Significantly better. I'm a shut-in so the pandemic hasn't impacted me in a negative way as much as it has for probably most people and my mental health is a lot better than it was back in 2019 and early 2020 due to leaving the hellhole that is twitter, paying far less attention to politics in particular American politics and getting a boyfriend last year. The pandemic has still caused one of my major hobbies to be massively disrupted, that being watching Smash Bros tournaments and has caused me a decent amount of anxiety at times due to concerns about me or family members catching it, the heavy economic damage and heavy damage to a lot of people's mental health so I'd be better off right now if the pandemic never happened but it hasn't caused me that much trouble overall thankfully. I'm also fully vaccinated now so despite another wave of cases starting to happen in my country I'll manage it better than last time.

Basically the same, but I feel like a better person!

I was on furlough for a couple months but life basically went back to normal after that.

I am in Arizona and I can tell you this has been a popular traveling destination simply because we didn't really shut down, not for very long at least. People were coming here simply because other places were like a prison. Talking to some people it sounded like they were just doing a lot hanging at houses and partying, which kinda eliminates the goal of shutting down or whatever. Also, everybody was going to the few places that were open so it was all stupid when you think about it.

A mixed bag for me too.

Pro-

Focused on getting a new job, and got it.

Saved a ton of money not going out so much.

Haven't gotten sick since the start of the pandemic. Masks work!

Got paid during lockdown.

Cons-

Family got Coronavirus

Was obligated to move twice during the pandemic, so when I landed in my new cities with 0 friends, it stayed that way.

Can't go out for some social time.

Masks suck when it is 90F and 90% humidity.


Overall I gained a lot financially, but nothing socially. I would trade all my money for more social success. So in the end I have to think I am worse off since the pandemic began.

Worse

Never was a outgoing person, but I like to travel, walk and discover places even if alone. With pandemic my life turned to be basically a cycle of working and sleeping. Sometimes I feel like I'm not living, just existing

If you mean the pandemic, that is not going to last. By their very nature, pandemics are finite and inevitably subside, we have had countless pandemics before through human history; the Spanish Flu and the Black Death aren't still going.

Now that effective vaccines are available and being widely administered, herd immunity will start to kick in soon and inhibit the spread of the virus.

I'm sorry to hear you're in a dark place; you seem like a good person and I'm sure I speak for many of us here when I say we're here for you. Feel free to vent if it will help you feel any better. I also strongly recommend seeking out qualified help if you are feeling this terrible, I've been there myself and I can speak from experience in saying that things do get better. Hang in there man, we're all pulling for you.

Better mostly. I'd been dealing with depression, part of which meant sleeping 10-12 hours a day... and it was getting hard to manage law school with that. Having an extra 2.5-3 hours a day by not commuting helped. Towards the end of it I got back on antidepressants which has been great.

On the other hand, it really limited the number of opportunities for internships and clerkships. I feel I had a decent chance of getting into a big law firm and making some real $$$ if not for the limited slots.

800-273-8255

Suicide prevention hotline. Don't know if that was meant seriously or flippantly, but if you actually are struggling, I've been there and it helps to talk to someone.

My e-commerce has gotten better, apart from that nothing's changed.

To me it's one of them things I can't describe it as just better or worse. It's more a period of growing pains. I find change very hard to deal with.

So some good things were:
That I finally learnt that I could live life at my own pace and no one can take that away from me. The rat race finally stopped!!!
I am autistic and that has created some major barriers for employment for me so it's very cool to see flexible working arrangements take off as that will be pretty essential for me to get anywhere in the longterm.
Seeing where I am from (London) in a completely new light. It is always strange to see it quiet but was also cool at the same time.
Living life without any social expectations or judgement, As I need a lot of time to myself.
More opportunities to enjoy nature and be creative.
Significantly less distracted.
Spending much less money as everything was shut.
The pandemic also taught me to not take anything for granted and just appreciate what we do have.
I liked alot that everyone considered each other personal space.
Also I have never felt closer to friends, family and even some of my neighbours, which I never expected to happen.

I learnt a lot about myself and the world in this period and I have no interest in returning to exactly the way things were. I hope people continue to remain flexible when it comes to work and just generally recognise how important health really is.

Some bad things are:
The way Boris and others have dealt with the crisis the whole time. Pretending the problem didn't exist until it was too late has caused so much extra unnecessary deaths and suffering. I lost my grandmother in that enormous 2nd wave over Christmas and it's been very difficult ever since, but I am slowly coming out of the other end.
We're poorer as I couldn't find suitable employment the whole time and Mum was on furlough for 2 months.
End of lockdown is very overwhelming for me, everything is moving too fast!
The future is very uncertain, it will take time to rebuild.
Been pretty lonely at times.
Done nearly everything I meant to do for years in this period, which is good but I am getting bored now.
Knowing that things will never be 'normal' again for those of us who lost people to the pandemic.
Hopefully the absurdity of the pandemic has woken people up to the contradictions in the system so that will stand up for themselves. I really worry about the long term negative impacts of this time on people, especially those in my generation and younger.

So I suppose overall, it's a mixed bag for me and definitely a crazy rollercoaster. All I can say is hope we start to see some major and radical changes in society so that we don't have to go through it ever again.