It seems most people I know hated the restrictions but I really enjoyed it. I’d go as far as saying this spring and summer have been some of the best few months of my life. I was lucky to be employed and work from home. Yes there were a few things cancelled that I really missed but the things that really made it for me:

Working from home – much more productive and less stress.

More time to ride – doubled my mileage and just had more time. Less rushed to fit an hour in here and there.

Evenings were quiet – no drunk people out and about at night.

Roads were quieter – less of the drive fast brigade out and about.

Places were much less crowded – loved this! Just loved it!

We stuck to the restrictions (still are) and found it had a positive impact on our mental health. No rushing. No crowds. More time. Etc. Didn’t get bored at all.

Am I alone with this?

No, not alone.
Quiet roads and trails, quiet street, lots of family time, lots of bike rides and walks, lots of gardening/veggie growing.
It was very pleasant in the main.

We’ll….

It’s made me a bit naughty. I’ve got used to riding footpaths and discovered some great places by doing so.

I’m inclined to carry on riding them observing Rule 1 of course.👍

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?

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.

It drives my missus mad and stresses me out too.

For most of the last five months I’ve just chilled and gone for long cycle rides. No need to stress whether it’s worth driving from Manc to the Coe to catch once in a lifetime powder or whatever.

I think that by the end, having to enforce a noon curfew for beer and letting my lad put vodka on his cornflakes at breakfast probably wasn’t a good thing.

thestabiliser
Member
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?

Just to be clear, if you have read any of my posts regarding anything Covid you’ll see how seriously I take this. I know from your posts that you do, too.

I think the op is just trying to find a single atom of a silver Lining in what has been a terrible/ tragic year for so many.

Lock DOWN, Darcy not lock IN!

@poopscoop yeah I know and I can relate to it, we’ve been stuck on our hill enjoying the sunshine and walks but for millions it’s been dog shit, hence when the lid gets lifted they go nuts (live in the lakes and it’s been mental) I’d still rather it’d never happened.

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?

But people dutifully obeying the lockdown restrictions didn’t cause that did they? Would it have stopped any of that if they were miserable rather than happy whilst they stayed at home?

Plenty were I know, anxiety, mental health conditions, domestic violence spiralled, so if some people did manage to find positives during lockdown I’d take that as good thing rather than a reason to make sarccy comments at them?

Lock DOWN, Darcy not lock IN!

😃

Between catching Covid (my better half rather seriously), internet shopping beyond normal Xmas levels making work a nightmare all summer and then long term after effects as regards trying to get back some cycling fitness…

Definitely not!

I think that by the end of the first week, having to enforce a noon curfew for beer and letting my lad put vodka on his cornflakes at breakfast probably wasn’t a good thing.

FTFY

Some positives for me, I’m a careworker so kept working right throughout the lockdown. Roads were very quiet in fact deserted. Lots of wildlife about due in part to the lack of traffic. I really valued my hour of exercise.
Downside really missed my girlfriend.

It’s been an incredibly stressful few months in some respects, juggling teaching 2 cooped up primary kids and trying to hold down a tough job with stressed teams, but…

The wife and I both said that it’s been a strange luxury to focus so indulgently and intensely on our little family for so long.

I loved it. It was my only ever glimpse of what life would be like if I didn’t have to work for a living.

Now I’m back at work, all alone in a giant empty building. It’s shit.

The riding was good, although I can’t help but think the perfect weather for most of the lockdown period had something to do with that.

But overall, not particularly enjoyable.

There was a meme doing the rounds a little while back that went something like “Introverts! Check on your extrovert friends! They’re not OK with this!” and jokes aside I think it was pretty on point. It’s been great for some people and horrific for others.

I’m happy in my own skin. I don’t particularly miss going into an office (though I worked from home prior to all this anyway) and social engagements via t’Internet suits me just fine. Outside of my friends circle I don’t enjoy talking to people vocally and I avoid it wherever possible, I’ve got better as I’ve got older but I’m just not very good at it. If some good comes out of this mess like people no longer needing to do two hour commutes every day for no other reason “we’ve always it this way” then that’s a positive (and yes, of course I wish it was under better circumstances).

Meanwhile, I have team mates who aren’t coping. One rings me up periodically and I’m convinced he’s just lonely, he’ll keep me on the phone for like an hour and he has nothing to say. I feel for him, if you’re wired that way it must be terrible.

Deleted for the good of the thread (possibly)

I learned to make pretty damn good sourdough which has been great. My mum got to spend lots of time with my baby/her grandson as we were all isolating together which has been really lovely.

Otherwise, not great tbh. I hate phone calls/zoom calls so been pretty isolated, and older kids not being at school for months has been tough. Too much time on the internet reading bad news, my whole summer of work cancelled.

Loved it, not ashamed to say it and nor will I be made To feel guilty for loving it. Quiet roads, no people, plenty wildlife, saw spring. Worked throughout, nursed wife through furlough who suffered mentally with going from full on to stop. Life is what you make it, now got a broken leg and joked to wife that it’s like lockdown without the exercise.

Mixed bag TBH.

Some of the pointless opportunist restrictions adopted by businesses have ranged from irksome to taking the piss. Seen some arsehole behaviour in places not usually inhabited by said arseholes.

If only the lower levels of traffic and less crowding (not the shit nightclub queuing up) was permanent that would be great!

Did I miss all of the family 😀

Quite roads, work not as busy, glorious weather. However, didn’t see my parents for 6 months unless dropping food parcels off then only from a distance, work was dull boring it effected my mental state as spent too long on my own, I was working so couldn’t enjoy the weather as much as those ‘shielding’ or on furlough, couldn’t visit food haunts or trips away. It was shit.

We had a stressful start to the lockdown, but after a few weeks I was loving it. Looking back at photos and it seems so surreal now.

Had a new baby in the first week, followed by lots of hospital visits amid all the restrictions. Meanwhile my business went from stressful to very very very stressful to shut, which was nothing but a huge relief.

Then we just settled into a very idyllic routine of lazy mornings, dog walks, bike rides, gardening, cooking… My eldest daughter is pre-school age and I absolutely loved having so much time with her.

I did get occasional anxiety though, due to watching too much news and the uncertainty about what the next year will bring. And a feeling of guilt that I couldn’t shift, about not working, not doing my bit (seeing all these selfless acts everyone else seemed to be doing) and just generally feeling very very lucky and privileged with my lot in life.

Not at all, have been stuck at work overseas since mid February and probably will not make it back until end of October due to flight restrictions. It’s been work and sleep for over 6 months now.

A real mixed bag here. I’m definitely on the lucky side of things – I kept working and family got through OK. I enjoyed the increased time at home and doing loads of small things with the kids through the nice weather. Also more time to cook properly every day.

A lot of stress came through trying to sell our house, which fell through due to CV19. Trying to work from home with young kids is bloody hard work. I support w@h in general but 5 days a week, week in week out with young kids (no school or childcare) is very, very demanding. Also one of the kids is in and out of hospital for non CV19 related stuff and that was all knocked out with a significant impact on us.

So all in I have some nice memories and made the best of it, but not something I’ll reflect on fondly.

I loved the quiet roads and fewer people about. Only did the work from home thing for a couple of weeks though. Not enjoying the fact that I seem to have had the virus back in early April and I’m still suffering now. Sold the MTB as riding up anything resembling a steep hill just isn’t possible. Mowed the lawn last night and had to lie down for an hour afterwards. Wouldn’t mind, but the lawn is about three square metres.

NO

2 trips cancelled, no seeing pals, no restaurants open.

I’ve been fairly lucky. WFH since mid-March and, whileit’s been busy at times, I’ve mostly done OK with it. Enjoyed the lack of commuting, the ability to log off at 4pm and be straight out on the bike into the Peak District without the shit commuting rides up and down main roads.

Loved the clean air, seeing more wildlife, the lack of litter. Genuinely scared at times of the sheer amount of hatred bubbling up in places though – the anti-cycling signs and bitter FB posts, what I can only assume was jealousy from everyone else that cycling was allowed to continue more or less as normal provided you were alone.

The day to day stuff like shopping – queuing to get into places, out of stock items, so many closed shops, no cafés – that was all a pain. And the weeks of bad weather in July really did my head in so I guess very lucky that April & May were so good otherwise I’d have probably gone insane!

It was better, far less pollution, more wildlife.

Roads were nice and quiet. 20 mile journey to work my average speed went from about 30 mph to 65 mph + and fuel economy went up.

Road to work on main roads that I will never ride on again

I still don’t understand why the environment bods are not making more of the positive impact on the environment

The most stressful week for me was the week before closing my barber shop. Watching the horror unfold in Italy and talking to customers who had already been told to work from home made us realise that we couldn’t protect our clients or ourselves. This prompted us to close our doors before we were told. Once that decision was made I felt at peace again.

After that I completely enjoyed the first period of my life without work, it was amazing. Time for my family, time to do all those outside jobs, time to rebuild the community jump spot I look after and time to ride. I also concentrated on my overall strength and fitness as this seems like the best defence I have against this.

This doesn’t mean that I forgot about the horror and those that were working to keep our lives together. I have also kept up to date on the coronavirus thread so that when I had to go back to work I was well informed.

I got overly stressed and anxious with people thinking my exercise was limited to an hour a day.

I really valued my hour of exercise.

😏😏😏😏🤬

No, worked normally throughout. Three holidays cancelled. Made a criminal for going camping . Pubs shut. Events cancelled. Bothies shut.

Looking forward to tanked economy and tax rises.
Don’t think the enjoyment of quiet roads was worth it.

Not really, we were shielding which probably factors into that. I wfh anyway and worked through so was lucky there but that bit was no change for me. Partner has been wfh though which has been nice.

The 6+ months of not seeing family or friends and only riding solo (I like riding solo but not all the time) wasn’t so great. The stress at the beginning when we weren’t sure we’d be able to get food delivery slots was also not great. As we weren’t going anywhere the quiet roads didn’t really benefit us but the trails were definitely busier with walkers.

I really valued my hour of exercise.
Downside really missed my girlfriend.

😀

Weather was fab but wfh not an option for me.

2 week lockdown every year would be good. Or even every Sunday.

Was made redundant 1 week into the lockdown at the end of march, 4 holidays cancelled, lost a load of money, but generally loved the slower pace of life, quiet roads, and good weather.

I’d say we made the most of it. Missed out on motorcycling, hill walking and going to the gym. Did start cycling again and mountain biking too. The quiet roads were amazing. Also made a concerted effort in the back door and a few other outstanding jobs. Kids having no clubs made us realise how much running about we do, certainly a lot more family time.

Also made a concerted effort in the back door

Bit too much detail there.

Ours was good. Both already WFH so no big upheaval. Worked quietened down quite a lot so had to dip into the reserves but that is what they are for. Missed my team sports but local walking was nice with quiet roads. Rode the bike a lot more and found a lot of new trails. Always used local shops so no big change. Queue to get in but nice and calm once in. Missed traveling but that was balanced by finding new local places and seeing it in a totally different way.

Wish we could take some of the good bits and continue them but things are drifting back to the old ways. It has helped clarify some of my life choices, though.

Parts of it – quieter roads and shops, but busier trails. Not commuting was great, working from home was tough as mine is a face to face job, but the chance to do one or two days at home each week would be nice.

Both my kids do activities at county and national level – not running around after them 5-6 days a week was nice, but it ruined their planned years activities and targets. Luckily no big exam years for either.