Thank God we're working on it now.
I worked throughout, so when I had to travel it was nice having the roads to myself, driving 6 junctions of the M4 without seeing another vehicle one day was really '28 days later' errie though. I've been though the ringer with WFH, wanted to do more of it pre-lockdown, hated it during lock down, partly because of trying to work in a busy house, partly because I couldn't escape it out of hours. Would quite like to do it again, but with more room and less noise.
Most of the time I was just too stressed and scared to enjoy anything. I rode a bit more, but I couldn't switch off like a usually do, COVID was my first thought when I woke and my last before I finally fell asleep and it stayed with me most of the day.
As things eased a little I had to stop myself spending time on STW, and completely out of the Covid thread, it's just a put of worry and misery, I don't know what it is about STW but, but when it comes to big news stories 'we're' not only glass half empty types, it's a cracked and dirty glass. If you chose to follow that thread and took most of the 'agreed points' as fact, we'd be in our 3rd or 4th wave by now, 2 million dead etc. I'm sure someone will now tell me the worst is still yet to come, but to protect what's left of my mind, I'll ignore it in favour of my wife's NHS briefings.
Now I've thought about it, the biggest and only real benefit has been the realisation of just how good my life is. I'm very, very lucky (it's been 90% luck and 10% work I reckon). Despite being a dick for not wanting to socialise with people, turns out, I bloody love it. Despite moaning about the cost of holidays to my wife, and how they're a waste of time, I bloody love them. Despite hating crowds, I love to see people out and about, as long as I can have a little bit of personal space.
It feels like my possessions are starting to become my captor and the more we beautify our home the more of a comfortable prison we're making. My Wife is younger than me and still 100% going down the 'home improvements' road, despite only living in our place for 9 months, she's already looking at the next house, it's just 'a dream' at the moment, but I'm sure it will attempt the leap into reality within a few years, I can't think of anything worse at the moment.
I've eaten out and been to the pub more frequently in the last month than I usually do in 'normal times' again, whilst the papers and STW is full of stories of idiots, and there's plenty to choose from, most people just want to have something nice to eat and drink and sit with someone from home.
I intend to get out a lot more as it becomes sensible to do so.
So, what we’re saying is that people who enjoyed ‘lockdown’ the most, are the ones that got out and about whilst everyone else was staying at home?
Who’s looking forward to a second wave then?
Not necessarily.
I followed all the rules: max one piece of exercise a day; shop only when you have to; keep distance from people.
I was also an early mask adopter.
I was working 1-2 days a week in school with vulnerable/key worker kids, and then at home setting/checking online work in the mornings. But the days I wasn't in school I was done with work by 11.30-12.
My wife was furloughed from her job as a pre-school assistant, so took on board most of the home schooling for our 6 year old.
So I got lots of family time. Got to go for a local bike ride at least every other day. Took daughters for walks in woods on non-cycling days. Did a lot of gardening. But still did my bit for society 😉 and was as safe as I could be re the lockdown rules.
Yes.
No 3 hours spent commuting each day.
Work/life balance gone through the roof (more riding/more time with wife and kids/ability to get out for a decent walk with the dog each day etc)
Not seeing many people - I generally dislike other people (see the "are we still following covid guidance" thread for prime examples of why)
Time to reflect and re-assess stuff which has led to life changes
Bad stuff? Not seeing as much of my friends. Been riding with mates 3 times I think in 6 months. Solo riding the rest of the time (enjoy solo riding so not too fussed about that).
I can really understand how it has been a terrible experience for some, but for us it has been wonderful.
Wife started maternity leave late April with the kid born late May, I have been WFH throughout and we have really spent some quality time together this year. Lots of time with the new baby that I would really have struggled to have if I had have been commuting every day. To be able to be there all day every day to help, support and join in has been absolutely priceless.
It had been difficult not seeing some family and friends, but in some ways it took the stress out of it as we did not have a constant stream of visitors to see the baby for the first few months. No expectations to be anywhere or host. Bliss.
As things have eased we have now begun to introduce the baby on our own terms and timelines with less of a rush to see everyone quickly.
Lots of riding and walking. Can't think of many places I'd rather have been confined to than The Surrey Hills.
A planned house sale fell through twice in the lockdown, but it all went through as soon as things eased. The mini boom from people moving out of London has meant that we received over asking price on the new sale, plus the temporary stamp duty changes have helped with our purchase. We were stretching ourselves a bit with the purchase and this extra money has really helped, given us an extra buffer through any further uncertainty and it will also allow us a bit more time before my wife will need to rush back to work after paid maternity leave finishes.
Thankfully nobody we know has been particularity ill from the virus, and most people have managed to maintain some level of income. I know that this has not been the same for everyone, and we do feel very fortunate. Almost feels like we are in a bubble.
Wasn't that different to pre lockdown (live in a quiet village) so main plus was working at home which I love and being able to cycle more (going out for an hour in the day for lunch).
The social distancing is also a plus as I don't like being close to people.
I can however see why it would be awful for many who were socially active, had many friends etc,.
Yes and No.
Enjoyed not having to travel 2 hours each way to work, enjoyed getting out on my bike, was thankful for the weather. Didn't enjoy WFH, I was a operations manager for a healthcare co, and not only were we hit by COVID, the organisation (in the beginning at least) became paranoid and "performance and productivity" driven in a way that it both didn't need to be and alienated a large percentage of the workforce, who were already pretty stressed; myself included. I've subsequently resigned. Didn't enjoy the fact that I couldn't see my partner, my children, my parents, or my friends. I live alone and reasonably remotely, and at times it was pretty bloody challenging. I know to many of you that sounds idyllic, but for me it wasn't.
Working in healthcare, I've lost some colleagues to COVID from around the world. I'm looking to go back to front line healthcare partly as I felt I wasn't contributing the way I can, and probably should. This also didn't help my mental state. The amount of times our govt has ****ed things up really should mean that some people should be facing prison for their lying and shirking of their responsibility. That they won't, and indeed will probably profit from it makes me nauseous.
If I hadn't spent the entire time recovering from COVID I think I would have loved it.
As it is, I've spent my weekdays doing 40 hours a week in the spare room, and my weekends largely in bed trying to get over the week's work.
I do miss the pub a bit.
but for us it has been wonderful.
I know all of you who're posting how lovely it was are not monsters, and for many folk who haven't been touched by this it's no doubt seemed like a welcome break from your busy and stressful lives, and to many aspies, and introverts, it's probably felt like welcome relief from the stress you go through daily.
For some folk, this has been a literal waking nightmare of Hollywood-esque proportions, please pause for just a sec and think about what you're writing...
please pause for just a sec and think about what you’re writing…
You do know the thread title is "Did anyone else actually enjoy the lockdown restrictions?"
please pause for just a sec and think about what you’re writing…
People are writing honestly about their personal experience. They are also writing about their response to "lockdown restrictions", not to the pandemic. The fact that people had vastly different experiences is quite interesting and something we all need to think about.
Agree with Nickc, crowing about what a nice time you’ve been having whilst people are losing jobs & dying, whilst others are in a living hell is somewhat distasteful, IMO.
I’m not saying you can’t have a nice time, or should feel guilty, just maybe not rub others faces in it.
Sure I get that, I'm not looking to start a fight. Cougar has often written about the fact that the "millennial bug" seemed like a non-event for loads of folk...because loads of other folk put in huge amounts of time to make sure it wasn't...I get that many folk have enjoyed the time that restriction have imposed, many folk haven't, that's all.
just maybe not rub others faces in it.
No one is, it's on a thread specifically about people who enjoyed it. If you had a shit time, you can just chose not to read this thread!
many folk haven’t, that’s all.
40k plus are dead, doesn't change the fact that personally it was the best road riding conditions in my lifetime...
For some folk, this has been a literal waking nightmare of Hollywood-esque proportions, please pause for just a sec and think about what you’re writing…
Ah Dude, it cost us more than some/most. I lost my FIL to Covid and my Wife is an NHS nurse so it's been professionally and personally possibly the hardest time of her life, but it's okay to talk about the everyday stuff, we certainly do at home.
I do get a feeling of guilt that I've had a pretty easy lockdown. Me and a load of colleagues were made redundant just before CV19 and we all got into various new things.
But
Basically on the flip of a coin I chose something that got me through lockdown unscathed. Other ex colleagues got the other side and have been chucked on the long term unemployed heap AND been directly impacted by the virus.
I know I could easily be in the same position and its not through skill that I avoided it. So I do feel a bit funny about saying I enjoyed any of it, feels a bit like saying I had a nice cruise in a lifeboat off the titanic.
Huge benefits for me. Mrs Scape is a teacher. She was on reduced hours, going in a couple of times a week on a rota basis to look after the essential attendees, and a good proportion of the time at home sorting out the food vouchers and what have you for the vulnerable kids and their parents.
Son came home from Uni and spent hour after hour finishing off his dissertation then completing his final assignments in lieu of exams. Finished with a good degree, so all's well there. Daughter had to abandon her PGCE but had done enough to secure a good solid pass anyway. Both were able to concentrate on job hunting, although son had already been head-hunted during his placement, and daughter has started her dream job today.
It was very disappointing for them that their final year at Uni was a damp squib, but selfishly I really enjoyed and treasured the extra time they spent here at home. It also meant they were able to start their careers without the extra debt that a final term and summer holiday would have incurred.
I spent the whole of lockdown concentrating on music. I'm in two choirs, and every week recorded my parts for an online service that was being broadcast online for one choir. The other choir organised Zoom rehearsals and between the accompanist and three or four of us we have recorded most of our repertoire part by part to then be sent out for the rest of the choir to learn and record individually. The individual recordings have been mixed to create a record of lockdown, together with a scrapbook of photos and pen-pictures of what all thirty of us have done during lockdown. That's been a massive learning curve for me; learning other parts (I normally sing bass, but we needed baritone parts as well) and working with recording software and gadgetry to make sure they were of highest quality.
I also learnt the bass using the free online Fender lessons. I already played six-string, and had always wanted an excuse to play the bass. An eBay bargain P-Bass which needed loads of new bits was the first project, but I loved it so much I sold one of my redundant bikes and treated myself to a Fender Jazz bass to see what all the fuss was about!
The throngs of eejits crowding all my usual dog-walking haunts has made me explore new routes, and the bliss of two hours out with the hounds every single day with other members of the family will remain an idyllic memory of 2020.
Oh, and I've lost 2 1/2 stone, so the benefits keep adding up!
I am one of the lucky ones and it has been a brilliant year because of the changes, mostly as the OP puts it.
I have a big garden, summerhouse for working from home, caravan in the garden for a couple of nights a week that felt like a holiday but to some extent that is a trade off we made years ago when we bought a smaller house with these benefits. I have been really fortunate working in an industry that has been able to keep going and I am very thankful of this
Family have all been together more. I have learned to love the area where I live more than I thought possible. We have had holidays since the easing but I would have happily stayed home.
The reduced traveling has been brilliant. My increased walking and biking has been great and the weather was awesome.
Main downside is seeing less of family
please pause for just a sec and think about what you’re writing
I did. And still stand by my statement that for me and many others it has been wonderful. I know that for many, many others it has been far from wonderful, but this thread is about the positives of lockdown restrictions.
It was wonderful that we spent the last couple of months of her pregnancy together instead of me being at work.
It was wonderful that I was able to spend all day around my wife to support her after a tough labour.
It was wonderful that I was around for when the baby first recognised me and smiled, which was in a time when I'd usualy be in the office.
It has been wonderful to have additional time together as a family in our home area without the usual commitments.
Yes, for some people life has not been wonderful but why begrudge others who have seen joy throughout this generally crap time?
Maybe I'll tell the baby to hold off from smiling until the virus passes.
but this thread is about the positives of lockdown restrictions.
Quite right. Also, we can still have a lot of those things post covid. Hopefully this forced change has given people a glimpse of a different life and may encourage some positive changes. More WFH, less commuting, less driving, staying local, more time with family. I'm not sure it will, though, as we race back to the old normal.
What do people mean when they say they have not been able to see friends and family? Not arguing, genuinely asking because it was only the beginning of lockdown that said we couldn't physically go and see people. We have been able to go and meet people outside for about 4 months haven't we?
What do people mean when they say they have not been able to see friends and family?
Think it varied around the four nations. But while we can see friends, family, grandparents, we aren't supposed to be within 2 metres of them, not quite the same
What do people mean when they say they have not been able to see friends and family?
Some family members are shielding so visits are quite restricted, we are following the rules well so it has not been four months. My brother lives too far away to not involve a stay over and we are not happy to do this. It is different and more restricted if you are doing the right thing
Agree with Nickc, crowing about what a nice time you’ve been having whilst people are losing jobs & dying, whilst others are in a living hell is somewhat distasteful, IMO.
As unfortunate as it is, it's an every day occurrence Tom & Nick. Right now more men are dying of cancer per day than anybody of Coronavirus in England. People are dying everyday, should we all stop talking of good things?
For me mixed. Not having to get up at 5am every day and travel around the UK then being late home was great. Kids at home and homeschooling was tough, with Mrs K's furlough and redundancy mitigating that a little as she took over / didn't have to work. We saved enough money so we can get through Jnr starting secondary next week before she looks for a job in October. Financially things aren't great with 50% of my wages coming from commissions.
Anxiety wise I got affected by COVID/the food issues and was bordering on panic for a while at the beginning. Work feels more invasive on family time than usual. Like Lunge I never missed a training session and ended up very fit, although realised I'd conformed to the shape of my home office chair during Sundays race. Because of the anxiety I need time away and although we found time to go to Norfolk, I wasn't able to forget about work. Because of all of that though I'be got more mental and professional advice from here which is great.
Above all this period of time has increased my desire to retire a little away from people so I can enjoy the sanctuary of piece and quiet with myself and my favourite beverage.
So, what we’re saying is that people who enjoyed ‘lockdown’ the most, are the ones that got out and about whilst everyone else was staying at home?
Who’s looking forward to a second wave then?
No, I stuck to the rules. Being able to get out once a day for excersice meant much more excersice than usual. Before Covid I'd drive to work, have no proper lunch break,drive home, then no time to ride. Other than the odd mid week ride. Working from home meant I could stick to a schedule and actually go outside for a lunch ride. Or ride afterwork instead of driving home.
Yes, for some people life has not been wonderful but why begrudge others who have seen joy throughout this generally crap time?
I honestly don't begrudge you your happiness, I really don't, and in fact quite the opposite, I'm thankful that many people have managed to make the most of it, and reconnect with the people they love, or managed to "hide" away without feeling stigmatised. But for lots of folk it's been properly shit. Just take a moment in your happiness to think on the folk less fortunate than yourself..
As unfortunate as it is, it’s an every day occurrence Tom & Nick. Right now more men are dying of cancer per day than anybody of Coronavirus in England. People are dying everyday, should we all stop talking of good things?
You'll have to shout he can't hear you over the self flagellation...
Just take a moment in your happiness to think on the folk less fortunate than yourself..
You're assuming that people posting here aren't already doing that. These aren't mutually exclusive concepts.
Is a little bit of positivity such a bad thing when so much of everything else is so depressingly shit at the moment? No-one is going "yay coronavirus, bring on the next pandemic, this is awesome!" but rather simply trying to find some small reasons to be cheerful in the face of a global disaster.
As unfortunate as it is, it’s an every day occurrence Tom & Nick. Right now more men are dying of cancer per day than anybody of Coronavirus in England. People are dying everyday, should we all stop talking of good things?
That's a bit of false equivalence - no one that I'm aware of is crowing about how all these cancer deaths and cancer lockdown is really helping them focus on their gardening and they've never found it so easy to go for a ride because the cancer crisis is really culling the traffic.
I've certainly tried to enjoy lockdown as much as possible and done plenty of cool stuff. I just can't separate the great big massive catastrophe from the fun bits when I reflect back. That's my feeling on it - others do feel differently and that's great.
Loved it, made me realise how much stuff I do and spend money on that I don't actually enjoy that much. Only thing I really missed was playing football and I'm still missing squash. Weird how (in my experience) not being able to interact with each other normally created a sense of community I haven't experienced in my life time. Hope we learn from it, I doubt we will though.
I had a large planned operation to break and realign my tibia/fibia just before lockdown, a couple of days before they stopped all routine surgery.
So for me it was ideal, it allowed me to wfh the whole time and I didn't miss out on anything for the months that I was housebound.
Some friends have been hit hard by covid though, both physically and financially and I really feel for them, several are facing redundancy and one uncle ended up in an ICU for two weeks. Others have had the time of their lives, mountain biking every day on their local tracks while furloughed, and a couple of dodgier individuals I know have been working while furloughed for effectively double pay. I know that they've (rightly) been reported and I'll be intrigued to see if they get their comeuppance.
Mixed bag for us really, having to cram work into a morning and then do homeschooling and meals in the afternoon/ evening while Mrs ed worked wasn't great and it made the kids scratchy but going to the park and messing about was great as was the quiet residential. Although ironically I'm less fit because I wasn't riding in and out of work and the lack of spare time meant few bike rides. I'm not complaining thought, we're not Ill or skint.
You say “did” like the restrictions were over & done with, they’re not. Not here, anyway
very mixed. I was off work for 4 months (back now). I love work and what I do (since a career change at begining of year), and it definitely keeps me sane, an dI love being out and about which is what my job entails. I worked from home for 10 years, it literally made me ill.
But - I achieved loads in lockdown - cycled more than I had done for many years, complete refit of the bathroom (learning some plumbing along the way!), laid new flooring, built a shed, put up new garden fencing, built a bike, restored lots of things (including another bike), lost a stone in weight, finished a couple of games, several books, list goes on really. I'm pleased I didn't waste the unique opportunity.
But...havign been back to work I don't look back at it fondly at all, it was just a thing, I would definitely take what I am doing now over that. Maybe I am weird.
By far the worst thing was being stuck in the house with 3 young 'adults' marooned from universities - never do I want to go through that again.
Quiet roads was just a curiosity, nice, but I knew it was very temporary so didnt get excited about it. When things relaxed I went sailing on an absolultely deserted norfolk broads though ( usually rammed with tourists), and that was brilliant and probably a one off - it was stunningly beautfiul.
Did anyone else actually enjoy the lockdown restrictions?
I enjoyed it to some extend until I ran out fresh fruits, bread, butter and milk.
I ended up making Afghan bread (flour, salt and water mixed) everyday with curry sauce.