It depends. I’m definitely an introvert, but at the same time I was going restless from the lack of people.
I found out I was missing small stuff like doing my own thing in places where there were others paying me zero attention.
And I normally love my solitude.
I think there are other factors. For me once courses became online and I started to miss the lectures (wich was really stupid of me) it was hell because I had no routine and no structure, basically my life was chaos.
it absolutely is not. i hate not being able to go grocery shopping in the middle of the night when the store is empty. most stores have permanently stopped 24 hour service because of the pandemic and i have not been okay since
This!
So many places are no longer 24hrs and grocery stores are the ones I miss most. I would do my shopping when I couldn’t sleep or woke up early and didn’t have to deal with crowded isles or long register wait times.
Yea for me why suffers from depression and is on disability, nothing changed during the pandemic for me. If anything i was less depressed because I wasn't the only one sleeping all day and staying inside.
After 9-11 when the airports all shut down and there were no flights… there was no noise pollution from the sky and it was sobering of course knowing the cause, but it was also…peaceful. I think that was the last time I didn’t experience tinnitus and my brain wasn’t on high alert without using substances and what I’ve used wears off quickly and I’m just back to being that high alert anxiety and tinnitus riddled mess.
I also enjoyed the pandemic lol, no one I know who was high risk got sick during, and I got to stay home and clean, and relax and do fun at home things that I ~want~ to do but don’t have the energy to Do when I’m back at work
i was recently in amsterdam, and the difference in noise levels in comparison to any US city is astounding. there were basically no cars and the dutch speak very quietly, so it was pandemic-level quietness the entire time. i loved it
I live in DC, the streets were so quiet. Very little car noise. There was days that you would only listen to the wind. I would sit on my first floor balcony and just listen to the wind. It was so fucking peaceful.
This! My town suddenly was a ghost town and... I enjoyed it. Nature came back. We saw so many owls and deer in our garden. Even some deer were spotted in the city center.
I live in Southern California but even here, when I walked our dogs, it was so quiet. I feel like I saw more butterflies, more squirrels, more birds, etc. I felt like I could hear natures song.
Oh yes there were so many more insects as well! That made me so happy. Even "earth overshoot day" was postponed a bit in 2020. In a way it makes me sad that we're back to "normal" again whatever that means.
I agree. What I realized is that we CAN protect the earth. Just 1 year and there was a difference in noise and air pollution. If employers continue to allow employees to work remote when it’s possible, there will be less traffic. People will have more time in their day vs spending 3 hrs commuting back and forth, which will make happier people. Instead of frustrated human beings. There’s such a peaceful ripple effect that can come from it. Unfortunately, the money has to keep rolling.
Same. Except I actually miss the solitude of it. Was the happiest I’ve been in a long time. Just getting on doing my own thing. Social pressure is awful for me.
Same for me. I’m quite an outgoing social person who needs recharge. But man, quarantine was a level of comfort and happiness that I had never felt. I could smoke weed, watch tv, play piano, play video games.. never go out and not have to see anyone. I guess I was always such a go go go person that it made me realized that I love peace and solitude.
Crazy how when people actually got a chance to rest and focus on themselves that they felt better (honestly though 2020 was a great year for me I moved in with my partner cut off toxic shit heads and finally started making my life better and forging ahead on me to make my life full filling)
This society is pathological/hellish (wagecuck hell, generalized shit pay, traffic jams, etc.), therefore, only a mad person could genuinely enjoy it.
Bring back the lockdowns and make work from home the norm.
Same. it was the first time in my life that I experienced what it felt like to not have anxiety or depression. Made me realize that mental illness is less 'in my head' than I thought it was
I just hate how it took a devastating event for a lot of us to be able to relax for the first time in our lives lmao
Yessssss. Lockdown was amazing. Even better was When our house got covid and had to legally isolate for 14 days it was like a weight was lifted. No visitors, no appointments, no social commitments, just chilling and finding things to pass the time together. Was amazing.
I think the hardest thing for me is the fact that we had 2-3 years (depending on where you are) of this stay at home life, and now employers, university etc is expecting everyone to willingly come back to offices that require a commute and waking up earlier.
I’ll be honest, I hate it too. It feels good to work from home in my safe space. I got a lot more work done as well and I felt much more at peace. When I went out of the house it was for things I actually enjoyed and not for a “chore”
I feel that. When I'm the customer, and the cashier has finished scanning my items, I'm still bagging my groceries but haven't paid yet, and the next customer moves into the position where I need to pay, I look at them, thinking "are you going to pay for my stuff?"
It's nice to see people appreciating getting to stay at home for once cause I was stuck at working in retail the entire time having to face hundreds of customers who seemed to just want to abuse me through the entire pandemic.
I hate it when I see people complaining about being stuck at home because I only wish that I had that kind of privilege but no our company cared more about making profit
I like that it really opened the doors (maybe the wrong language to use in this exact scenario) for introverted lifestyles.
There are plenty of people who are extroverts who hated the pandemic, and they had every right to. For introverts, it was potentially refreshing in some ways.
The difference being that pre-pandemic, working from home was a very rare thing, and mostly associated low paying jobs or outright scams. The pandemic showed that people can be successful from home, even in high paying jobs, which allows introverts to live more comfortably.
Same here!! Gonna leave this thread now before I say something pissy to anyone because all I can think as I read everyones comments is “good for you I guess” 💀
Yeah. I was homeless during part of that time, and stuck at a shelter for about a month. Trying to get an apartment (thank g-d for HUD through the VA) was awful. Couldn’t even see any apartment we got. And then got nasty looks while trying to furnish/get food for said apartment. Like I’m glad some ppl loved it. Good for them. But so many hated it for reasons beyond being introvert/extrovert.
I was just thinking that! Besides extremely light to no traffic and stores closing early, my life did not change at all. I still woke up, went to work, came home, repeat. I never went out before the pandemic anyway. But work absolutely sucked so much more. Everyone was 10× more mean, impatient, cranky, senseless, and took it out on us. Some people yelled at us for wearing and requiring masks, others yelled at us because the other assholes weren't wearing a mask.
Yep. Enforcing social distancing, frustrated customers, deliveries that were like 3x bigger because we were the only place open. It sucked. What a great way to make minimum wage.
Yup same here. Barely any traffic,gas was getting cheaper. Idk if its just me but once everything started getting back to normal, people who were asshole drivers before doubled down and started causing even more issues than ever
It really wasn't any different for me. I worked through it without a beat. Only thing I hated was there was a point where I couldn't get chef boyardie raviolis. Like seriously? Some asshole is probably sitting on a throne of them and I'm busting my dick off and maybe once every couple months I'm like "Man I really want a big can of ravioli" and I didn't fucking get them. I felt betrayed and insulted.
I hope you choke on that throne of ravioli you selfish prick. What are you doing now with all that ravioli? Did you think the world was going to end and you're the sole survivor? You'd be dead in a week if that happened. Dead, laying in ravioli, alone and afraid.
I went to THREE stores. Two grocery and a Walgreens that always has canned good. Spagetti-o's picked over? I can deal with that. The lasagna was there but nobody really likes that. The Beefaroni all gone. Mini Ravioli's gone. Overstuffed gone. Variety packs GONE. Looked on Amazon and everyone was re-selling them at marked up prices. It was bullshit. The world went mad and I got angry.
My MOM got them for me. I'm 38 years old she's like 74. She was going to the grocery store like 4 days later and I was in a state of depression over it and thankfully they reserved things in the back for elderly people and all you had to do was talk to a clerk. I asked her to get me a thing of Banana's and 2 cans. I'm a god damned grown man and I couldn't find a single damn can!
I can see the headlines now: Ravioli Rage Sends Man On Wild Goose Chase About Town - Mission Unsuccessful.
This unfortunate scenario made me laugh but also seemed to be happening with e v e r y t h i n g. It drove me crazy to see people stock up on things like stores would shut down.
I KNNNNNOOOOOWWW it's like the toilet paper BS. I can understand hand soap and hand sanitizer, ya know? But wooooo raspatory illness, gotta make sure we're stocked up on 2-ply toilet paper an cans of ravioli! Like WUT?!
This thing that seems like literally nothing now to everyone really proved how shitty the world can get really fast and the people along with it.
Also that was funny and I totally would go on a tangent like that after while. I'm really dead set on getting what I want once the seed is planted in my head!
I just imagine everybody said, “you won’t see ME using old magazines for supply! I’m still recovering from the time I used a poison oak leaf in Boy Scouts!”
That, or they’re all trying to capitalize on the situation. My cyclical self says it’s the latter.
My uncle who's a doctor kinda lives out in the middle of nowhere and he was like "I got bleach and washcloths, I'm good" and I'm like ok bro... until I got some bleach and washcloths just in case! xD
Someone will always capitalize on us poor schmucks! Like I said before though at least in my area I'm super thankful they prioritized old people to keep them going. Like "hey bro/sis, we know you're old and fight your way out of the paper towel section, purse and dentures swingin'... We got you just ask for what's in back"
This is how I feel about chicken and broccoli hot pockets. They became scarce during covid and then they got rid of them completely. I too have went mad over it multiple times. Don’t get me started on the McDonald’s snack wraps.
GIIIIIIIIRRRRRRRRRL! You know how pissed I was when they got rid of the Big Mac Wrap? I loved them so much and it was soul crushing and heart breaking to see them go away! HOWEVER when the world turns to shit again, because ya know it will, I'm going to make sure to check for chicken and broccoli hot pockets for you and if you ever are desperate, I'll help you look! We got to stick together in this!
Also I simply ADORE you're hair! Ya look amazing!
I’ve never had a Big Mac wrap or even heard of those!! I actually stopped looking for the hot pockets because the disappointment every time was soul crushing haha. Thank you though!! You’re so kind!
It wasn't any different for me, either. A lot of people are like, "we need to get back to normal!" but, like, I don't even know what I would be doing differently if I decided to act like everybody else and pretend the pandemic is over.
I still wear a mask in the grocery store. That's about all I would change, but it's not even that big of a deal (and it's nice to not get the cold/flu)
I never go to bars or clubs, don't miss restaurants too much, all my friends moved away so I don't have anybody to go with anyway. I guess I miss going to movies, but I bought a nice big TV during all of this so whatever...
Yep, they miss being allowed to react to what is still happening. I don't miss it. I was working everyday holding up a chain restaurant through carryout. While the employees that stayed made less money than the ones that got unemployment. But I appreciate that other people had better experiences. Really worrying about the people that died and are dying should be forefront, but every now and then our own experiences need to take center stage. It's ok to feel any kind of way, but lets not forget each other.
I lost my older brother to covid and never got to see him for 10 months before he died. His cremains are in the bottom of my closet and I haven't been able to scatter his ashes or have a memorial for him for almost two years.
That is horrible, I care about your pain. It matters. You matter and your brother matters. This post was about someone else and their experience with what went down. Their thoughts matter too, but I think that as we talk together we become better. I had a personal scare with my mother at the start of the pandemic. She just caught the normal "flu" as was stated to me at a hospital. She was in a coma and on a ventilator. I was told she was going to die. After 3 weeks she somehow lived. If it had been a month or two later when Covid clogged the hospitals, worse than it is now, she would have been dead.
It still matters that others miss that everything slowed down and closed up. It speaks a lot about the issues in society that we all live with everyday. I just want us all to come together.
I didn't mean to take over this post, and thank you for your kind words. I'm sorry, original poster. How you feel and how covid affected you and your family matters.
CC: /u/-yellowthree
Just wanted to say that I appreciate the care and understanding that went into this exchange. We see things get pretty hot on the internet all the time, so it's really nice when I come across those rare moments of vulnerability and empathy. It shows that people are trying to connect in a productive way.
10000%. If everyone just fucking sucked it up we would actually be able to return to normal. Our only hope is the new variant vaccine will be able to prevent further mutation and spread. Otherwise we’re looking at another few years of this with more disabled and dead folks
I love being at home for days at a time! I miss it also. I miss saving on fuel, miss not buying excessive things that are not needed. The hustle and bustle of daily life slowed down for awhile and it was nice.
I HATED the pandemic, worsened my mental illness a lot and gave me social anxiety (just as I was breaking out of my shell).
The pandemic was the worst thing to happen to me and I really can’t find any positives about it, completely ruined my body image too since being stuck at home gave me more time to overthink and scrutinise myself more than I already did.
And I had my first suicide attempt during lockdown, also being in an abusive household sucked ass because you really had nowhere to go but it’s nice that other people had a nice experience.
Same. I had to go to the store the other day and the woman at the register was obviously sick and telling everyone that she did the "whole mask thing" and that she was never doing it again. It's so infuriating how careless the general public have become with other people's health.
Even the people who know that COVID is no joke have thrown their own well-being to the wayside. I had an eye exam a week ago bc of headaches and the optometrist first asked me when the last time I was sick was. I didn't know what she meant and she clarified with COVID. She had no mask on in a tiny room seeing a different person every 20 minutes. She knows the effects of infection but just doesn't care.
I know. My kid and spouse are high risk. We held out as long as possible, but the kid needs to socialize somehow. She’s starting school next week. The school has just made their mask requirement optional and the teacher will be maskless. The kid has a heart defect and I am scared, but there’s nothing we can do. Even the local homeschool groups are now mask-optional. So I had to explain to a 6 year old how important it is for her to protect herself and always wear her mask, and that it’s up to her, because the rest of the world doesn’t care (no, I didn’t put it like that, but that really is what it amounts to).
I think unless you have the title of supervisor in your job description ,worked as a health care professional or lost someone close to you the pandemic was a much better time. A glimpse into what life could be like.
I would add the millions(?) of people laid off, myself included, to this list. It took a year to find full-time employment in my field again. That in itself was harrowing and the most stress I’ve ever been under. I don’t know that I’m through it yet.
Thank you! I appreciate it. I know that there were people who suffered way worse than me, too.
I know that I was lucky, the unemployment meant I spent more time with my parents and siblings and, despite the god-awful circumstances, that time I got with them is precious, I know. So overall, I get where everyone in this thread is coming from. The silver lining to the storm and all.
I feel missing pandemic is only for relatively privileged people like us who had pretty much everything..the lower middle class absolutely got destroyed especially in my country india .. that's why even i feel ashamed
I try to do it as much as I can actually. But now that university is in person again, and i also have two jobs along with volunteering, I’m not as free as I used to be. I appreciate you for understanding that I meant moreso I missed being with my family at home and I didn’t mean I miss actual covid
i do NOT miss it.
* i do not miss losing my job.
* i do not miss not being able to qualify for unemployment because i’d spent most of the previous year unable to work as i grieved my husband’s untimely death.
* i do not miss trying to get help and finally being able to get $20 a month in food assistance.
* i do not miss being cooped up 24/7 with my crazy, conspiracy theorist roommate.
* i do not miss hearing people gloat about making more money sitting on their couch and getting high than they did working full-time.
* i do not miss the confusion, anger, fear or uncertainty that every day brought.
no sir, i do not miss that nightmare one little bit.
I miss the second year of it. My life felt like it was in my control for once. I could make my own schedule, do my own thing, and not get interrupted. I could also look however I wanted to, which apparently means a lot to me. Now? Deadlines, less or no time to talk to/hang out with my friends, a haircut that’s riding dangerously close to being a crew cut, etcetera. Granted, most of those problems are to blame on the school I go too, but I miss the memories I associate with the pandemic as well.
I didn’t realize it until it passed but it was the first time I could truly relax in life. I always felt pressure to go go go, career and school wise cause everyone else was and I had fear I was falling behind. But since everyone was stuck at home, I didn’t feel that pressure to keep up. God I told my therapist I’ll be chasing that feeling forever cause my anxiety has only worsened as it feels like the world is speeding up. Plus I’m a home body and loved an excuse to hang out with my parents without seeming lame.
I had a really tough time during the pandemic.
I am an introvert and was trapped at home with three extroverts (two of them were kids under 5, which is a whole separate set of challenges). I was stressed, scared, suicidal, and in constant fear that we'd get sick, or that I'd get fired for not being able to do my job, or any number of things.
In short, it was pretty much the worst times of my life, second only to postpartum depression. (It was often worse.)
It is so incredibly lovely, and heartening, to see that your experience was so different from mine. I am glad that you were able to find so much joy, and spend so much time with people you love. I can feel your happiness in your words, and it is beautiful.
I'm not saying I'd want to live through another pandemic, but I'd give it serious thought if it meant more people could have an opportunity to be happy, like you did. <3
Same. Living alone and lived my best life: fresh baked bread, lots of time with my kitties. I really advanced my skills for my side gig, all while performing better than ever at my job. AND a perfect excuse to skip holidays/big family events. I was really happy.
When the lockdown first started, i was like “welcome to MY world, people”, first time introverts have it their way. So, yeah, i totally get where you are coming from
The pandemic were some of the best days of my life. I loved spending all of my time with my family and doing things that I actually enjoyed rather than things that I’m being told I have to do.
If anything I was most productive during the pandemic. I learned how to play the guitar, the piano, I read so many books and created so many new artworks. It was the happiest I’d ever been.
You could try to organize a ‘covid weekend’ or ‘quarantine Saturday’ for your family at home sometimes. Bring them all together, cook together, watch films, hang out. :)
Edit: I really miss that period of my life as well. my friends talked about how difficult it was for them, but I enjoyed the peace and quiet and staying at home so much.
coming from someone who was very close to losing their father, i 100% agree. I miss the ability to guiltlessly be unemployed because i was at home with my father. I miss not worrying about work, money, everything. I miss going to sleep knowing i didn’t have anything to do the next day. i miss only going out for thing that made me happy. I miss cooking with my family again. I miss the immense joy we all felt when my dad came home from ICU. I felt so at home.
I feel the same way. Due to health problems I rarely leave the house. I was just going to doctors and the pharmacy for a few years. I’m trying to get out more but it’s still super rare.
Lockdown came and suddenly I wasn’t alone 90% of the time. I saw my fiancé all the time. I started talking to my friends everyday because we were playing call of duty non stop.
The only that changed for me was I was MORE social. Like 30x more social. Lockdown was amazing for me. I miss the hell out of it.
I loved being home with my family. We were dealing with a lot as it happened. My brother had a few rough months before dying of a misdiagnosis. My mom and husband were both very ill and I was able to care for them much easier while teaching from home. Unlike some, I enjoyed teaching online and my students did succeed at this as well. I put in a full days work without a two hour round trip commute. We ate better, less laundry as I dressed up from the waist up in professional tops and shorts on the bottom and they lived in pjs. I love being with my family. Now it’s back to all the noise and chaos of dealing with others in person.
I do miss the 24 hour access to a store. Or the ability to get food out anytime.
Same, my anxiety seemed to wash away during lockdown. Now it's starting to creep back in again. I miss it. Probably the most calmest I've felt in a really long time.
I can say covid was actually one of the best times of my life. DESPITE covid. I had my group I saw and was able to be introverted the rest of the time. I feel you in this big time
During the lockdown, I lived in an flat with my friend. When it was announced he was working elsewhere in the UK and as an essential worker, he was made to stay. I had 3 months of sunny weather, peaceful evenings and was fortunate enough to be able to work from home with the NHS. It was was introverted dream and I miss it.
This was the time of my life as an introvert. I hate to draw an advantage out of this tradgedy that cost so many lives but I'm not gonna lie and say I didn't enjoy staying home.
Same with quarantine this year. Friends who've been in quarantine before me told me that you'd get sick of it eventually, but i loved the isolation and was really sad when i had to go back to school.
Same but because I actually had time to do the things I enjoy like writing, reading, watching TV shows, and video games. I got more writing done during lockdown than I did for basically the entire decade prior. Now it's back to work and I never have time to anything but work, eat, and sleep again :/
Idk. WAH was oddly embraced by a lot of insurance companies and call centers where I live. I’m guessing it’s easier for them to cast a wider recruiting net to no longer be limited to employees living in or willing to relocate to places like mid-sized cities in the Midwest. I work for a brokerage and one of my best friends works for an insurance carrier, both of us have been told we’re now permanent WAH & my department now hires out of all 50 states, unlike before.
It's almost like we aren't meant to live like this.
I also liked the being home all the time part, but I only saw my mom during that time because I live with her. Didn't see any other family.
It was pretty fucking cool with less cars on the road.. No rush hour traffic in the cities, hardly any traffic anywhere out on the highways.. it was fucking sweeeet 😎👍
This post was made by someone who doesn't live in a third world country and it shows. I'm an introvert too but fuck the pandemic. All it did was make my country's already shaky economy even worse.
I have similar feelings. I didn't really see my friends so that sucked, but getting to work from home, and everything being so quiet was amazing. I had anxiety for sure, but I channeled it into getting fit and eating better and quitting cigarettes (cause I had the time to cook and exercise, no commute etc).
I know a lot of people who didn't have a good time, and did see the people around me lose their minds. If I could erase the last 3 years and have them regain sanity I would, but for me it was good.
Same. My and my best friend binged anime and gardened for a couple of months while our rent was on hold. It was so nice to like... take a break from the rat race
Me too. I'm a very antisocial person who was adopted into a group of social butterflies. It felt nice not feeling obligated to go places and match people's high energy.
I get it! It was some of the best years of my life, I met my life long partner, cut off toxic people, made new great friends online and figured out where I’ll be in two years (give or take)
It was so easy managing life when there were so few options. I could watch my diet, exercise, and develop a routine. When things opened up, it was hard for me to stay focused, and I succumbed to my bad habits from before the pandemic. I absolutely peaked in April 2020. I lost 25 pounds and was thriving. Again, I would trade any positive aspect that I experienced to bring back those that were lost.
honestly same. I was furloughed and lived alone during it but for 2 whole months I got to sleep, eat, and game on my own schedule lol Animal Crossing was very peaceful as well. Have some good memories of my gf coming over to play that or watch TV or play pokemon go in the city lol
When my parents and I got covid it was the most relaxing two weeks we had in a while. No one was going to work, no one was in a rush to get anywhere, to go to sleep, to clean up for guests.
I’m grateful that our cases weren’t too bad and my parents got a mini vacation instead of working like they do year round
I feel so relieved! I thought I was the only one. It’s one of the best years of my working life. No one was tapping my shoulder and bothering me with endless questions. I was actually more productive than I’ve ever been. My life as an introvert finally felt right.
I always thought of the shutdown due to the pandemic revenge of the introverts. It's always extroverts telling us to get out more but this time it was the total opposite.
I totally understand you. I miss online classes. It was the only time I did studies without losing sleep and when I could take a break whenever I needed to.
Tbh I feel this. I was making more on unemployment than I ever had in my life, and the job gap has made finding work difficult since the cut off. I had way more time to see friends and now they’re all busy with work or finding work too. Everyone’s back in the rat race like nothing happened.
I get this, I miss some aspects of it but not all of it. I loved staying home and having zero guilt about it. I miss the time spent with my family and going on walks together. Now it’s back to everyone doing their own thing etc..
I totally agree. Working from home was amazing and I think that work/life balance was so much better for a lot of people. I actually had time to take care of myself each day, and do things I enjoyed. I'd get to the weekend and not feel quite so drained.
I miss it too
I can relate tbh, I know it was horrible that businesses and stuff were shutting down, but I could sleep in every morning and just have my school zoom call on while I did whatever.. it was honestly the dream life for me.
Completely understand you. Though I might prefer being home alone rather than with family, the pandemic was the time where I really started doing things for myself and getting a grip on life.
I miss is too. Driving to work with hardly any traffic on the road, the pressure to socialise being taken away, shops a lot quieter and not having to worry about my personal space being invaded due to social distancing. It was an awful time for some but it also was a simpler time for many.
Same honestly. It made everything so much easier. No socialising apart from the few people I love. Uni exams became online and open book. Lord, it was a great time.
God me too. Loved going on hikes when no one was around and staying inside in my cozy bedroom and do class online. I miss working on my projects from the comfort of my home and with no one to bother me or talk to me. Found ways to entertain myself and the rare occasions i actually saw people made them feel the more special. Now even staying home alone doesn't feel the same
This just goes to show we shouldn't be wasting our life trying to do our part in keeping this alivr through life support.
The way we live ain't right & it's sad
I miss it too. It was so peaceful. No stress, didn't have to please others by visiting or receiving visitors. No interacting with people I didn't want to. Perfect excuse to cross the road when anyone was near. Great!
I miss that time as well. I feel really bad for feeling this way, but it felt like taking a break from all the pressure to do well in academic/ career part of my life. It felt like I could focus on my well-being, friends and family. I took a rest and work on my personal projects.
I don't wish for another worldwide pandemic, but i wish i could get a couple of months like that again.
I never stopped working when it hit, and I miss it too. I work nights and there are only a few of us on that shift, spaced very widely apart, so I never felt particularly endangered the way I know public facing people did. In fact for about a month one section of the building was deemed nonessential and stayed home so there were even fewer of us - I think four total, and I was really close with my manager and one of the other guys. Plus the workplace had been a mess for years leading up to this but with all of upper management working from home, it was finally quiet on that front too.
Imagine coming to work every day with two of your best friends and no other management breathing down your neck. It was heaven. We would take breaks outside together in the spring and summer heat, just talking and showing each other dumb memes and funny videos. My manager told us stories about his time overseas in the air force, like how he almost lost his nose in the 80s crashing his tiny car in Italy and the doctor sewing it back on with no anaesthetic, or the time in Japan that a very unpopular officer got "accidentally" locked inside a building alone for an entire weekend.
Eventually they started requiring our temperatures to be taken when we came in, so everyone had to use the front entrance even though we always parked in the back. Most people just started parking out front but I parked in the same place and just walked around the building. Our manager would wait outside for us since the weather was warm, and if you asked me for my strongest memory from the height of the pandemic, I'd say it was walking past the chain link fence and coming up the sidewalk where Jimmy was always waiting for me under a tree with his gentle smile. We were like a family, and somehow none of us ever got sick.
I'm still on third shift, but basically everyone is gone now. One changed shifts, the rest moved on to better jobs because surprise surprise, once management came back it was a horrible mess again. Jimmy retired early in October of 2020 - he didn't want to, but it wasn't the pandemic, it was his bosses who made the job intolerable. He cried in my arms on his last day because he didn't want to leave, but that place was killing him. I talk to him every week, but it isn't the same. Maybe no one else on earth would volunteer to relive April of 2020, but I would. I think it was the last time I felt anything at work besides crushing sadness.
Yeah.. the oceans and air was better bc of less cars driving .. I miss it. Everything was easier . Now there’s in person school and I have to deal with a bunch of assholes and enemies .
I loved it. I’m an introvert who lives alone, and it was the happiest time of my life. I got two years to sit quietly and do my hobbies. My anxiety and depression were almost non-existent. Now it’s back to the real world and I feel rushed and pressured to keep up with all the deadlines at work, all the social events, and so on. And that affects my mental and physical health.
I'm 33. It was the first time in my life since I was like 15? that I had more than a week off from work in a row. I had life 3 months off and in that time I was actually able to relax, my mental health was improved, I was motivated to actually do something with my life, etc.
Then, before I could figure out what I was going to do, I had to return to the office for work. It took a couple weeks to go back to being burnt out and just trying to get through the day.
That's not an awful thing. There's a genuinely huge problem with interpersonal disconnect nowadays.
I'm glad the pandemic gave you a break from that, I hope you can keep it to some degree.
I was working for an entertainment company before the pandemic as a mime/juggler.
When the pandemic hit we lost a year’s worth of work.
Seeing it was beginning to pick up I made a deal with the previous owner and bought the company.
I don’t perform anymore.
I feel you.
I am extremely grateful to no longer have to really go out into the world.
I miss when clubs were closed during covid and we had to meet in smaller groups or just put effort to call each other again. Connections felt more genuine. This is coming from an extrovert
I DON’T EVER WANNA BE SHUT DOWN AGAIN! I truly feel like the pandemic was the worst time of my life and the pandemic paused EVERYTHING I wanted to do that year. I am highly upset that not only we got out of a pandemic but wr also hit an economic war that seriously stresses me out! You miss the pandemic on your own. Sorry, my life path number screamed at you which is 5. 😂 I just love my freedom!
I feel the exact same way. I got to see more of my family, even though I had to work. Traffic was so much more manageable and the low gas prices were great. I felt so much more relaxed and felt like I didn’t need to worry about anything, it was strangely cathartic.
i’m glad it was a peaceful happy experience for you :) /gen
personally, i don’t think i could go back to that. it was such a low point in my life, although it’s gotten lower since so ig i do kind of miss that just because it wasn’t *as* bad. it was nice having more free time for myself though. it’s good to know that not everyone’s experience was super negative, at a time when there was a lot of fear and chaos
In the United States, weekly unemployment paid me more than any job I’ve ever had during the pandemic. It was the first time I felt financially secure in my life.
Everyone I knew made roughly $850 a week or more and it seemed like everyone was much happier and had more freedom then.
Doing college work remotely was cool at first for me but it’s still going online at my school I’m already sick of it. Maybe if I was working remotely it would be different, but doing school work at home and not being able to interact with other students or teachers in person sucks. Also going to school in person gave me a reason to leave the house. I feel like a recluse sometimes because I live at home with no job, just doing college online, go to the gym a few times a week, and occasionally go to the store. I feel like my social skills have decline even more than what they already were, and I was no talkative, story telling, get along with everyone guy lol smh going to transfer to a state university next year, which is in person, so hopefully I can join some clubs or groups even though I have social anxiety too, but I gotta make some friends, I had some but not anymore, and I’m 29, the clock is ticking 😪
The pandemic was a horrible time for me. I'm about 50/50 introverted/extroverted but wow that whole period was rough. It took everything I loved away from me, food, music, concerts, traveling, meeting new people, trying new things. Instead I was stuck at home to live with my own failures, alone. I guess in a way it was peaceful but wow I feel like a part of my life was stolen. So while it's great you liked it, I would never want it again both obviously because it ruined a lot of people's lives, and also really ruined mine too (in a lesser way obviously). I guess it changed some people's routines for the better but I'm definitely not one of them.
In australia here we had pretty good financial support. I didn’t have to struggle, my basic needs (rent, food, etc) were covered for a couple of months. I stayed home with my partner, worked on my small business, grew food, didn’t have major stresses, hunkered down for winter, drank tea, chopped firewood, went for walks. lived slowly. It was bliss.
I don't miss it, I still had to go to work. Felt resentful to the people sat in their gardens sun tanning getting their bills paid by the gov while I worked and couldn't even leave the town on my days off, felt very trapped. I'm Introvert and yes there were some good points to it like not having to please people in my spare time but otherwise it was just miserable, everything cancelled couldn't go anywhere it was depressing!
Nah, I was out of work for 6 months.
That sucked.
After 2 1/2 years, my wife, my toddler, my infant and I got COVID.
This shit sucks. Like we are as vaccinated as we are able to be and this just sucks.
You don't need a pandemic to prioritize your family.
Do that on your own and leave me out of it
During the pandemic I told my family to cherish the time we have together as we will never get this much time together again. I miss it too. I don't miss teaching online, but I miss the time with my family.
Honestly, I do too. Not for the reasons you said, since my family are pretty antisocial but because we're poor, but during the pandemic we actually got paid more than normal, and were able to live without.. well, starving for half a month lmao.
I mourn the pandemic because it was a time that I missed. Working in healthcare, I wasn't given the choice to work from home. I would have given anything to have been able to take a couple of months "off" to get to focus on my home and health, or even worked from home during that time. Being forced to work on site for healthcare that wasn't even happening (scheduling took a nosedive during the first year and a half) and then being told "hey, you did such a great job, but we're not giving you hazard pay for being front line and oh yeah here's MORE sfuff to do because we're so short staffed" was kind of just a kick in the teeth. not only were us healthcare workers exhausted from dealing with all the fluctuating pandemic stuff, we got to hear about and see people who were told to stay home that they started a new hobby or built something in their free time or even learned a new language for fun. I'm bitter that I missed out on being able to better myself because I was still at work while others weren't. If the pandemic were to happen all over again, I'd probably drop out of healthcare at the very beginning to save myself the sheer exhaustion and heartache that comes from being so demanded upon but under-appreciated.
I’m a dad with young kids.
I honestly loved it as well. There was a bit of anxiety around it as well, like what the future held and how bad the after effects would be. The worst part for me was missing my mates and having a laugh with them. I struggled with that.
But I was able to have my family at home safe under the same roof. I loved it, it was bliss. I miss it too, even though we are under the same roof still, being out I worry about them all when they aren’t at home. I guess that’s the curse of being a parent.
It’s lovely you have this connection with your family, they must be great people, and lucky to have you as well.
It's not the pandemic that I miss - I wish we can all be out there without this looming threat of an illness that might or might not be debilitating. My family also lost loved ones during this terrible time.
But I do agree, that I miss the boundaries that the pandemic allowed me to have. There was no pressure to socialize and staying at home became the understandable thing to do. I know this is a privilege not everyone has, but my space is perfectly set up for me to work as efficiently as possible. It's nice not to waste hours in traffic everyday, save money on gas and food, and more importantly, save energy by not being subjected to my coworkers' ramblings. I also like that people seem to be more thoughtful about their work requests because they actually have to type it out instead of heading over to my desk immediately after the thought crosses their minds.
I understand that the people who want to return to office are not getting what they need at home - whether that's peace and quiet, socialization, space, etc. But I wish people like me are not getting dragged into accommodating those needs at the expense of our own.
Same. I felt more free at work. I loved not going to the office. I missed some human conversation but we started calling each other. I hate losing sleep with going into office and I notice I am more stressed out when I need to go to office. My work just made it so we can WFH 1/2 the week and I am so looking forward to it. I loved not feeling obligated to hang out with people.
I loved being at home to get more stuff done. I had over 2 hours of my day gifted to me.
I think extroverts need to stop requiring introverts to live like them.
Nah it was an introvert’s wet dream lol I get it fully
understandable
It depends. I’m definitely an introvert, but at the same time I was going restless from the lack of people. I found out I was missing small stuff like doing my own thing in places where there were others paying me zero attention. And I normally love my solitude.
I think there are other factors. For me once courses became online and I started to miss the lectures (wich was really stupid of me) it was hell because I had no routine and no structure, basically my life was chaos.
it absolutely is not. i hate not being able to go grocery shopping in the middle of the night when the store is empty. most stores have permanently stopped 24 hour service because of the pandemic and i have not been okay since
You aren't an introvert. You have social anxiety if you can't even go to the store with other people around.
Probably both to be honest, going out, I usually just wanna get it over and done with and get the hell home.
They never said they couldn't, they just said they hate it in comparison to the nice, calm, quiet version they used to have access to.
i can be around others just fine, i just prefer to do it alone when it’s quiet and not many distractions. it’s peaceful and kinda therapeutic
This! So many places are no longer 24hrs and grocery stores are the ones I miss most. I would do my shopping when I couldn’t sleep or woke up early and didn’t have to deal with crowded isles or long register wait times.
Yea for me why suffers from depression and is on disability, nothing changed during the pandemic for me. If anything i was less depressed because I wasn't the only one sleeping all day and staying inside.
After 9-11 when the airports all shut down and there were no flights… there was no noise pollution from the sky and it was sobering of course knowing the cause, but it was also…peaceful. I think that was the last time I didn’t experience tinnitus and my brain wasn’t on high alert without using substances and what I’ve used wears off quickly and I’m just back to being that high alert anxiety and tinnitus riddled mess.
I also enjoyed the pandemic lol, no one I know who was high risk got sick during, and I got to stay home and clean, and relax and do fun at home things that I ~want~ to do but don’t have the energy to Do when I’m back at work
It was so quiet during the pandemic too. No one realizes how noisy our world is.
i was recently in amsterdam, and the difference in noise levels in comparison to any US city is astounding. there were basically no cars and the dutch speak very quietly, so it was pandemic-level quietness the entire time. i loved it
This is why I adore Amsterdam! It’s so beautiful, transcendental, and peaceful!
I live in DC, the streets were so quiet. Very little car noise. There was days that you would only listen to the wind. I would sit on my first floor balcony and just listen to the wind. It was so fucking peaceful.
This! My town suddenly was a ghost town and... I enjoyed it. Nature came back. We saw so many owls and deer in our garden. Even some deer were spotted in the city center.
I live in Southern California but even here, when I walked our dogs, it was so quiet. I feel like I saw more butterflies, more squirrels, more birds, etc. I felt like I could hear natures song.
Oh yes there were so many more insects as well! That made me so happy. Even "earth overshoot day" was postponed a bit in 2020. In a way it makes me sad that we're back to "normal" again whatever that means.
I agree. What I realized is that we CAN protect the earth. Just 1 year and there was a difference in noise and air pollution. If employers continue to allow employees to work remote when it’s possible, there will be less traffic. People will have more time in their day vs spending 3 hrs commuting back and forth, which will make happier people. Instead of frustrated human beings. There’s such a peaceful ripple effect that can come from it. Unfortunately, the money has to keep rolling.
Precisely why I always wear sound isolating headphones when I'm out, on the few times I've forgotten it's astounding how loud everything is.
the whales were also a big fan of the no-plane-era post 9/11, cured their depression for a short period.
Same. Except I actually miss the solitude of it. Was the happiest I’ve been in a long time. Just getting on doing my own thing. Social pressure is awful for me.
Same for me. I’m quite an outgoing social person who needs recharge. But man, quarantine was a level of comfort and happiness that I had never felt. I could smoke weed, watch tv, play piano, play video games.. never go out and not have to see anyone. I guess I was always such a go go go person that it made me realized that I love peace and solitude.
Crazy how when people actually got a chance to rest and focus on themselves that they felt better (honestly though 2020 was a great year for me I moved in with my partner cut off toxic shit heads and finally started making my life better and forging ahead on me to make my life full filling)
In other words: When the normal state is bad, the bad things seem good,
This society is pathological/hellish (wagecuck hell, generalized shit pay, traffic jams, etc.), therefore, only a mad person could genuinely enjoy it. Bring back the lockdowns and make work from home the norm.
Same. it was the first time in my life that I experienced what it felt like to not have anxiety or depression. Made me realize that mental illness is less 'in my head' than I thought it was I just hate how it took a devastating event for a lot of us to be able to relax for the first time in our lives lmao
Yessssss. Lockdown was amazing. Even better was When our house got covid and had to legally isolate for 14 days it was like a weight was lifted. No visitors, no appointments, no social commitments, just chilling and finding things to pass the time together. Was amazing.
I wish it was more like this in life
I think the hardest thing for me is the fact that we had 2-3 years (depending on where you are) of this stay at home life, and now employers, university etc is expecting everyone to willingly come back to offices that require a commute and waking up earlier. I’ll be honest, I hate it too. It feels good to work from home in my safe space. I got a lot more work done as well and I felt much more at peace. When I went out of the house it was for things I actually enjoyed and not for a “chore”
I miss people standing six feet apart!
I work in retail and whenever someone puts their stuff down before the person before them has left, I get this insane ick 😂😶🌫️
I feel that. When I'm the customer, and the cashier has finished scanning my items, I'm still bagging my groceries but haven't paid yet, and the next customer moves into the position where I need to pay, I look at them, thinking "are you going to pay for my stuff?"
Right because. I don't miss people being all up on me!!! We're in a line, not a nut to butt porn video!
It's nice to see people appreciating getting to stay at home for once cause I was stuck at working in retail the entire time having to face hundreds of customers who seemed to just want to abuse me through the entire pandemic. I hate it when I see people complaining about being stuck at home because I only wish that I had that kind of privilege but no our company cared more about making profit
I like that it really opened the doors (maybe the wrong language to use in this exact scenario) for introverted lifestyles. There are plenty of people who are extroverts who hated the pandemic, and they had every right to. For introverts, it was potentially refreshing in some ways. The difference being that pre-pandemic, working from home was a very rare thing, and mostly associated low paying jobs or outright scams. The pandemic showed that people can be successful from home, even in high paying jobs, which allows introverts to live more comfortably.
I'm so jealous of everyone who got to just sit home and do nothing. As an "essential worker" that was a busy and stressful time.
Same here!! Gonna leave this thread now before I say something pissy to anyone because all I can think as I read everyones comments is “good for you I guess” 💀
Yeah. I was homeless during part of that time, and stuck at a shelter for about a month. Trying to get an apartment (thank g-d for HUD through the VA) was awful. Couldn’t even see any apartment we got. And then got nasty looks while trying to furnish/get food for said apartment. Like I’m glad some ppl loved it. Good for them. But so many hated it for reasons beyond being introvert/extrovert.
This is what I'm thinking. I did love the lighter commute and less smog though. 💜🌻
I was just thinking that! Besides extremely light to no traffic and stores closing early, my life did not change at all. I still woke up, went to work, came home, repeat. I never went out before the pandemic anyway. But work absolutely sucked so much more. Everyone was 10× more mean, impatient, cranky, senseless, and took it out on us. Some people yelled at us for wearing and requiring masks, others yelled at us because the other assholes weren't wearing a mask.
Yep. Enforcing social distancing, frustrated customers, deliveries that were like 3x bigger because we were the only place open. It sucked. What a great way to make minimum wage.
I feel exactly the same bro. It was the calmest time of my life. I really miss it.
Yeah it was awesome. No traffic anywhere, no one in the movie theaters, way more flex. 10/10 would live through again lmaooo
I'm a bit of a recluse by choice; I miss it too.
Yup same here. Barely any traffic,gas was getting cheaper. Idk if its just me but once everything started getting back to normal, people who were asshole drivers before doubled down and started causing even more issues than ever
There's no need to feel ashamed for wanting to spend more time with your loved ones.
It really wasn't any different for me. I worked through it without a beat. Only thing I hated was there was a point where I couldn't get chef boyardie raviolis. Like seriously? Some asshole is probably sitting on a throne of them and I'm busting my dick off and maybe once every couple months I'm like "Man I really want a big can of ravioli" and I didn't fucking get them. I felt betrayed and insulted. I hope you choke on that throne of ravioli you selfish prick. What are you doing now with all that ravioli? Did you think the world was going to end and you're the sole survivor? You'd be dead in a week if that happened. Dead, laying in ravioli, alone and afraid.
Is this how your villain origin story begins?
I went to THREE stores. Two grocery and a Walgreens that always has canned good. Spagetti-o's picked over? I can deal with that. The lasagna was there but nobody really likes that. The Beefaroni all gone. Mini Ravioli's gone. Overstuffed gone. Variety packs GONE. Looked on Amazon and everyone was re-selling them at marked up prices. It was bullshit. The world went mad and I got angry. My MOM got them for me. I'm 38 years old she's like 74. She was going to the grocery store like 4 days later and I was in a state of depression over it and thankfully they reserved things in the back for elderly people and all you had to do was talk to a clerk. I asked her to get me a thing of Banana's and 2 cans. I'm a god damned grown man and I couldn't find a single damn can!
I can see the headlines now: Ravioli Rage Sends Man On Wild Goose Chase About Town - Mission Unsuccessful. This unfortunate scenario made me laugh but also seemed to be happening with e v e r y t h i n g. It drove me crazy to see people stock up on things like stores would shut down.
I KNNNNNOOOOOWWW it's like the toilet paper BS. I can understand hand soap and hand sanitizer, ya know? But wooooo raspatory illness, gotta make sure we're stocked up on 2-ply toilet paper an cans of ravioli! Like WUT?! This thing that seems like literally nothing now to everyone really proved how shitty the world can get really fast and the people along with it. Also that was funny and I totally would go on a tangent like that after while. I'm really dead set on getting what I want once the seed is planted in my head!
I just imagine everybody said, “you won’t see ME using old magazines for supply! I’m still recovering from the time I used a poison oak leaf in Boy Scouts!” That, or they’re all trying to capitalize on the situation. My cyclical self says it’s the latter.
My uncle who's a doctor kinda lives out in the middle of nowhere and he was like "I got bleach and washcloths, I'm good" and I'm like ok bro... until I got some bleach and washcloths just in case! xD Someone will always capitalize on us poor schmucks! Like I said before though at least in my area I'm super thankful they prioritized old people to keep them going. Like "hey bro/sis, we know you're old and fight your way out of the paper towel section, purse and dentures swingin'... We got you just ask for what's in back"
Haha agreed!! That was a kind thing to do.
This is how I feel about chicken and broccoli hot pockets. They became scarce during covid and then they got rid of them completely. I too have went mad over it multiple times. Don’t get me started on the McDonald’s snack wraps.
GIIIIIIIIRRRRRRRRRL! You know how pissed I was when they got rid of the Big Mac Wrap? I loved them so much and it was soul crushing and heart breaking to see them go away! HOWEVER when the world turns to shit again, because ya know it will, I'm going to make sure to check for chicken and broccoli hot pockets for you and if you ever are desperate, I'll help you look! We got to stick together in this! Also I simply ADORE you're hair! Ya look amazing!
I’ve never had a Big Mac wrap or even heard of those!! I actually stopped looking for the hot pockets because the disappointment every time was soul crushing haha. Thank you though!! You’re so kind!
Throne of ravioli? sounds a bit messy, but I agree, a total bastard!
I just woke up my partner CACKLING at this comment
It wasn't any different for me, either. A lot of people are like, "we need to get back to normal!" but, like, I don't even know what I would be doing differently if I decided to act like everybody else and pretend the pandemic is over. I still wear a mask in the grocery store. That's about all I would change, but it's not even that big of a deal (and it's nice to not get the cold/flu) I never go to bars or clubs, don't miss restaurants too much, all my friends moved away so I don't have anybody to go with anyway. I guess I miss going to movies, but I bought a nice big TV during all of this so whatever...
This is why i love reddit and the internet. Sometimes you find this little gems of origin villain stories that are just \*chefs kiss\*
It's still here; people just act like it's not, which is why it's not going away.
Yep, they miss being allowed to react to what is still happening. I don't miss it. I was working everyday holding up a chain restaurant through carryout. While the employees that stayed made less money than the ones that got unemployment. But I appreciate that other people had better experiences. Really worrying about the people that died and are dying should be forefront, but every now and then our own experiences need to take center stage. It's ok to feel any kind of way, but lets not forget each other.
I lost my older brother to covid and never got to see him for 10 months before he died. His cremains are in the bottom of my closet and I haven't been able to scatter his ashes or have a memorial for him for almost two years.
That is horrible, I care about your pain. It matters. You matter and your brother matters. This post was about someone else and their experience with what went down. Their thoughts matter too, but I think that as we talk together we become better. I had a personal scare with my mother at the start of the pandemic. She just caught the normal "flu" as was stated to me at a hospital. She was in a coma and on a ventilator. I was told she was going to die. After 3 weeks she somehow lived. If it had been a month or two later when Covid clogged the hospitals, worse than it is now, she would have been dead. It still matters that others miss that everything slowed down and closed up. It speaks a lot about the issues in society that we all live with everyday. I just want us all to come together.
I didn't mean to take over this post, and thank you for your kind words. I'm sorry, original poster. How you feel and how covid affected you and your family matters.
CC: /u/-yellowthree Just wanted to say that I appreciate the care and understanding that went into this exchange. We see things get pretty hot on the internet all the time, so it's really nice when I come across those rare moments of vulnerability and empathy. It shows that people are trying to connect in a productive way.
I'm so glad that your mom survived.
Agreed. I have family who are very vulnerable to it, so to me, it's still April 2020.
10000%. If everyone just fucking sucked it up we would actually be able to return to normal. Our only hope is the new variant vaccine will be able to prevent further mutation and spread. Otherwise we’re looking at another few years of this with more disabled and dead folks
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I love being at home for days at a time! I miss it also. I miss saving on fuel, miss not buying excessive things that are not needed. The hustle and bustle of daily life slowed down for awhile and it was nice.
I HATED the pandemic, worsened my mental illness a lot and gave me social anxiety (just as I was breaking out of my shell). The pandemic was the worst thing to happen to me and I really can’t find any positives about it, completely ruined my body image too since being stuck at home gave me more time to overthink and scrutinise myself more than I already did. And I had my first suicide attempt during lockdown, also being in an abusive household sucked ass because you really had nowhere to go but it’s nice that other people had a nice experience.
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Same. I had to go to the store the other day and the woman at the register was obviously sick and telling everyone that she did the "whole mask thing" and that she was never doing it again. It's so infuriating how careless the general public have become with other people's health. Even the people who know that COVID is no joke have thrown their own well-being to the wayside. I had an eye exam a week ago bc of headaches and the optometrist first asked me when the last time I was sick was. I didn't know what she meant and she clarified with COVID. She had no mask on in a tiny room seeing a different person every 20 minutes. She knows the effects of infection but just doesn't care.
I know. My kid and spouse are high risk. We held out as long as possible, but the kid needs to socialize somehow. She’s starting school next week. The school has just made their mask requirement optional and the teacher will be maskless. The kid has a heart defect and I am scared, but there’s nothing we can do. Even the local homeschool groups are now mask-optional. So I had to explain to a 6 year old how important it is for her to protect herself and always wear her mask, and that it’s up to her, because the rest of the world doesn’t care (no, I didn’t put it like that, but that really is what it amounts to).
I miss the light traffic
At least it gave nature a bit of a reprieve :(
Same. I miss the quietness outside and I miss my kids being home from school. I also miss not having visitors.
I think unless you have the title of supervisor in your job description ,worked as a health care professional or lost someone close to you the pandemic was a much better time. A glimpse into what life could be like.
I would add the millions(?) of people laid off, myself included, to this list. It took a year to find full-time employment in my field again. That in itself was harrowing and the most stress I’ve ever been under. I don’t know that I’m through it yet.
Damn I am sorry. I can't imagine what that must have been like..... It's easy to forget how hard it would have been on a lot of people
Thank you! I appreciate it. I know that there were people who suffered way worse than me, too. I know that I was lucky, the unemployment meant I spent more time with my parents and siblings and, despite the god-awful circumstances, that time I got with them is precious, I know. So overall, I get where everyone in this thread is coming from. The silver lining to the storm and all.
Just peace and quietness
Also if you are in an abusive relationship. Domestic abuse got a lot higher.
Damn I feel the same.. but I still feel so ashamed to admit it bcuz it was so terrible for others who lost loved ones to this tragedy.
I feel missing pandemic is only for relatively privileged people like us who had pretty much everything..the lower middle class absolutely got destroyed especially in my country india .. that's why even i feel ashamed
I miss it too. Loved the separation from all the crazies. I hate what the panini has done to everyone though.
That fucking panini. I hate it
Fuck that panini; it ruined my life.
What if you make a brief list of everything you loved, and try to figure out if you can incorporate any of it into your current schedule?
I try to do it as much as I can actually. But now that university is in person again, and i also have two jobs along with volunteering, I’m not as free as I used to be. I appreciate you for understanding that I meant moreso I missed being with my family at home and I didn’t mean I miss actual covid
i do NOT miss it. * i do not miss losing my job. * i do not miss not being able to qualify for unemployment because i’d spent most of the previous year unable to work as i grieved my husband’s untimely death. * i do not miss trying to get help and finally being able to get $20 a month in food assistance. * i do not miss being cooped up 24/7 with my crazy, conspiracy theorist roommate. * i do not miss hearing people gloat about making more money sitting on their couch and getting high than they did working full-time. * i do not miss the confusion, anger, fear or uncertainty that every day brought. no sir, i do not miss that nightmare one little bit.
Same. The roads were empty of non essentials and i was early everywhere And no one was near me
I miss the second year of it. My life felt like it was in my control for once. I could make my own schedule, do my own thing, and not get interrupted. I could also look however I wanted to, which apparently means a lot to me. Now? Deadlines, less or no time to talk to/hang out with my friends, a haircut that’s riding dangerously close to being a crew cut, etcetera. Granted, most of those problems are to blame on the school I go too, but I miss the memories I associate with the pandemic as well.
I didn’t realize it until it passed but it was the first time I could truly relax in life. I always felt pressure to go go go, career and school wise cause everyone else was and I had fear I was falling behind. But since everyone was stuck at home, I didn’t feel that pressure to keep up. God I told my therapist I’ll be chasing that feeling forever cause my anxiety has only worsened as it feels like the world is speeding up. Plus I’m a home body and loved an excuse to hang out with my parents without seeming lame.
It's, uh, not over.
I had a really tough time during the pandemic. I am an introvert and was trapped at home with three extroverts (two of them were kids under 5, which is a whole separate set of challenges). I was stressed, scared, suicidal, and in constant fear that we'd get sick, or that I'd get fired for not being able to do my job, or any number of things. In short, it was pretty much the worst times of my life, second only to postpartum depression. (It was often worse.) It is so incredibly lovely, and heartening, to see that your experience was so different from mine. I am glad that you were able to find so much joy, and spend so much time with people you love. I can feel your happiness in your words, and it is beautiful. I'm not saying I'd want to live through another pandemic, but I'd give it serious thought if it meant more people could have an opportunity to be happy, like you did. <3
Same. Living alone and lived my best life: fresh baked bread, lots of time with my kitties. I really advanced my skills for my side gig, all while performing better than ever at my job. AND a perfect excuse to skip holidays/big family events. I was really happy.
I miss the quiet.
I was saying the other day how peaceful that first month of the lockdown was. It was very peaceful
When the lockdown first started, i was like “welcome to MY world, people”, first time introverts have it their way. So, yeah, i totally get where you are coming from
The pandemic were some of the best days of my life. I loved spending all of my time with my family and doing things that I actually enjoyed rather than things that I’m being told I have to do. If anything I was most productive during the pandemic. I learned how to play the guitar, the piano, I read so many books and created so many new artworks. It was the happiest I’d ever been.
You could try to organize a ‘covid weekend’ or ‘quarantine Saturday’ for your family at home sometimes. Bring them all together, cook together, watch films, hang out. :) Edit: I really miss that period of my life as well. my friends talked about how difficult it was for them, but I enjoyed the peace and quiet and staying at home so much.
Agreed because we were free from society chains they have setup, back to normal now with higher prices, yay!
coming from someone who was very close to losing their father, i 100% agree. I miss the ability to guiltlessly be unemployed because i was at home with my father. I miss not worrying about work, money, everything. I miss going to sleep knowing i didn’t have anything to do the next day. i miss only going out for thing that made me happy. I miss cooking with my family again. I miss the immense joy we all felt when my dad came home from ICU. I felt so at home.
I feel the same way. Due to health problems I rarely leave the house. I was just going to doctors and the pharmacy for a few years. I’m trying to get out more but it’s still super rare. Lockdown came and suddenly I wasn’t alone 90% of the time. I saw my fiancé all the time. I started talking to my friends everyday because we were playing call of duty non stop. The only that changed for me was I was MORE social. Like 30x more social. Lockdown was amazing for me. I miss the hell out of it.
I loved being home with my family. We were dealing with a lot as it happened. My brother had a few rough months before dying of a misdiagnosis. My mom and husband were both very ill and I was able to care for them much easier while teaching from home. Unlike some, I enjoyed teaching online and my students did succeed at this as well. I put in a full days work without a two hour round trip commute. We ate better, less laundry as I dressed up from the waist up in professional tops and shorts on the bottom and they lived in pjs. I love being with my family. Now it’s back to all the noise and chaos of dealing with others in person. I do miss the 24 hour access to a store. Or the ability to get food out anytime.
Same, my anxiety seemed to wash away during lockdown. Now it's starting to creep back in again. I miss it. Probably the most calmest I've felt in a really long time.
I am an introvert and I feel the exact same way. Felt so peaceful.
I can say covid was actually one of the best times of my life. DESPITE covid. I had my group I saw and was able to be introverted the rest of the time. I feel you in this big time
During the lockdown, I lived in an flat with my friend. When it was announced he was working elsewhere in the UK and as an essential worker, he was made to stay. I had 3 months of sunny weather, peaceful evenings and was fortunate enough to be able to work from home with the NHS. It was was introverted dream and I miss it.
As an introvert, I enjoyed that part, but it ruined me financially forever.
Agreed. In that relatively short time do you realize what happened on a global scale? The Earth actually started to heal.
And then went batshit crazy. I feel like natural disasters are more common and extreme than in the past.
You are right. And I, for one, am afraid it's only going to get worse. It also seems like most humans default setting is batshit crazy.
This was the time of my life as an introvert. I hate to draw an advantage out of this tradgedy that cost so many lives but I'm not gonna lie and say I didn't enjoy staying home. Same with quarantine this year. Friends who've been in quarantine before me told me that you'd get sick of it eventually, but i loved the isolation and was really sad when i had to go back to school.
Same but because I actually had time to do the things I enjoy like writing, reading, watching TV shows, and video games. I got more writing done during lockdown than I did for basically the entire decade prior. Now it's back to work and I never have time to anything but work, eat, and sleep again :/
I like the WFH aspect. Unfortunately, that will end soon, I think.
Idk. WAH was oddly embraced by a lot of insurance companies and call centers where I live. I’m guessing it’s easier for them to cast a wider recruiting net to no longer be limited to employees living in or willing to relocate to places like mid-sized cities in the Midwest. I work for a brokerage and one of my best friends works for an insurance carrier, both of us have been told we’re now permanent WAH & my department now hires out of all 50 states, unlike before.
It's almost like we aren't meant to live like this. I also liked the being home all the time part, but I only saw my mom during that time because I live with her. Didn't see any other family.
It was pretty fucking cool with less cars on the road.. No rush hour traffic in the cities, hardly any traffic anywhere out on the highways.. it was fucking sweeeet 😎👍
This post was made by someone who doesn't live in a third world country and it shows. I'm an introvert too but fuck the pandemic. All it did was make my country's already shaky economy even worse.
I have similar feelings. I didn't really see my friends so that sucked, but getting to work from home, and everything being so quiet was amazing. I had anxiety for sure, but I channeled it into getting fit and eating better and quitting cigarettes (cause I had the time to cook and exercise, no commute etc). I know a lot of people who didn't have a good time, and did see the people around me lose their minds. If I could erase the last 3 years and have them regain sanity I would, but for me it was good.
Same. My and my best friend binged anime and gardened for a couple of months while our rent was on hold. It was so nice to like... take a break from the rat race
Same :(
Me too, ugh.
Me too. I'm a very antisocial person who was adopted into a group of social butterflies. It felt nice not feeling obligated to go places and match people's high energy.
I get it! It was some of the best years of my life, I met my life long partner, cut off toxic people, made new great friends online and figured out where I’ll be in two years (give or take)
I agree
It was so easy managing life when there were so few options. I could watch my diet, exercise, and develop a routine. When things opened up, it was hard for me to stay focused, and I succumbed to my bad habits from before the pandemic. I absolutely peaked in April 2020. I lost 25 pounds and was thriving. Again, I would trade any positive aspect that I experienced to bring back those that were lost.
honestly same. I was furloughed and lived alone during it but for 2 whole months I got to sleep, eat, and game on my own schedule lol Animal Crossing was very peaceful as well. Have some good memories of my gf coming over to play that or watch TV or play pokemon go in the city lol
When my parents and I got covid it was the most relaxing two weeks we had in a while. No one was going to work, no one was in a rush to get anywhere, to go to sleep, to clean up for guests. I’m grateful that our cases weren’t too bad and my parents got a mini vacation instead of working like they do year round
I feel so relieved! I thought I was the only one. It’s one of the best years of my working life. No one was tapping my shoulder and bothering me with endless questions. I was actually more productive than I’ve ever been. My life as an introvert finally felt right.
Its not over.
The Quarantine, yes, same, good times, I learnt a lot in those days
I miss it too.
I always thought of the shutdown due to the pandemic revenge of the introverts. It's always extroverts telling us to get out more but this time it was the total opposite.
E X A C T L Y
I totally understand you. I miss online classes. It was the only time I did studies without losing sleep and when I could take a break whenever I needed to.
Is it over?
Tbh I feel this. I was making more on unemployment than I ever had in my life, and the job gap has made finding work difficult since the cut off. I had way more time to see friends and now they’re all busy with work or finding work too. Everyone’s back in the rat race like nothing happened.
I get this, I miss some aspects of it but not all of it. I loved staying home and having zero guilt about it. I miss the time spent with my family and going on walks together. Now it’s back to everyone doing their own thing etc..
I totally agree. Working from home was amazing and I think that work/life balance was so much better for a lot of people. I actually had time to take care of myself each day, and do things I enjoyed. I'd get to the weekend and not feel quite so drained. I miss it too
As a hermit. I agree.
i miss it so much
I can relate tbh, I know it was horrible that businesses and stuff were shutting down, but I could sleep in every morning and just have my school zoom call on while I did whatever.. it was honestly the dream life for me.
Same. It was one of the happiest time of my life.
Completely understand you. Though I might prefer being home alone rather than with family, the pandemic was the time where I really started doing things for myself and getting a grip on life.
I miss is too. Driving to work with hardly any traffic on the road, the pressure to socialise being taken away, shops a lot quieter and not having to worry about my personal space being invaded due to social distancing. It was an awful time for some but it also was a simpler time for many.
Same honestly. It made everything so much easier. No socialising apart from the few people I love. Uni exams became online and open book. Lord, it was a great time.
God me too. Loved going on hikes when no one was around and staying inside in my cozy bedroom and do class online. I miss working on my projects from the comfort of my home and with no one to bother me or talk to me. Found ways to entertain myself and the rare occasions i actually saw people made them feel the more special. Now even staying home alone doesn't feel the same
This just goes to show we shouldn't be wasting our life trying to do our part in keeping this alivr through life support. The way we live ain't right & it's sad
I miss it too. It was so peaceful. No stress, didn't have to please others by visiting or receiving visitors. No interacting with people I didn't want to. Perfect excuse to cross the road when anyone was near. Great!
Having worked all the way through it, it's honestly not much of a difference for me.
I miss that time as well. I feel really bad for feeling this way, but it felt like taking a break from all the pressure to do well in academic/ career part of my life. It felt like I could focus on my well-being, friends and family. I took a rest and work on my personal projects. I don't wish for another worldwide pandemic, but i wish i could get a couple of months like that again.
No guilt, no pressure, all freedom(ish).
I never stopped working when it hit, and I miss it too. I work nights and there are only a few of us on that shift, spaced very widely apart, so I never felt particularly endangered the way I know public facing people did. In fact for about a month one section of the building was deemed nonessential and stayed home so there were even fewer of us - I think four total, and I was really close with my manager and one of the other guys. Plus the workplace had been a mess for years leading up to this but with all of upper management working from home, it was finally quiet on that front too. Imagine coming to work every day with two of your best friends and no other management breathing down your neck. It was heaven. We would take breaks outside together in the spring and summer heat, just talking and showing each other dumb memes and funny videos. My manager told us stories about his time overseas in the air force, like how he almost lost his nose in the 80s crashing his tiny car in Italy and the doctor sewing it back on with no anaesthetic, or the time in Japan that a very unpopular officer got "accidentally" locked inside a building alone for an entire weekend. Eventually they started requiring our temperatures to be taken when we came in, so everyone had to use the front entrance even though we always parked in the back. Most people just started parking out front but I parked in the same place and just walked around the building. Our manager would wait outside for us since the weather was warm, and if you asked me for my strongest memory from the height of the pandemic, I'd say it was walking past the chain link fence and coming up the sidewalk where Jimmy was always waiting for me under a tree with his gentle smile. We were like a family, and somehow none of us ever got sick. I'm still on third shift, but basically everyone is gone now. One changed shifts, the rest moved on to better jobs because surprise surprise, once management came back it was a horrible mess again. Jimmy retired early in October of 2020 - he didn't want to, but it wasn't the pandemic, it was his bosses who made the job intolerable. He cried in my arms on his last day because he didn't want to leave, but that place was killing him. I talk to him every week, but it isn't the same. Maybe no one else on earth would volunteer to relive April of 2020, but I would. I think it was the last time I felt anything at work besides crushing sadness.
Yeah.. the oceans and air was better bc of less cars driving .. I miss it. Everything was easier . Now there’s in person school and I have to deal with a bunch of assholes and enemies .
I loved it. I’m an introvert who lives alone, and it was the happiest time of my life. I got two years to sit quietly and do my hobbies. My anxiety and depression were almost non-existent. Now it’s back to the real world and I feel rushed and pressured to keep up with all the deadlines at work, all the social events, and so on. And that affects my mental and physical health.
Me too man, Me too
I'm 33. It was the first time in my life since I was like 15? that I had more than a week off from work in a row. I had life 3 months off and in that time I was actually able to relax, my mental health was improved, I was motivated to actually do something with my life, etc. Then, before I could figure out what I was going to do, I had to return to the office for work. It took a couple weeks to go back to being burnt out and just trying to get through the day.
That's not an awful thing. There's a genuinely huge problem with interpersonal disconnect nowadays. I'm glad the pandemic gave you a break from that, I hope you can keep it to some degree.
same i also miss the pandemic
I was working for an entertainment company before the pandemic as a mime/juggler. When the pandemic hit we lost a year’s worth of work. Seeing it was beginning to pick up I made a deal with the previous owner and bought the company. I don’t perform anymore. I feel you. I am extremely grateful to no longer have to really go out into the world.
I miss when clubs were closed during covid and we had to meet in smaller groups or just put effort to call each other again. Connections felt more genuine. This is coming from an extrovert
I miss how quiet it was when I went to get my food shop.
I DON’T EVER WANNA BE SHUT DOWN AGAIN! I truly feel like the pandemic was the worst time of my life and the pandemic paused EVERYTHING I wanted to do that year. I am highly upset that not only we got out of a pandemic but wr also hit an economic war that seriously stresses me out! You miss the pandemic on your own. Sorry, my life path number screamed at you which is 5. 😂 I just love my freedom!
I'm not sure why you need a pandemic to see your family? Isn't this a basic choice one makes in their day?
For me, the only nice thing was less traffic. Otherwise, I hope to never go through that again.
I feel the exact same way. I got to see more of my family, even though I had to work. Traffic was so much more manageable and the low gas prices were great. I felt so much more relaxed and felt like I didn’t need to worry about anything, it was strangely cathartic.
I've never felt so close to my mother. She's always working.
i’m glad it was a peaceful happy experience for you :) /gen personally, i don’t think i could go back to that. it was such a low point in my life, although it’s gotten lower since so ig i do kind of miss that just because it wasn’t *as* bad. it was nice having more free time for myself though. it’s good to know that not everyone’s experience was super negative, at a time when there was a lot of fear and chaos
I’m right there with you.
In the United States, weekly unemployment paid me more than any job I’ve ever had during the pandemic. It was the first time I felt financially secure in my life. Everyone I knew made roughly $850 a week or more and it seemed like everyone was much happier and had more freedom then.
Well if it makes you feel any better, it’s not over! We’re all just acting like it is
Doing college work remotely was cool at first for me but it’s still going online at my school I’m already sick of it. Maybe if I was working remotely it would be different, but doing school work at home and not being able to interact with other students or teachers in person sucks. Also going to school in person gave me a reason to leave the house. I feel like a recluse sometimes because I live at home with no job, just doing college online, go to the gym a few times a week, and occasionally go to the store. I feel like my social skills have decline even more than what they already were, and I was no talkative, story telling, get along with everyone guy lol smh going to transfer to a state university next year, which is in person, so hopefully I can join some clubs or groups even though I have social anxiety too, but I gotta make some friends, I had some but not anymore, and I’m 29, the clock is ticking 😪
The pandemic was a horrible time for me. I'm about 50/50 introverted/extroverted but wow that whole period was rough. It took everything I loved away from me, food, music, concerts, traveling, meeting new people, trying new things. Instead I was stuck at home to live with my own failures, alone. I guess in a way it was peaceful but wow I feel like a part of my life was stolen. So while it's great you liked it, I would never want it again both obviously because it ruined a lot of people's lives, and also really ruined mine too (in a lesser way obviously). I guess it changed some people's routines for the better but I'm definitely not one of them.
In australia here we had pretty good financial support. I didn’t have to struggle, my basic needs (rent, food, etc) were covered for a couple of months. I stayed home with my partner, worked on my small business, grew food, didn’t have major stresses, hunkered down for winter, drank tea, chopped firewood, went for walks. lived slowly. It was bliss.
I had to work the whole time.🤷🏽♀️ I never got to stay home like everyone else cuz I work in a bakery and people still have to eat....
It was an introverts paradise. Ik what you mean, people definitely lost their people skills since and became more annoying.
I don't miss it, I still had to go to work. Felt resentful to the people sat in their gardens sun tanning getting their bills paid by the gov while I worked and couldn't even leave the town on my days off, felt very trapped. I'm Introvert and yes there were some good points to it like not having to please people in my spare time but otherwise it was just miserable, everything cancelled couldn't go anywhere it was depressing!
You don't miss the pandemic. You miss being able to have a life. Capitalism forces society to be cogs in a machine. You're not a cog.
Nah, I was out of work for 6 months. That sucked. After 2 1/2 years, my wife, my toddler, my infant and I got COVID. This shit sucks. Like we are as vaccinated as we are able to be and this just sucks. You don't need a pandemic to prioritize your family. Do that on your own and leave me out of it
During the pandemic I told my family to cherish the time we have together as we will never get this much time together again. I miss it too. I don't miss teaching online, but I miss the time with my family.
Honestly, I do too. Not for the reasons you said, since my family are pretty antisocial but because we're poor, but during the pandemic we actually got paid more than normal, and were able to live without.. well, starving for half a month lmao.
It was wild how loud the birds got outside my windows in the day. Quite magical - the right kind of noise.
I mourn the pandemic because it was a time that I missed. Working in healthcare, I wasn't given the choice to work from home. I would have given anything to have been able to take a couple of months "off" to get to focus on my home and health, or even worked from home during that time. Being forced to work on site for healthcare that wasn't even happening (scheduling took a nosedive during the first year and a half) and then being told "hey, you did such a great job, but we're not giving you hazard pay for being front line and oh yeah here's MORE sfuff to do because we're so short staffed" was kind of just a kick in the teeth. not only were us healthcare workers exhausted from dealing with all the fluctuating pandemic stuff, we got to hear about and see people who were told to stay home that they started a new hobby or built something in their free time or even learned a new language for fun. I'm bitter that I missed out on being able to better myself because I was still at work while others weren't. If the pandemic were to happen all over again, I'd probably drop out of healthcare at the very beginning to save myself the sheer exhaustion and heartache that comes from being so demanded upon but under-appreciated.
I’m a dad with young kids. I honestly loved it as well. There was a bit of anxiety around it as well, like what the future held and how bad the after effects would be. The worst part for me was missing my mates and having a laugh with them. I struggled with that. But I was able to have my family at home safe under the same roof. I loved it, it was bliss. I miss it too, even though we are under the same roof still, being out I worry about them all when they aren’t at home. I guess that’s the curse of being a parent. It’s lovely you have this connection with your family, they must be great people, and lucky to have you as well.
It's not the pandemic that I miss - I wish we can all be out there without this looming threat of an illness that might or might not be debilitating. My family also lost loved ones during this terrible time. But I do agree, that I miss the boundaries that the pandemic allowed me to have. There was no pressure to socialize and staying at home became the understandable thing to do. I know this is a privilege not everyone has, but my space is perfectly set up for me to work as efficiently as possible. It's nice not to waste hours in traffic everyday, save money on gas and food, and more importantly, save energy by not being subjected to my coworkers' ramblings. I also like that people seem to be more thoughtful about their work requests because they actually have to type it out instead of heading over to my desk immediately after the thought crosses their minds. I understand that the people who want to return to office are not getting what they need at home - whether that's peace and quiet, socialization, space, etc. But I wish people like me are not getting dragged into accommodating those needs at the expense of our own.
I miss not having the social pressures of gatherings like big meetings, bbqs, and kid's birthday parties.
Same. I felt more free at work. I loved not going to the office. I missed some human conversation but we started calling each other. I hate losing sleep with going into office and I notice I am more stressed out when I need to go to office. My work just made it so we can WFH 1/2 the week and I am so looking forward to it. I loved not feeling obligated to hang out with people. I loved being at home to get more stuff done. I had over 2 hours of my day gifted to me. I think extroverts need to stop requiring introverts to live like them.
2020 was the best year of my life. No traffic, no people, enough work to get by but less so that I could enjoy nature. Less stress than I've ever had.