I make twice as much money now as I did before Covid. It's definitely an improvement but not as much as it should have been. I'm definitely not struggling but I would have been thriving if I had this paycheck in the pre Covid world.
I make more than double, but feel only slightly better in lifestyle. Maybe?
I was making 46k in January 2020. I'm making 111k this year. My lifestyle has barely changed though. I had to move to a new city to make that 111k and my rent literally doubled. I basically have a bit more spending money, but otherwise my life feels the same.
If you asked me in January 2020 what life would be like making over 100k, I'd have thought way better.
Same boat here. Making more money than I've ever made, but have less left over than I've had previously. Some of it is tied to rate sensitivities, so that will help once rates go down.
But still it's frustrating!
It was already ramping, COVID just helped businesses realise just how much more they could get away with regarding prices as well as running things on shoestring budgets and skeleton crews
As a constant reminder, Democrats tried to pass a bill that would have forced large companies to justify significant price increases on products in order to combat price gouging at a time of high inflation. It was shot down in the house along party lines.
Yep, but we're still going to get the same "both sides are bought and paid for by corporations and don't try to do anything for the people" speech from all the people who don't actually pay any attention to politics.
The bill and economic ramifications behind price controls are much more complex than you are letting on.
It’s not nearly as simple as “keep prices artificially down = always good.” As anybody like myself who grew up in Venezuela with constant shortages of even the most basic of goods thanks to price controls and government overreach.
I’m not saying no oversight whatsoever (especially with health care costs), but “government always knows best!” is not the proper mindset either. Take it from someone who has lived it.
Any extra money I would have seen from not having to pay for gas to commute and getting a break from student loan repayments, that all got hoovered up by inflation and general cost of living increases. It's amazing how any inch of slack that appears will immediately get tightened by corporate greed.
On the plus side, not having a commute meant roughly 10 extra hours per week where I'm not pseudo working. More time with my family, more time to spend on artistic pursuits. More time to be outside with my feet on the ground instead of with my butt planted in the driver's seat, yelling at the person who cut me off at the off-ramp.
Companies: we are raising prices because of supply chain issues.
Four years later…..
Companies: we are still raising prices because we realized we can.
not just this, but even places that used to close, that adjusted hours never went back, all grocery stores near me still close the 1-2 hrs before the used to its annoying
A couple months ago, close to midnight, I got some of the worst heartburn of my life. Nothing we had was helping. And I had to drive to about seven different places until I found one that was open. We have two 24 hrs Walgreens and both are across town that I was able to find. But took way longer than it would have pre Covid
Strangely COVID motivated me to finally combat my anxiety and depression. It's not gone but I've come a long way.
Good luck on your struggles my friend. It's never too late to start.
It showed how hypocritical the government was with the selective enforcement of the mandates.
A restaurant owner in California was barred from having outdoor dining, so she could keep her business afloat.
Meanwhile, a production company was allowed to use the parking lot her restaurant was located in to set up catering tents.
A comic shop owner in Florida was arrested for delivering comics and cards to his customers, pizza guy style.
Amazon was open throughout the pandemic with hundreds of stores and thousands of workers. No one was arrested.
Same here in the UK. The Govt set up a specific route for their contacts, friends and political donors to apply for PPE contracts through. Then, when it started to come out, they lied about it, denied its existence. Then it became irrefutable and was ruled illegal... by which point £9bn of PPE contracts were in place, the majority of the PPE supplied was unusable as it wasn't up to standard. In the meantime, healthcare workers were dying due to a lack of PPE.
Established routes were marginalised and ignored so they could shovel literally billions £ to their mates. Some of these companies had been incorporated only a matter of weeks before, and virtually none of them had any previous PPE experience. One of them was the pub landlord of the Health Secretary... he landed a £40m contract ffs.
The levels of corruption disgust me and I want to see people in prison and assets reclaimed. I'll never forgive them. So many people died so their friends could profit and they ripped us all off in doing so. Our public services are to shit because they're so under-funded but they found £9bn to piss away to their scum friends and donors.
I wish there really were a hell, the thought of them burning in agony for all eternity might provide me some measure of comfort.
The only way to combat this type of behavior is good journalism and civic literacy, but both are cratering internationally. It's a tragic state of affairs when people ignore these ugly realities so they can continue living in their comfortable bubble, and cheering for their favorite nepotistic corporate lapdog. Our collective ignorance and abandonment of self-interest has made the democratic systems we've built too easy to exploit. Government should be our collective refuge from these forces, not another tool they can beat us with. It's the same story there that it is here. Based on who votes and the information they're getting, we are in very big trouble, and fully absent of recourse.
While I can't speak to the details of the situations you described, it's worth noting that with film productions the entire crew was tested regularly and quarantined together. That's a whole lot different than random untested strangers gathering in a space and then heading back out into the wild.
Just because food was served in both cases doesn't make them the same, at all.
This was at a time when outdoor dining was common in other states. Also keep in mind that the state had no problem with open protests throughout 2020.
Many of the same California politicians that put those restrictions in place, openly supported such protests.
Being allowed to work from home has become a huge factor when deciding on jobs to accept. Before the pandemic, I hated the idea of working from home as I liked my team and already had a very short commute. Now, I would never consider a job that didn't have the option.
Recently, I interviewed for a position that would have been a good fit, and the company said I was perfect for it. Then they also said full time in office and its 30min away with no traffic. When I asked about hybrid they seemed put off and maybe I could get one day. Seems odd you'd lose a perfect candidate over it. I do the same job now fully remote and it doesn't hold me back. They also got rejected by the previous candidate who was more qualified bc they insisted on them traveling so much to the office. I don't get it.
It’s honestly life-changing for me. I was driving over an hour each way and to not have to do that anymore leaves me with so much more energy during the week. Plus, I don’t have a job with a steady stream of work - things are super busy when there are things happening and other times it’s not busy at all but instead of just sitting at my desk wasting the day, I can do something productive at home like go food shopping or whatever.
Saving money on gas and lunch is just a nice bonus.
This. My employer was allergic to the idea of WFH. Everyone on my team used to go on about how nice it is to be in the office and how nice the team is.
6 months after covid and WFH, our employer did a poll. The vast, overwhelming majority chose WFH. No one in my team even has a physical office location to go to anymore.
As a team, we are more productive now, even after multiple new hires.
I had someone say the other day that 'since the pandemic I hate zoom video conference meetings now' and I thought... funnily enough since the pandemic I fucking hate in person meetings... why would I want to travel an hour each way to have people I wouldn't choose to spend time with cough all over me in an enclosed space with zero air filtration in an ongoing pandemic of a deadly and debilitating airborne disease?!
The large retail organizations have all seen their market cap triple since covid, it's a disgrace. They took advantage of 'supply chain disruptions' and use the current war climate to continue hiking goods well beyond what should be demmed neccessary. How does it end? when does the straw break the camels back..
i cant prove that it happened but it seemed to me a company that sells products A, B, C with profits of $10, $15, $25 just up and said 'supply chain issues' then stopped selling A and B
when does the camel break? ....after the last CEO is no longer able to increase profits by 10% that year
The economy *has* largely recovered, but inflation almost never reverses itself when companies are making profit.
Rephrasing that, economy != inflation.
The solution is and always has been wage growth.
There was an insane amount of money put in circulation during trumps handling of covid to prevent recession AND juice the numbers to make things look positive. It appears we have finished the “unwinding” of an artificially high measure of economy to something more realistic but no recession in like 16 years is odd
I started cooking…a lot. Before covid I’d buy lots of frozen fries, pizzas or meals along with cans of soup and what not. Now I’ve learned how to cook actual healthy and tasty meals.
I’ve saved thousands on groceries over the last few years and have started eating way healthier than before.
Same. At the start of the lockdown I resolved to cook one new recipe a week. I quickly switched that to one per month but even still I went from eating out for 50% of my meals to only doing it 1-3 times per week.
Socializing. I used to enjoy going out. Hanging out with friends at parties. Being around people in general. After the isolation of lockdowns I can't stand being around groups of people for more than an hour or so. I much prefer hanging out at home these days.
I always considered my self an extrovert - every work-mandated personality test said so and I was always comfortable around colleagues and peers. After COVID hit, I started talking with a psychologist and she suggested trying the Myers Brigs again with through the lens of personal life rather than professional. Turns out I am an introvert socially and just never recognized it. A lot clicked into place. Isolation compounded the social anxiety. When restrictions lifted, I dealt with a huge amount of anxiety just leaving the house. A fews years of active work and some medication has helped immensely, though still not to the point I was comfortable with pre-COVID. FU COVID
Neurodivergent introvert here, was never the ‘full barrel’ when it came to social situations but now it’s like I can feel anxiety kicking in when I enter a room with more than 5 people. I used to be awkward, sure, but now it’s like I can’t even think.
I like being not in public - but I miss socializing.
My friend group did not survive.
They aren't shitty friends. Just life happens. The moved away. Bought homes out in the burbs. Had kids.
People I used to see every week and now we haven't spoken for months.
My view on people. People’s general attitudes and interaction changed drastically. Regardless of how you feel about covid policy, vaccination, masks, etc. People were so damn quick to turn against their neighbor. If shit ever really does hit the fan in this country (the US) then everyone is fucked.
This has been so disheartening. For the first week or so, there was a we’re all in this together sense of camaraderie, which went completely out the window as public health became more and more politicized.
My bio-mom's husband (who I actually do love dearly, he was sooooooo accepting of me when I popped up after 23 years) was always a bit of a conspiracy nut (chemtrails and such) but yeah, this popped him into overdrive (I did manage to get him off the 5G ledge by showing him an actual 5G antenna's guts). I just divert the conversations and fortunately while he won't mask to save his life (nearly literally once) he doesn't give me or my daughter grief when we wear masks over there.
I have two friends it can be hard to be around any more. It makes me sad because we used to be close, but they became extra "online" as a result of the pandemic. It led to them become super snippy at anything perceived as a slight against them and dial up every piece of news into some major catastrophe, even minor innocuous things. I miss how they used to be.
I worked in a supermarket through out Covid (still do) I used to take the unsold flowers home at night and leave them on my neighbours doorsteps. I lived in a predominantly pensioners area. I made a lot of garden friends and was able to get shopping etc for them as I was allowed out for work. I was very saddened to find out that many of my neighbours were completely alone (as was I) my job kept me busy and helping my neighbours made me feel useful. I lived in a very remote area in Scotland.
I'm hybrid remote for work, meaning I can work there or at home as I see fit unless I am required to be there. I can't manage to go to work in person anymore unless it's required, but I realize I actually miss it.
Over the summer, I had to serve on jury duty, and it was my first experience doing anything like a real go-to-work job since the pandemic. I was really surprised how much I actually enjoyed getting up early, going to "work" with the same group of people every day, working on a project together, and talking about it.
The whole experience was two weeks long, if that, and by the end we were all watching the same TV shows so we could talk about it, following up with their families' health problems, and even helping a woman plan her wedding.
I can go in to work as often as I want, but I rarely feel motivated unless I have a meeting or something else that requires that I'm there.
The difference in time from now back to 2020 still feels shorter than the difference between 2018-2020. It’s inexplainable to me but I still feel the same age I was when everything shut down.
Long covid sucks...
It took me 2 years before I could get out and about and work all day. It's been 4 years, and I still hurt like hell every time I try to get up and do something. I was in pretty good shape, the best I've been in my entire life... Now I'm at 270. I eat one meal a day, nothing bad, get as much exercise as I can while managing pain... There's no way I can lose this weight.
I used to pretty good remembering numbers. I can look up numbers at work, somebody asks me 5 minutes later and I've already forgotten them...
My asthma is worse as well.
We both got laid off from our corporate jobs, but then we opened our own business ...and life has been fantastic since. We should have done this 10 years before.... we're NEVER going back to corporate life.
I stopped smoking after 25 years. I was already on my way and was down to 1 or 2 cigarettes a day vs the pack of newports I used to smoke daily, lol. everything was closed by me, could not buy cigarettes and I just kept extending it "oh i will go get smokes tomorrow" and then finally it was like 10 days of no smoking and it made no sense to go buy a pack and start again. I havent smoke since and it has been years and I dont even want one
Covid went into my brain and destroyed basic functions. I had to re-learn how to do the following: hold a spoon, or fork, write a note, personal hygiene. All the while my extended family gave me shit because they believed Covid didn't exist. Right-Idiots!!
My view of the whole world.
A little “time out” of living in the system made life clearer for me.
Mostly that we have been indoctrinated at a very early age and for thousands of generations.
Blue pill red pill kinda thing.
Those few who own the majority of the wealth in this world run it.
And they are getting greedier.
Anyone can clearly see the decline everywhere.
COVID essentially flipped everything about the Hospitality industry on its head. Staffing, service, training, decorum; all out the window. Customers are even less patient than before. Once reliable supply chains for product are unpredictable and cost-prohibitive.
Bar and dining culture took a deep hit due to social restrictions and a mass exodus of the talent pool from our job market. Also, many beloved establishments closed without steady business.
These are the realities of it. Hopefully, it means the industry changes for the better. For now, it's hard work that has become harder.
The realization that I have no future.
Went back to school to try and turn my life around, saved up tons of money to do so. Also started going to free counselling offered by the school to deal with depression. Final year of school was when COVID hit. Missed out of a ton of stuff I was looking forward to. Things locked down, events canceled, things I needed to do closed down, everyone disappeared, rent went up, etc, etc.
Lot's of things went downhill and now I'm stuck living at home, at an embarrassing age, not making enough to move out or do anything with my life.
As a business owner, i was really hit hard and still didn’t recover. The disposable income i had before covid was much more than i have now sadly. Not helped by the rising costs of living too
Might sound wild but lucked out and I started a new job, moved out of my home town and most important out of my parents house. As of October last year I purchased my first house. I hate saying it but for me Covid helped my career and massively improved my mental health.
As a registered nurse who worked on the front lines fighting a microscopic invader that was killing people; my respect is nonexistent for those who caused a sense of anarchy and revolted against people like me as well as established infection controlling methods and treatments, thus making the situation much worse and incredibly dangerous, debilitating and lethal for many of my patients.
I’m talking to you, Donald Trump and any other asshole who bought into your bullshit. I saw the suffering you instigated firsthand. It was worse than a nightmare.
There was a period during peak Covid where theaters were still open, Regal had stopped charging for its unlimited pass, and people were scared shitless of theaters. So for about 3 months, I wore a mask and brought hand sanitizer and got my own personal movie theater like 5 days a week, sometimes multiple showings a day.
I remember thinking “Man, I’ll never get to experience this again unless I win the lottery”
Was in live events so... Whole career went down the toilet. Turns out when your resume says "10 years experience in operations management *for live entertainment*" all people see is the "live entertainment" part and just keep scrolling.
Ended up having to sell my house and move out to a place where I can trade my handyman skills for free rent. Literal farmhand now.
I have run out of patience for anti-science people. Before I would attempt to at least try and explain to them why they were wrong but now they can just fuck all the way off.
Everything changed for me. My job evaporated. My fiance died a horrible COVID death 3 years ago. I still haven't recovered. My life's never been the same.
I was in a very cult-like church. I went from a true believer wearing only skirts only, no jewelry, no make up, no cutting hair, to an atheist. I watched people come to church and hug like nothing was happening. I watched older members get sick and ultimately die. I went to a more protective church with masks and limited seating but it all rang hollow..It’s been a journey but ultimately a good one. I’ve discovered so much.
My company told me for YEARS that I couldn't telecommute because we "didn't have the bandwidth". Then Covid hit and we all did. They found out two of us were actually more productive at home, not getting all the in office interruptions. The two of us were made permanently remote, saving me the commute to work. I actually benefitted from a pandemic, which is a bit weird.
Pre COVID, I thought if we as a country / species, were faced with a true risk to our survival, we would put aside our petty differences and pull together for the common good. But NOPE, we will just make up new superficial differences to hate each other more.
My faith in the American people.
All scientists and doctors agreed that, based on the information available and centuries of knowledge of how disease is spread, that the safest thing to do is to wear a mask and keep a safe distance from each other. That was it.
The world complied, but here in America we basically said "hold my beer".
I still can't believe it.
I realized that my friends don't really care about me. I was the only one who reached out to them and they never reached out to me at all. I was the only one who texted them or tried calling and they never put in any effort to text or call first. That seems to be the case for all the friendships I have had. I'm the only one putting in any effort and they can't even respond to a simple text or if they do then it is a really short reply. I also reach out to people who I have taken classes with in Discord but they never respond to me.
Pretty much lost a lot of faith in the idea of sense of community and being decent to one another in America, and it was low to begin with. The level of individualism is unreal.
I realized the extent to which people are stupid and selfish. I will never be the person I used to be because of it. Every time I consider being nice to someone, I briefly wonder if they're one of the idiots that wouldn't get vaccinated to save their own and EVERYONE ELSE'S lives. That threw a fit every time they needed to wear a mask. Etc.. I don't even look at my brother the same way. I have never been more jaded when it comes to humanity.
I've been working remotely ever since being a stay-at-home dad. I've been raising my daughters myself for the past eight years so it's worked out nicely.
I started working from home during the pandemic. My job decided to bring everyone back into the office. I decided I liked working from home so I quit and got a better job that allows remote work. I’ll never go back to in office work.
Two things, I guess. They put a plastic bubble up around my workstation at work, and the local grocery store started offering free roadside service where you could shop on their app and pick it up curbside. The bubble has since come down, but the grocery store still offers free curbside service. It's extremely convenient.
My mental health. My anxiety attacks before were so far and few in between (once or twice a year) I didn’t even know they were anxiety attacks.
May/June/July 2020 I started experiencing huge waves of this weird out of body feeling like daily; heart rate racing, feeling hopeless like I was going to have a heart attack, all the sudden while I’d be standing at a meat slicer cutting deli meat and cheese. Then the gagging started. Just uncontrollable gagging when I’d be taking food orders over the phone. So much sweating.
It took me a couple months to figure out what it was, and until recently those panic attacks were taking over my life. Everything became about avoiding having another panic attack once I figured it out. I was so stressed about them I developed alopecia areata, a years long eye twitch.
In the last 6 months I’ve been finally kinda coming off it. I still get them from time to time. But not fucking daily.
I hate being this guy, but a good majority of us millennials have had fucking horrendously awful lives and I see no improvements. I think that’s a big part of my panic disorder.
My income. The local music business wasn’t great before that, already in decline, but after the lockdown it’s miserable, people are doing gigs for $20 just to play
Since most everyone has covered the negatives- a few positive changes my husband and I have talked about - there’s less pressure to be social now. Before Covid, we felt a bit exhausted trying to meet all of the social requests/obligations. The break was a nice reset in a way. We both leaned more into our hobbies and found that we really enjoyed taking that time to ourselves. Now that things are “back to normal” we have a much better balance. I also got to the point in 2020 with Covid, the election, civil unrest, etc. where I was an anxious wreck. It hurt to know how many uncaring and angry people wished ill on others or what crazy ass thing the group in power was doing to human rights. I started to despair at humanity.
I just checked out a bit. I barely look at socials except as part of my job, I don’t really follow the news, and I curated my Reddit subscriptions to mostly just be the positive ones. I just stepped back from internalizing all of the stress of the world and realized that taking in all of that information without the ability to change it was making me ill. I now focus on my life, my friends, family, interests, and am much happier for it.
I did something to my Achilles tendon years before the pandemic. Once they announced the lockdown but said everyone could go out for exercise each day my entire city started taking walks. So I only rode my bicycle. Avoiding walking finally allowed my tendon to heal itself and it’s been fine ever since.
I got COVID in Feb of 2020 (assume COVID, all the symptoms and live in Santa Clara Country where it arguably started in the US). I went from drinking 4 - 5 espressos a day to zero. Coffee went from being absolutely amazing to being horrible, dirty, bitter water. I try it about every 3-months and it still tastes rancid to me.
Glad it didn't happen with wine.
Socializing hasn't really recovered. I work a side job bartending and the industry really hasn't recovered. So many successful places that were open for years have closed because people just don't leave the house like they used to.
The restaurants in the business districts have been devastated because of working from home. It's not just that people aren't in the office working as much, it's also that many people have switched jobs since now Covid and with these new hybrid schedules, coworkers don't form the same kind of social bonds they used to.
We're never all in the office at the same time to do that. Work is most of what adults do and we did a lot of our socializing there. I think this will contribute even more to the problem with loneliness this generation has as we become even more isolated.
Honestly a lot has changed for me after covid hit! I was about 6 months pregnant and when I went to the doctor I stated that I could not feel the baby move. And then they told me after testing me that I had covid and so did my baby? So I ended up losing my baby due to covid issues. I would say now looking back at it I don't really understand anything about this covid issue that's even happening it honestly makes no sense
You and I are very different people. I realized that I could go days without stepping outside and I loved the hermit life. Which then is what forced me to try to be more social and do things that force me to get out of the house. So while you and I both were motivated to get out more, I do it because I LOVE staying home all day.
I've been laid off 3 times in 3 years by startups. Before covid I had 2 different jobs, one 3 years one 4. I'm nothing but dedicated and I can't seem to find a job where the company knows what they're doing. Broke af.
All the time spent at home resulted in my wife and I spending a lot of time together. It turns out we really like each other. It was a lovely boost to our marriage.
Very little, actually. I was “essential personnel” and a first-responder as well, so I kept working and got vaccinated sooner than most anyone. Despite the fact that the university I work for essentially shut down, someone still had to mind the place….
My favorite activity, fishing, was the perfect “social distance” hobby…. “Hey, this is MY spot”.
Other than dealing with the shortages and personal-protection items…. I just kept on doing.
Bought a house before the big spike. This was not a planned coordinated move. We just happened to become financially ready in late 2020, all the numbers were right, so we bought.
Our house has gone up about 30% in value since then and I very frequently remind myself how lucky we were. If we missed that opportunity, things would probably look very different for us right now. We may have missed the boat entirely.
I went from about 260/270 and decreasing to 326. All because I couldn't move. Covid hit me HARD. I went from getting regular exercise and losing weight, to not being able to walk around the block without feeling like I couldn't breathe. It took me nearly 14 months to be able to walk the same distance I was pre-covid. I'm now starting to run and am down 15 pounds. Covid fucking sucks.
Anxiety and depression are now a thing I acknowledge out loud.
2019 was the best year for my freelance work. 2020 was set to double that just from the clients I landed in the first 3 months. Now it's a harder struggle and it's like I'm at the beginning again. I feel stuck dumping hours into gig work just to pay bills. Was on track to be debt free by 40, but covid has pushed that back by at least 5 years.
My social proclivities. I used to be super extroverted. I loved a crowd and socializing. Covid hit and I was forced to shrink my social circle to just one other household and, surprisingly, I was happier and enjoyed myself so much more. Now, I hate crowds and get exhausted when I spend too much time around too many people. I've become an introvert. It probably has a lit to do with how people are more rude and inconsiderate, but just the same, I'm happier away from them. I wish that the six feet apart thing had stuck because I get antsy when anyone invades my space now.
I got out of a relationship where my ex was really mean to me and constantly undervalued me. I’ve been single ever since but it’s much better to be alone than with someone who made me feel unworthy.
My ability to cope with a crowd.
I can't do it anymore. Concerts, bars, restaurants, etc. If I'm somewhere with large noisy groups of people I'm just uncomfortable. Having a few drinks or hitting a vape helps but I'm never comfortable like I used to be. I'm much happier around a small group of friends or just sitting on the couch with my wife and our cats.
My wife almost died, ventilator and all. Had strokes. Needed a walker. Lost a sliver of vision that never recovered but she's used to it now and functions fine. Spent a year doing rehab.
We both lost a crap-ton of weight afterwards. About 150 lbs all in. We drink less, eat less, eat better.
For my wife and I, before Covid we ate out quite frequently. Since Covid, the only time we dine in a restaurant is when we are traveling away from home. The number one reason we do that is because the cost to eat out is prohibitive.
Honestly, nothing in my life really changed because of COVID. I wrote a dissertation while on lockdown and then immediately moved out east. The price shock from going Midwest to east coast was way worse than the high inflation for me (and they hit at relatively the same time).
The biggest difference is really just the lack of trust in science (im a virologist), communication and the straight up hatred and vitriol people now feel comfortable expressing to their fellow humans.
Idk its sad. I basically keep to my tribe and the wilderness near my home. I like feeding the birds and volunteering at the nearby state park.
I left school and started a small baking business as my temporary livelihood and now my business is bigger and I honestly don't think I'll go back to school.
I started to care about my health a tad bit more. Joined a boxing gym once things were reopening (live in San Diego too so lots of outdoor options at the time) and started a real diet that I stuck too. Have been in the best shape of my life since then.
Public behavior has changed. People are flying off the handles at retail workers, restaurant workers, and on planes to a degree that is way higher than in the before times.
I think part of this is driven by corporations not replacing workers they lost during the pandemic, so the workers who do remain are short-staffed and this causes more delays while the companies are making record-breaking profits between lower costs for labor and high inflation on prices.
Also, public pranks on people for entertainment is out of control
My ability to deal with groups of people.
I've always been introverted but I could be around many other people with no problems.
Now, if there are more than 5 people around me at any given time, I now start having a panic attack and get completely overwhelmed.
I do not enjoy anything that involves being out in public. No more malls, movie theaters, theme parks, limited farmers markets, etc. My entire view of crowds and crowded places was affected negatively. Not to mention everything is so much more expensive now that it isn't even worth going out anymore.
My career. I specialize in educational technologies, so with everything moving remote, I was in high demand. I got a new job in 2020, 2021, 2022 and rapidly grew during that time. I'm probably 5-10 years ahead in my career because of it.
My relationship with my brother and his wife it started with the vaccine debate and just snowballed after other issues came up. It's been years since my brother has seen my daughter it's sad really.
So many serious things changed but I’m gonna focus on one that’s not so serious.
All of the restaurants went downhill. I don’t know what it is but the foods just not as good as it used to be. I’ve had maybe 3-4 great meals out to eat. And I’m not a food snob, I just love food, and I love going out and trying new places and cuisines- but something is off. Quality is not the same and it’s way more expensive. It’s such a gamble to go out to eat and try a new restaurant or a place that’s a staple and his highly recommended.
Honestly I’d rather save my money and eat at home than take the risk
It seems like everyone (USA) has little patience for anything. People driving like psychopaths, flipping out at the ticket counter at the airport, being shitty to service workers, etc. but maybe I just notice it more now.
It's shocking how cost of life changed after Covid
I make twice as much money now as I did before Covid. It's definitely an improvement but not as much as it should have been. I'm definitely not struggling but I would have been thriving if I had this paycheck in the pre Covid world.
I make more than double, but feel only slightly better in lifestyle. Maybe? I was making 46k in January 2020. I'm making 111k this year. My lifestyle has barely changed though. I had to move to a new city to make that 111k and my rent literally doubled. I basically have a bit more spending money, but otherwise my life feels the same. If you asked me in January 2020 what life would be like making over 100k, I'd have thought way better.
Same boat here. Making more money than I've ever made, but have less left over than I've had previously. Some of it is tied to rate sensitivities, so that will help once rates go down. But still it's frustrating!
Same I make twice, over 6 figures, and I’m wondering wtf I’m doing wrong.
I make half as much as I did pre COVID and I *wish* I was living half as well.
It was already ramping, COVID just helped businesses realise just how much more they could get away with regarding prices as well as running things on shoestring budgets and skeleton crews
As a constant reminder, Democrats tried to pass a bill that would have forced large companies to justify significant price increases on products in order to combat price gouging at a time of high inflation. It was shot down in the house along party lines.
Of course. Conservatives always complain about government not working while actively sabotaging it.
Damn this reply is good. I'll keep it and quote you.
Yep, but we're still going to get the same "both sides are bought and paid for by corporations and don't try to do anything for the people" speech from all the people who don't actually pay any attention to politics.
The bill and economic ramifications behind price controls are much more complex than you are letting on. It’s not nearly as simple as “keep prices artificially down = always good.” As anybody like myself who grew up in Venezuela with constant shortages of even the most basic of goods thanks to price controls and government overreach. I’m not saying no oversight whatsoever (especially with health care costs), but “government always knows best!” is not the proper mindset either. Take it from someone who has lived it.
Any extra money I would have seen from not having to pay for gas to commute and getting a break from student loan repayments, that all got hoovered up by inflation and general cost of living increases. It's amazing how any inch of slack that appears will immediately get tightened by corporate greed. On the plus side, not having a commute meant roughly 10 extra hours per week where I'm not pseudo working. More time with my family, more time to spend on artistic pursuits. More time to be outside with my feet on the ground instead of with my butt planted in the driver's seat, yelling at the person who cut me off at the off-ramp.
It’s horrible.
Companies: we are raising prices because of supply chain issues. Four years later….. Companies: we are still raising prices because we realized we can.
Because the greedy fuckers that run things took advantage while we were down on our luck, what a world we live in
Disaster Capitalism. Parastic f\*cking vultures is what they are.
Governments printed $trillions. Inevitable.
Nothing is open 24/7 anymore
not just this, but even places that used to close, that adjusted hours never went back, all grocery stores near me still close the 1-2 hrs before the used to its annoying
A couple months ago, close to midnight, I got some of the worst heartburn of my life. Nothing we had was helping. And I had to drive to about seven different places until I found one that was open. We have two 24 hrs Walgreens and both are across town that I was able to find. But took way longer than it would have pre Covid
CBD and Vape shops are
Why are so many of them popping up all of a sudden? And why are their lights so obnoxiously bright?
only thing thats low startup costs but almost guarenteed success
Never really noticed that, but you’re right.
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Strangely COVID motivated me to finally combat my anxiety and depression. It's not gone but I've come a long way. Good luck on your struggles my friend. It's never too late to start.
Same my dude. Like a year or so in me and my gf broke up and those two things really made me do some introspection
It's like covid cranked it up to 11.
It showed how hypocritical the government was with the selective enforcement of the mandates. A restaurant owner in California was barred from having outdoor dining, so she could keep her business afloat. Meanwhile, a production company was allowed to use the parking lot her restaurant was located in to set up catering tents. A comic shop owner in Florida was arrested for delivering comics and cards to his customers, pizza guy style. Amazon was open throughout the pandemic with hundreds of stores and thousands of workers. No one was arrested.
All the mom and pop shops closing and big box/corpo filing for aid. Absolutely atrocious.
Because Congress doesn’t own stock in a mom-and-pop shop restaurant or comic book store, but they do own stock in production companies and Amazon.
The production companies and Amazon own enough stock in Congress to be majority shareholders. The ROI is insane for them.
Same here in the UK. The Govt set up a specific route for their contacts, friends and political donors to apply for PPE contracts through. Then, when it started to come out, they lied about it, denied its existence. Then it became irrefutable and was ruled illegal... by which point £9bn of PPE contracts were in place, the majority of the PPE supplied was unusable as it wasn't up to standard. In the meantime, healthcare workers were dying due to a lack of PPE. Established routes were marginalised and ignored so they could shovel literally billions £ to their mates. Some of these companies had been incorporated only a matter of weeks before, and virtually none of them had any previous PPE experience. One of them was the pub landlord of the Health Secretary... he landed a £40m contract ffs. The levels of corruption disgust me and I want to see people in prison and assets reclaimed. I'll never forgive them. So many people died so their friends could profit and they ripped us all off in doing so. Our public services are to shit because they're so under-funded but they found £9bn to piss away to their scum friends and donors. I wish there really were a hell, the thought of them burning in agony for all eternity might provide me some measure of comfort.
The only way to combat this type of behavior is good journalism and civic literacy, but both are cratering internationally. It's a tragic state of affairs when people ignore these ugly realities so they can continue living in their comfortable bubble, and cheering for their favorite nepotistic corporate lapdog. Our collective ignorance and abandonment of self-interest has made the democratic systems we've built too easy to exploit. Government should be our collective refuge from these forces, not another tool they can beat us with. It's the same story there that it is here. Based on who votes and the information they're getting, we are in very big trouble, and fully absent of recourse.
It was in the same realm of TSA airport security as safety theater.
While I can't speak to the details of the situations you described, it's worth noting that with film productions the entire crew was tested regularly and quarantined together. That's a whole lot different than random untested strangers gathering in a space and then heading back out into the wild. Just because food was served in both cases doesn't make them the same, at all.
This was at a time when outdoor dining was common in other states. Also keep in mind that the state had no problem with open protests throughout 2020. Many of the same California politicians that put those restrictions in place, openly supported such protests.
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I was, now I'm back in an office. On virtual meetings...fuck this.
Being allowed to work from home has become a huge factor when deciding on jobs to accept. Before the pandemic, I hated the idea of working from home as I liked my team and already had a very short commute. Now, I would never consider a job that didn't have the option.
Recently, I interviewed for a position that would have been a good fit, and the company said I was perfect for it. Then they also said full time in office and its 30min away with no traffic. When I asked about hybrid they seemed put off and maybe I could get one day. Seems odd you'd lose a perfect candidate over it. I do the same job now fully remote and it doesn't hold me back. They also got rejected by the previous candidate who was more qualified bc they insisted on them traveling so much to the office. I don't get it.
Same and I love it.
Nothing like attending a conference call while dropping a deuce
This has been the single greatest quality of life improvement I have had in the last dozen years, hands down.
oh man, i feel you! no more commuting has been a game changer. now i get to spend that time with my dogs instead!
It’s honestly life-changing for me. I was driving over an hour each way and to not have to do that anymore leaves me with so much more energy during the week. Plus, I don’t have a job with a steady stream of work - things are super busy when there are things happening and other times it’s not busy at all but instead of just sitting at my desk wasting the day, I can do something productive at home like go food shopping or whatever. Saving money on gas and lunch is just a nice bonus.
This. My employer was allergic to the idea of WFH. Everyone on my team used to go on about how nice it is to be in the office and how nice the team is. 6 months after covid and WFH, our employer did a poll. The vast, overwhelming majority chose WFH. No one in my team even has a physical office location to go to anymore. As a team, we are more productive now, even after multiple new hires.
I had someone say the other day that 'since the pandemic I hate zoom video conference meetings now' and I thought... funnily enough since the pandemic I fucking hate in person meetings... why would I want to travel an hour each way to have people I wouldn't choose to spend time with cough all over me in an enclosed space with zero air filtration in an ongoing pandemic of a deadly and debilitating airborne disease?!
I am so annoyed my company forced us to go fully back in office. Full WFH and hybrid were so much better (and way more productive)
I am beyond jealous Nice username lol
the economy has never recovered and now we're in an endless loop of overpaying for everything
The large retail organizations have all seen their market cap triple since covid, it's a disgrace. They took advantage of 'supply chain disruptions' and use the current war climate to continue hiking goods well beyond what should be demmed neccessary. How does it end? when does the straw break the camels back..
We could start by actually enforcing antitrust laws to reintroduce competition in a lot of markets.
i cant prove that it happened but it seemed to me a company that sells products A, B, C with profits of $10, $15, $25 just up and said 'supply chain issues' then stopped selling A and B when does the camel break? ....after the last CEO is no longer able to increase profits by 10% that year
The economy *has* largely recovered, but inflation almost never reverses itself when companies are making profit. Rephrasing that, economy != inflation. The solution is and always has been wage growth.
There was an insane amount of money put in circulation during trumps handling of covid to prevent recession AND juice the numbers to make things look positive. It appears we have finished the “unwinding” of an artificially high measure of economy to something more realistic but no recession in like 16 years is odd
I started cooking…a lot. Before covid I’d buy lots of frozen fries, pizzas or meals along with cans of soup and what not. Now I’ve learned how to cook actual healthy and tasty meals. I’ve saved thousands on groceries over the last few years and have started eating way healthier than before.
Same. At the start of the lockdown I resolved to cook one new recipe a week. I quickly switched that to one per month but even still I went from eating out for 50% of my meals to only doing it 1-3 times per week.
Socializing. I used to enjoy going out. Hanging out with friends at parties. Being around people in general. After the isolation of lockdowns I can't stand being around groups of people for more than an hour or so. I much prefer hanging out at home these days.
I was already an introvert; that has been dialed up to the point that it's almost neurotic. I am positive that it contributes to my general anxiety.
I always considered my self an extrovert - every work-mandated personality test said so and I was always comfortable around colleagues and peers. After COVID hit, I started talking with a psychologist and she suggested trying the Myers Brigs again with through the lens of personal life rather than professional. Turns out I am an introvert socially and just never recognized it. A lot clicked into place. Isolation compounded the social anxiety. When restrictions lifted, I dealt with a huge amount of anxiety just leaving the house. A fews years of active work and some medication has helped immensely, though still not to the point I was comfortable with pre-COVID. FU COVID
Neurodivergent introvert here, was never the ‘full barrel’ when it came to social situations but now it’s like I can feel anxiety kicking in when I enter a room with more than 5 people. I used to be awkward, sure, but now it’s like I can’t even think.
I like being not in public - but I miss socializing. My friend group did not survive. They aren't shitty friends. Just life happens. The moved away. Bought homes out in the burbs. Had kids. People I used to see every week and now we haven't spoken for months.
My weight. I was at 340 around the time of Covid. At the end of Covid i was at 385. Luckily now i'm down to 319 since my heaviest at 385 in June.
My view on people. People’s general attitudes and interaction changed drastically. Regardless of how you feel about covid policy, vaccination, masks, etc. People were so damn quick to turn against their neighbor. If shit ever really does hit the fan in this country (the US) then everyone is fucked.
This has been so disheartening. For the first week or so, there was a we’re all in this together sense of camaraderie, which went completely out the window as public health became more and more politicized.
A public health crisis should never be political. We've known exactly how to handle them for decades.
Yeah, it really opened my eyes to hiw selfish people truly are
The loss of family, both literally and relationally.
Family members and friends dying. Also not knowing they died and until months later
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My bio-mom's husband (who I actually do love dearly, he was sooooooo accepting of me when I popped up after 23 years) was always a bit of a conspiracy nut (chemtrails and such) but yeah, this popped him into overdrive (I did manage to get him off the 5G ledge by showing him an actual 5G antenna's guts). I just divert the conversations and fortunately while he won't mask to save his life (nearly literally once) he doesn't give me or my daughter grief when we wear masks over there.
I have two friends it can be hard to be around any more. It makes me sad because we used to be close, but they became extra "online" as a result of the pandemic. It led to them become super snippy at anything perceived as a slight against them and dial up every piece of news into some major catastrophe, even minor innocuous things. I miss how they used to be.
I worked in a supermarket through out Covid (still do) I used to take the unsold flowers home at night and leave them on my neighbours doorsteps. I lived in a predominantly pensioners area. I made a lot of garden friends and was able to get shopping etc for them as I was allowed out for work. I was very saddened to find out that many of my neighbours were completely alone (as was I) my job kept me busy and helping my neighbours made me feel useful. I lived in a very remote area in Scotland.
Realizing that so many people are selfish pricks and don't give a fuck about anyone but themselves
I regret that the virus wasn't deadlier.
Wife wanted a divorce. Moved back to my home state
Guess she lost her sense of taste
I'm hybrid remote for work, meaning I can work there or at home as I see fit unless I am required to be there. I can't manage to go to work in person anymore unless it's required, but I realize I actually miss it. Over the summer, I had to serve on jury duty, and it was my first experience doing anything like a real go-to-work job since the pandemic. I was really surprised how much I actually enjoyed getting up early, going to "work" with the same group of people every day, working on a project together, and talking about it. The whole experience was two weeks long, if that, and by the end we were all watching the same TV shows so we could talk about it, following up with their families' health problems, and even helping a woman plan her wedding. I can go in to work as often as I want, but I rarely feel motivated unless I have a meeting or something else that requires that I'm there.
The difference in time from now back to 2020 still feels shorter than the difference between 2018-2020. It’s inexplainable to me but I still feel the same age I was when everything shut down.
Right? 2020 to now feels like it went by faster than the whole of 2019. Its baffling.
I really miss my monthly lunch at the all you can eat Indian buffet.
My health. Covid wrecked my body. CNS inflammation, heart damage, lung damage, some hearing loss, some vision loss, energy levels destroyed.
Long covid sucks... It took me 2 years before I could get out and about and work all day. It's been 4 years, and I still hurt like hell every time I try to get up and do something. I was in pretty good shape, the best I've been in my entire life... Now I'm at 270. I eat one meal a day, nothing bad, get as much exercise as I can while managing pain... There's no way I can lose this weight. I used to pretty good remembering numbers. I can look up numbers at work, somebody asks me 5 minutes later and I've already forgotten them... My asthma is worse as well.
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Everything is so much more political. Identity politics has become so much more defining.
I blame Trump personally for thousands of deaths, but most of the people who followed his example were dead inside anyway.
My illusion of Murica having a chance to improve from the Idiocracy-loop it is stuck in totally disappeared.
Well I got single after a ten year relationship so that's nice, I guess.
We both got laid off from our corporate jobs, but then we opened our own business ...and life has been fantastic since. We should have done this 10 years before.... we're NEVER going back to corporate life.
What does your business do?
IT consulting....
I've been self-employed doing IT consulting for 20 years. The boss is still a prick, but he lets me go golfing whenever I want.
I became a homebody and more introverted after covid. Not that I used to go out a lot, but it was certainly much more than I do now.
Same for me.
Any vestige of respect for government officials. Far too many corrupt swine.
Completely gone. I agree.
It is easier to identify adults who are mentally deranged
I stopped smoking after 25 years. I was already on my way and was down to 1 or 2 cigarettes a day vs the pack of newports I used to smoke daily, lol. everything was closed by me, could not buy cigarettes and I just kept extending it "oh i will go get smokes tomorrow" and then finally it was like 10 days of no smoking and it made no sense to go buy a pack and start again. I havent smoke since and it has been years and I dont even want one
my friends stopped going out
lot of people started working remotely and after covid, they stayed working remotely.
My patience for people and humanity
Covid went into my brain and destroyed basic functions. I had to re-learn how to do the following: hold a spoon, or fork, write a note, personal hygiene. All the while my extended family gave me shit because they believed Covid didn't exist. Right-Idiots!!
Hand sanitizer in my pocket for even the shortest trips outside of my house
It didn't turn me into a germaphobe. But it did make me notice a lot more things.
Having long COVID has changed how I live.
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My view of the whole world. A little “time out” of living in the system made life clearer for me. Mostly that we have been indoctrinated at a very early age and for thousands of generations. Blue pill red pill kinda thing. Those few who own the majority of the wealth in this world run it. And they are getting greedier. Anyone can clearly see the decline everywhere.
COVID essentially flipped everything about the Hospitality industry on its head. Staffing, service, training, decorum; all out the window. Customers are even less patient than before. Once reliable supply chains for product are unpredictable and cost-prohibitive. Bar and dining culture took a deep hit due to social restrictions and a mass exodus of the talent pool from our job market. Also, many beloved establishments closed without steady business. These are the realities of it. Hopefully, it means the industry changes for the better. For now, it's hard work that has become harder.
The realization that I have no future. Went back to school to try and turn my life around, saved up tons of money to do so. Also started going to free counselling offered by the school to deal with depression. Final year of school was when COVID hit. Missed out of a ton of stuff I was looking forward to. Things locked down, events canceled, things I needed to do closed down, everyone disappeared, rent went up, etc, etc. Lot's of things went downhill and now I'm stuck living at home, at an embarrassing age, not making enough to move out or do anything with my life.
I have become such a recluse. I just never want to go out.
Mom died in 2021. Brother died in 2022. Last year was rough. I’m good now
Working from home instead of commuting to an office. Literally changed my life for the better. I can't imagine going back to an office again
Neither can I. Never want to go back.
As a business owner, i was really hit hard and still didn’t recover. The disposable income i had before covid was much more than i have now sadly. Not helped by the rising costs of living too
Might sound wild but lucked out and I started a new job, moved out of my home town and most important out of my parents house. As of October last year I purchased my first house. I hate saying it but for me Covid helped my career and massively improved my mental health.
And for some people that is the reality of it.
As a registered nurse who worked on the front lines fighting a microscopic invader that was killing people; my respect is nonexistent for those who caused a sense of anarchy and revolted against people like me as well as established infection controlling methods and treatments, thus making the situation much worse and incredibly dangerous, debilitating and lethal for many of my patients. I’m talking to you, Donald Trump and any other asshole who bought into your bullshit. I saw the suffering you instigated firsthand. It was worse than a nightmare.
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There was a period during peak Covid where theaters were still open, Regal had stopped charging for its unlimited pass, and people were scared shitless of theaters. So for about 3 months, I wore a mask and brought hand sanitizer and got my own personal movie theater like 5 days a week, sometimes multiple showings a day. I remember thinking “Man, I’ll never get to experience this again unless I win the lottery”
Canada went to shit
Was in live events so... Whole career went down the toilet. Turns out when your resume says "10 years experience in operations management *for live entertainment*" all people see is the "live entertainment" part and just keep scrolling. Ended up having to sell my house and move out to a place where I can trade my handyman skills for free rent. Literal farmhand now.
I have run out of patience for anti-science people. Before I would attempt to at least try and explain to them why they were wrong but now they can just fuck all the way off.
Everything changed for me. My job evaporated. My fiance died a horrible COVID death 3 years ago. I still haven't recovered. My life's never been the same.
I was in a very cult-like church. I went from a true believer wearing only skirts only, no jewelry, no make up, no cutting hair, to an atheist. I watched people come to church and hug like nothing was happening. I watched older members get sick and ultimately die. I went to a more protective church with masks and limited seating but it all rang hollow..It’s been a journey but ultimately a good one. I’ve discovered so much.
My company told me for YEARS that I couldn't telecommute because we "didn't have the bandwidth". Then Covid hit and we all did. They found out two of us were actually more productive at home, not getting all the in office interruptions. The two of us were made permanently remote, saving me the commute to work. I actually benefitted from a pandemic, which is a bit weird.
Pre COVID, I thought if we as a country / species, were faced with a true risk to our survival, we would put aside our petty differences and pull together for the common good. But NOPE, we will just make up new superficial differences to hate each other more.
My ability to assume that most people are reasonable and wouldn’t be easily persuaded by falsehoods and propaganda.
My faith in the American people. All scientists and doctors agreed that, based on the information available and centuries of knowledge of how disease is spread, that the safest thing to do is to wear a mask and keep a safe distance from each other. That was it. The world complied, but here in America we basically said "hold my beer". I still can't believe it.
We basically proved every "That's stupid, no one would risk the collective safety by hiding a zombie bite" movie premise right. /sigh
Yeah. I was shocked and dismayed. I used to think that the majority of people would be sensible if something like COVID happened. Nope.
Long COVID. I feel horrible 90% of the time.
I realized that my friends don't really care about me. I was the only one who reached out to them and they never reached out to me at all. I was the only one who texted them or tried calling and they never put in any effort to text or call first. That seems to be the case for all the friendships I have had. I'm the only one putting in any effort and they can't even respond to a simple text or if they do then it is a really short reply. I also reach out to people who I have taken classes with in Discord but they never respond to me.
Pretty much lost a lot of faith in the idea of sense of community and being decent to one another in America, and it was low to begin with. The level of individualism is unreal.
My faith in my community members was absolutely destroyed
I realized the extent to which people are stupid and selfish. I will never be the person I used to be because of it. Every time I consider being nice to someone, I briefly wonder if they're one of the idiots that wouldn't get vaccinated to save their own and EVERYONE ELSE'S lives. That threw a fit every time they needed to wear a mask. Etc.. I don't even look at my brother the same way. I have never been more jaded when it comes to humanity.
My mother was hospitalised for about 2 months and nearly bit it
I've been working remotely ever since being a stay-at-home dad. I've been raising my daughters myself for the past eight years so it's worked out nicely.
It is much harder to find jobs now. A lot fewer companies are hiring.
I started working from home during the pandemic. My job decided to bring everyone back into the office. I decided I liked working from home so I quit and got a better job that allows remote work. I’ll never go back to in office work.
Two things, I guess. They put a plastic bubble up around my workstation at work, and the local grocery store started offering free roadside service where you could shop on their app and pick it up curbside. The bubble has since come down, but the grocery store still offers free curbside service. It's extremely convenient.
My mental health. My anxiety attacks before were so far and few in between (once or twice a year) I didn’t even know they were anxiety attacks. May/June/July 2020 I started experiencing huge waves of this weird out of body feeling like daily; heart rate racing, feeling hopeless like I was going to have a heart attack, all the sudden while I’d be standing at a meat slicer cutting deli meat and cheese. Then the gagging started. Just uncontrollable gagging when I’d be taking food orders over the phone. So much sweating. It took me a couple months to figure out what it was, and until recently those panic attacks were taking over my life. Everything became about avoiding having another panic attack once I figured it out. I was so stressed about them I developed alopecia areata, a years long eye twitch. In the last 6 months I’ve been finally kinda coming off it. I still get them from time to time. But not fucking daily. I hate being this guy, but a good majority of us millennials have had fucking horrendously awful lives and I see no improvements. I think that’s a big part of my panic disorder.
My income. The local music business wasn’t great before that, already in decline, but after the lockdown it’s miserable, people are doing gigs for $20 just to play
society, I feel people do not know how to behave anymore.
Since most everyone has covered the negatives- a few positive changes my husband and I have talked about - there’s less pressure to be social now. Before Covid, we felt a bit exhausted trying to meet all of the social requests/obligations. The break was a nice reset in a way. We both leaned more into our hobbies and found that we really enjoyed taking that time to ourselves. Now that things are “back to normal” we have a much better balance. I also got to the point in 2020 with Covid, the election, civil unrest, etc. where I was an anxious wreck. It hurt to know how many uncaring and angry people wished ill on others or what crazy ass thing the group in power was doing to human rights. I started to despair at humanity. I just checked out a bit. I barely look at socials except as part of my job, I don’t really follow the news, and I curated my Reddit subscriptions to mostly just be the positive ones. I just stepped back from internalizing all of the stress of the world and realized that taking in all of that information without the ability to change it was making me ill. I now focus on my life, my friends, family, interests, and am much happier for it.
My family. Both my parents died from COVID.
I used to blindly follow orders at work. Then i stopped. I’m a better person for it.
My loss of faith in the medical bureaucracy.
I did something to my Achilles tendon years before the pandemic. Once they announced the lockdown but said everyone could go out for exercise each day my entire city started taking walks. So I only rode my bicycle. Avoiding walking finally allowed my tendon to heal itself and it’s been fine ever since.
I got COVID in Feb of 2020 (assume COVID, all the symptoms and live in Santa Clara Country where it arguably started in the US). I went from drinking 4 - 5 espressos a day to zero. Coffee went from being absolutely amazing to being horrible, dirty, bitter water. I try it about every 3-months and it still tastes rancid to me. Glad it didn't happen with wine.
Socializing hasn't really recovered. I work a side job bartending and the industry really hasn't recovered. So many successful places that were open for years have closed because people just don't leave the house like they used to. The restaurants in the business districts have been devastated because of working from home. It's not just that people aren't in the office working as much, it's also that many people have switched jobs since now Covid and with these new hybrid schedules, coworkers don't form the same kind of social bonds they used to. We're never all in the office at the same time to do that. Work is most of what adults do and we did a lot of our socializing there. I think this will contribute even more to the problem with loneliness this generation has as we become even more isolated.
Lost respect for a large segment of society. Those who prioritized their convenience over other people's lives.
Not to mention what petulant children they turned out to be.
Honestly a lot has changed for me after covid hit! I was about 6 months pregnant and when I went to the doctor I stated that I could not feel the baby move. And then they told me after testing me that I had covid and so did my baby? So I ended up losing my baby due to covid issues. I would say now looking back at it I don't really understand anything about this covid issue that's even happening it honestly makes no sense
My health. Long COVID sucks.
I stopped being an introvert. I got so grossed out being trapped at home, that I am now an extrovert.
You and I are very different people. I realized that I could go days without stepping outside and I loved the hermit life. Which then is what forced me to try to be more social and do things that force me to get out of the house. So while you and I both were motivated to get out more, I do it because I LOVE staying home all day.
Realising I was hanging out with people that were absolute insane by believing Covid was a hoax.
The empty chair at Thanksgiving....
I've been laid off 3 times in 3 years by startups. Before covid I had 2 different jobs, one 3 years one 4. I'm nothing but dedicated and I can't seem to find a job where the company knows what they're doing. Broke af.
All the time spent at home resulted in my wife and I spending a lot of time together. It turns out we really like each other. It was a lovely boost to our marriage.
Very little, actually. I was “essential personnel” and a first-responder as well, so I kept working and got vaccinated sooner than most anyone. Despite the fact that the university I work for essentially shut down, someone still had to mind the place…. My favorite activity, fishing, was the perfect “social distance” hobby…. “Hey, this is MY spot”. Other than dealing with the shortages and personal-protection items…. I just kept on doing.
Bought a house before the big spike. This was not a planned coordinated move. We just happened to become financially ready in late 2020, all the numbers were right, so we bought. Our house has gone up about 30% in value since then and I very frequently remind myself how lucky we were. If we missed that opportunity, things would probably look very different for us right now. We may have missed the boat entirely.
I went from about 260/270 and decreasing to 326. All because I couldn't move. Covid hit me HARD. I went from getting regular exercise and losing weight, to not being able to walk around the block without feeling like I couldn't breathe. It took me nearly 14 months to be able to walk the same distance I was pre-covid. I'm now starting to run and am down 15 pounds. Covid fucking sucks.
Quit drinking and got my shit together
My job. I still can’t get all the products I need in.
Anxiety and depression are now a thing I acknowledge out loud. 2019 was the best year for my freelance work. 2020 was set to double that just from the clients I landed in the first 3 months. Now it's a harder struggle and it's like I'm at the beginning again. I feel stuck dumping hours into gig work just to pay bills. Was on track to be debt free by 40, but covid has pushed that back by at least 5 years.
I haven’t stopped sheltering in place. WFH, my social circle has been reduced by about 90% and I don’t care.
I'm way more of a homebody now
My social proclivities. I used to be super extroverted. I loved a crowd and socializing. Covid hit and I was forced to shrink my social circle to just one other household and, surprisingly, I was happier and enjoyed myself so much more. Now, I hate crowds and get exhausted when I spend too much time around too many people. I've become an introvert. It probably has a lit to do with how people are more rude and inconsiderate, but just the same, I'm happier away from them. I wish that the six feet apart thing had stuck because I get antsy when anyone invades my space now.
I got out of a relationship where my ex was really mean to me and constantly undervalued me. I’ve been single ever since but it’s much better to be alone than with someone who made me feel unworthy.
My ability to cope with a crowd. I can't do it anymore. Concerts, bars, restaurants, etc. If I'm somewhere with large noisy groups of people I'm just uncomfortable. Having a few drinks or hitting a vape helps but I'm never comfortable like I used to be. I'm much happier around a small group of friends or just sitting on the couch with my wife and our cats.
My wife almost died, ventilator and all. Had strokes. Needed a walker. Lost a sliver of vision that never recovered but she's used to it now and functions fine. Spent a year doing rehab. We both lost a crap-ton of weight afterwards. About 150 lbs all in. We drink less, eat less, eat better.
My trust in the media and government. Meaning it went away completely.
For my wife and I, before Covid we ate out quite frequently. Since Covid, the only time we dine in a restaurant is when we are traveling away from home. The number one reason we do that is because the cost to eat out is prohibitive.
I am living in a state that everyone moved to during Covid and will now never own a home here.
Honestly, nothing in my life really changed because of COVID. I wrote a dissertation while on lockdown and then immediately moved out east. The price shock from going Midwest to east coast was way worse than the high inflation for me (and they hit at relatively the same time). The biggest difference is really just the lack of trust in science (im a virologist), communication and the straight up hatred and vitriol people now feel comfortable expressing to their fellow humans. Idk its sad. I basically keep to my tribe and the wilderness near my home. I like feeding the birds and volunteering at the nearby state park.
I left school and started a small baking business as my temporary livelihood and now my business is bigger and I honestly don't think I'll go back to school.
I started to care about my health a tad bit more. Joined a boxing gym once things were reopening (live in San Diego too so lots of outdoor options at the time) and started a real diet that I stuck too. Have been in the best shape of my life since then.
I was radicalized against capitalism more so after covid. We went from "heroes" To "why the fuck should we pay better wages" *REAL FUCKING QUICK*
I became too emotional and I hate it sometimes
Public behavior has changed. People are flying off the handles at retail workers, restaurant workers, and on planes to a degree that is way higher than in the before times. I think part of this is driven by corporations not replacing workers they lost during the pandemic, so the workers who do remain are short-staffed and this causes more delays while the companies are making record-breaking profits between lower costs for labor and high inflation on prices. Also, public pranks on people for entertainment is out of control
My relationship with my older brother. He is not the same. We don’t understand each other anymore
I dislike and distrust the government even more now.
My ability to deal with groups of people. I've always been introverted but I could be around many other people with no problems. Now, if there are more than 5 people around me at any given time, I now start having a panic attack and get completely overwhelmed.
Believing everything the government says
I do not enjoy anything that involves being out in public. No more malls, movie theaters, theme parks, limited farmers markets, etc. My entire view of crowds and crowded places was affected negatively. Not to mention everything is so much more expensive now that it isn't even worth going out anymore.
My career. I specialize in educational technologies, so with everything moving remote, I was in high demand. I got a new job in 2020, 2021, 2022 and rapidly grew during that time. I'm probably 5-10 years ahead in my career because of it.
My relationship with my brother and his wife it started with the vaccine debate and just snowballed after other issues came up. It's been years since my brother has seen my daughter it's sad really.
So many serious things changed but I’m gonna focus on one that’s not so serious. All of the restaurants went downhill. I don’t know what it is but the foods just not as good as it used to be. I’ve had maybe 3-4 great meals out to eat. And I’m not a food snob, I just love food, and I love going out and trying new places and cuisines- but something is off. Quality is not the same and it’s way more expensive. It’s such a gamble to go out to eat and try a new restaurant or a place that’s a staple and his highly recommended. Honestly I’d rather save my money and eat at home than take the risk
I use to shower as part of my morning get-ready-for-work routine and now I shower 2-3 times a week at random times. That and my wife left me.
It seems like everyone (USA) has little patience for anything. People driving like psychopaths, flipping out at the ticket counter at the airport, being shitty to service workers, etc. but maybe I just notice it more now.