Did the Pandemic change you.....FOR GOOD?

Steve F

Hi everyone

I'm well aware that talking about "it" is probably becoming tiresome to most but I was thinking about the last 18 months or so and....

With a lot of the population returning to work recently after an extended "Holiday" with more free time than they have ever experienced in their lives (and probably never will again) has this made you change your outlook on life? Did it make you think differently about the path you were following?

Are you going to make changes to your life now because of it? If so, what changes?

One thing it made me realize was when everyone seemed so obsessed with returning to " Normal" I thought, was the way of life we were all living really THAT GREAT?

Anyone have any comments on this? I'd love to read them

deeznuts420

Not really, admittedly I made pretty **** life decisions that would've fucked me pandemic or not, but being locked indoors didn't help. I'm just happy I got out of doing the leaving cert lmao

Mister Vain

It changed my outlook on work alright. The stress and bulshít wasn't worth it. Employee's have a bit more leverage now.

Ash.J.Williams

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117984227#Comment_117984227

heard a mcdonalds ad on the radio looking for workers , sounds like many havn't gone back to work

Mister Vain

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117984236#Comment_117984236

They must be getting desperate if they're paying people just to show up for an interview.

deeznuts420

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117984236#Comment_117984236

Lol hopefully that'll mean there'll be more jobs for people looking

Ash.J.Williams

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117984314#Comment_117984314

They were targeting college students specifically for after hours work which I never heard an ad for before

Danonino.

100% the pandemic changed me for good. Found myself unemployed for the first time in a long time just before the pup was a thing so financially I was squeezed massively but it made me realise money wasn’t what I was missing/needed. Not being able to continue study abroad due to the double whammy of Brexit and Covid made me think I was f*cked, but I guess everything happens for a reason.

Started a music project in Nov20, by Mar21 was talking to labels. First EP is getting a vinyl and digital release by the end of year hopefully. So that is… unreal and something that I never would have attempted properly if it wasn’t for the pandemic.

Started making visuals for the release and through that got a project making the intro titles for a short film. That was an adventure.

Making the visuals had me relearn skills I hadn’t used in years and with not being able to continue studying abroad like planned I tried a late advanced entry application into a relevant degree I started years ago but never finished.

So since the pandemic started:

• unemployed and not able to finish college.
• Music project jumped years ahead of what I expected.
• Self thought myself Motion Graphics.
• Refreshed old skills
• Now a broke student back to finish an abandoned degree.

If the next three years are as quick as the last three I see myself in a far far better place and far happier than I have been in a looooong time.

The pandemic has exhausted me. Flat out working(considered essential). it also made me see how selfish a lot of fellow citizens are!

Strumms

the only aspects which the pandemic changed or reinforced for me was that any so-called land of saints and scholars BS can be really dispensed with now...

I’ll really be putting up with people a whole lot less, especially this kind of non team player me feiner that seem all too common in our society now... every job, sports team, organization has a prevalence now more then other times.

Fathom

No. For bad.

It was a calamity, lost my father to cancer and couldn't work for extended intervals due to lockdown. Depression was a near constant, can only imagine the proliferation of mental health issues that sprung up nationwide. And then there was our esteemed broadcaster RTÉ, beating the "stay at home" mantra into the ground. Furthermore, a feeble government slavishly allowing NPHET dictate policy and trample over livelihoods at will. More wary of "our betters" as this pandemic winds down, underlined the harsh reality that they don't give a solitary damn about the ordinary Joe down the country rather the optics of how they perceived. And to all those "suck it up, do what you're told" merchants, they are nothing more than gum on my shoe.

Dakota Dan

It confirmed my belief that the governments and media are bought out by the elites.

.42.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117989911#Comment_117989911

In what way?

Galwayguy35

No.

Apart from places being closed down and the travel restrictions made no difference to me at all.

Delilahcat

I think it just made me more comfortable not socializing. I was always a bit meh about it and my social battery drained quickly. But lockdown proved that im actually fine in my own company for extended periods of time.

Other than that, got out very lucky- didn't lose anyone, kept my job. Can't complain.

Steve F

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117991873#Comment_117991873

I know what you mean about the socializing aspect. I really can take it or leave it. Mostly leave it ha ha

All the hullabaloo about not being able to mix and pubs being closed etc left me cold, like a lot of introverts I suspect.

Outside of my immediate family I have no desire to "socialize" That's just the way I am. Prior to Covid19 I used to question myself about it. Not now though. I really am quite content with my own company and not worrying what people think really is the Silver lining to the Pandemic

Wanderer2010

It definitely changed my view on my elderly parents, who used to get on my nerves before all of this and were quite demanding and judgmental. But seeing so many people in this country having to bury their parent(s), without even being able to even touch or kiss them goodbye, was heartbreaking and a real lesson in gratitude.

Now i visit them more often, help them around the house, share coffee and chat with them and each time im with them, im always grateful they are still alive, still here and still receptive to love. Thousands of families cant visit their parents so im extremely lucky.

As for work, i couldnt care less if my workplace burnt to the ground tomorrow. I will find work elsewhere. The whole concept of climbing some imaginary corporate ladder and working yourself into an early grave with 12hr days, stress and politics is a complete fantasy. I work to live and nothing else. I work with some real corporate types who are convinced they are running the company and are irreplaceable. Graveyards up and down the country are stacked deep with "irreplaceable" employees! Its just a job.

xzanti

Yes. The pandemic changed me.

It revealed to me a lot of darkness in this world. Which I can never un-see.

I now wake up every day in fear for my children's future.

bladespin

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117989916#Comment_117989916

There were several 'incidents' where the government really made me feel that we weren't actually 'in it together' anyway.

PoisonIvyBelle

Not much changed for me at all.

NovaDublin

The pandemic made me realise the there is more to life than work however, in saying that, I was totally floored by work. I teach in Higher education and moving from f2f teaching with over 100 in lectures to giving online lectures to a sea of void, I don't blame the students for not engaging fully online, it was a tough move - we missed out on the usual banter after class, the ability to see if a student was struggling or even getting to grips with content. These things do not work well online.

The positives of covid:

I battled with my own mental health, but the upshot of that was that I was able to reconnect with my family, especially my sister, I was able to discuss my mental health with her.

I moved back home to live with my mum - we both benefitted from having the company. I learnt so much more about my mum, and all of my family - I learnt that they cared and we had a lot of empathy for each other.

I got to help the elderly people in my mum's active retirement group - I visited people that lived on their own to help them set up online communication such as WhatsApp and Messenger on their phones so they too could connect with family.

I learnt how to knit! I now have two full-sized quilts!

My most positive realisation of covid was that my family mattered, I got to know my mum so much more and I learnt that life does not stop at work.