Covid Struggles

I have three young children and a fourth on the way and a full time job that I’ve been able to do from home so I’ve obviously been less affected than most. However the tedium is endless.

Not being able to go to the coast (I love walking along the Great South Wall), not being able to see my friends, not being able to eat out, not being able to bring the kids to play centres so I can have a few minutes peace, not being able to go on holidays - it all gets to you after a while. I’m simultaneously busy and bored. I’ve taken to hiding in the bathroom for extended toilet breaks because at least there I can lock the door and have five (or ten or fifteen) minutes peace. I’m rubbish at talking with friends by phone, I prefer to see them in person so it’s been hard to keep in touch.

I think it depends on what your pre-Covid life was like.

Me I worked from home 1/2 days a week anyway and my friends are spread over half the country since the Tiger days so Zoom (or Discord in our case) was a thing anyway before all this. That and we're nerds so play games online together

I don't miss the expensive time-consuming commute to sit in an office I didn't need to be in (I do most of my work with people in the UK), and there was no social aspect to speak of in the current job so didn't miss anything there.

Like you guys said, I'm still busy but bored. Most of the time I wouldn't be able to go anywhere during the day anyway, but it's more that I CAN'T even if I wanted to that gets me. Plus I live alone so again not being able to meet up with people (either because of restrictions, or because they're worried about it all) is grating on me too at this point.

Doing reasonably okay, though I think I got used to spending a lot of time by myself when I made the mistake of moving to Dublin when I was 20 and insisting on living by myself, despite knowing absolutely no one there! I was always a bit introverted anyway, which helps since herself works mad hours altogether.

I have found the past month or two a bit tougher. I live abroad and for various reasons (including covid) a lot of our social circle have either moved away or have had health issues, and generally my big socialising anyway would have been when I went home or trips away with the lads. The last time I met up with one of my friends (as opposed to our friends) was back in June, and the zoom drinks etc. vanished a long time ago. Everyone seems to have understandably retreated somewhat because every conversation is about covid and no one has anything at all going on anymore. I think we're all just treading water at this stage.

I think, as with everyone, the boredom and tedium are killer and I've found my attention span (and grouchiness) has gotten far shorter. I don't miss the commute and am hoping for more regular wfh options, but I miss going for a pint/coffee/random chat with someone. I don't think herself has the same issues as she goes into the office and interacts with people all day. My conversation for the day was the amazon delivery guy, and I know people at work who started doing smaller shops during the week just for a bit of interaction. I wouldn't say like the op that I've had any particular struggles with mental health, though I've obviously had issues in the past, but I'm someone who needs to have things planned in advance and to know what I'll be doing, and that's gone completely out the window and bothers me a lot. Not on an obsessive level, but as a constant niggle in the back of my mind. I honestly don't mind too much how long this goes on for, but I really do mind the complete lack of a plan or communication. These half plans are more anxiety inducing than anything else and personally I would prefer they said nothing at all. Even being able to plan for getting home by Christmas would make a big difference.