Make sure you enjoy your break from work hun @For_Your_Eyes_Only_x xx
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Well done, you are a star and I am sure you are appreciate. This virus has a lot to answer for, hopefully we can return to some sort of normal during 2021.
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Have a great few days off @For_Your_Eyes_Only_x, be safe 
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It’s hard at the moment. What worries me are the people that are counting down the days until 2 December, if lockdown doesn’t get lifted then they’ll find it really hard and probably knock them for six.
The dark evenings and weather turning has definitely changed a lot people’s outlook on the situation and the atmosphere has become more somber. Although there was the good news about a potential vaccine, I’m not sure it sunk in for many that it will take many months before all restrictions will be eased. And then it’ll be time to rebuild the economy and work out which businesses sadly didn’t survive.
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@brufton I think that is exactly why the press have given so much attention to a potential vaccine - to stop people losing hope and also to discourage people behaving irresponsibly when the 2nd Dec comes along.
Personally, I think we are in it for the long haul.
Better to find ways to adapt (at all levels - personal, professional, governmental, globally) than to try to resume normality, for now, in my view.
It is - and will be for a long time - a global issue, so people should not be left to flounder.
I’d like to see ‘test, trace, isolate’ working so that everyone gets a regular test - that would allow for much great flexibility both socially and in business, and would also help out younger people who want to socialise and establish relationships and those in education from GCSEs to PhDs (and those things are all important to the future - procreation and education, if stunted, could be very problematic).
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I also think that the amount of press attention given today to the (unconfirmed) leaving of a certain government adviser serves to hide the truly horrendous and highest European death rate in the UK which was announced yesterday.
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And we’ve got the Great Reset to look forward to.
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We are struggling with this second lockdown. My husband is extremely clinically vulnerable and isn’t allowed to go to work (even though he wants too) his mental health has taken an absolute battering and its truly effecting him which has a knock on effect for the whole family. He works for a big company and they won’t allow him to go in as he’s the highest level of vulnerable and they say they will be liable. Which I totally get.
I’m still working full time and the kids are still at school etc so there’s a lot of balls I’m desperately trying to keep up in the air.
But I do think its needed and I wish there were clearer guidelines on what shops should and shouldn’t be open. I agree with others that a lot of people are pinning their hopes on this being over December 2nd and that may not happen.
Sorry, I feel like I’ve off loaded massively there, sometimes you need to get it off your chest thought don’t you? I hope everyone’s coping ok 
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I get exactly where you’re coming from, my OH was furloughed the first time as she’s on immuno-supressant meds, she has refused to be furloughed this time as it affected her mentally last time. As you can imagine, i worry for her health, but understand her mental wellbeing is also a factor. No need to apologise for unloading here, it’s what we’re here for.
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@Forever_his I’m sorry to hear about your OH and lockdown - it sounds really tough for both of you.
I hope you can all look after each other, and I don’t think you are alone.
I threw myself into voluntary work in the first lockdown, which carried me through, but even though I still have that I feel a lot more listless this time round.
I’m not sure we got numbers down low enough to end the first lockdown.
I also have kids at school and that can be an additional concern.
I hope things start to look brighter for you both.
Does your OH have GP / Consultant support?
If he has to work at home (and it doesn’t work for everyone) can he put a new routine in place?
Can you try to build in family treats every day or two? Maybe just take each week as it comes and see what you can all do which would be nice?
Have you got friends you can phone / skype etc? All these sources of support are important.
But, yes, it is all a bit shit with some glimmers of hope - let’s hope they come to fruition.
I think this is absolutely the place to off load at the moment - with friends who are accepting and already know something of you.
Take care.
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I really hope you’re ok @Forever_his
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Hope you’re okay @Forever_his! @MsR makes some brilliant suggestions.
What about your OH maybe taking up online courses? Either learn something from YouTube or there are online education centres that offer courses on just about anything for not much money?
(I have a pet psychology one and a sign language one on the go and have previously done a fraud awareness one as examples)
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I worry though that the press coverage could also give people the false perception of “it’s fine as the vaccine will be here in December so we don’t need to worry about lockdown”.
But I hope you’re right; that people realise it’s a short term pain and next year we’ll be in a better position.
@Forever_his, sorry to hear that. It must be awful for you all, such a difficult balance. The mental health effects from this pandemic will no doubt be far greater but we’ll never know the full effects as it isn’t a stat you can collate and attribute to Covid-19. It’s a bit like Chernobyl in that while we know the number of people killed by the explosion we’ll never know the full number of people affected by the wider radiation.
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Thanks you lovely bunch! He’s a delivery driver so its not a work from home job unfortunately. But we are making do, we know we are luckier than alot of other people for me to still have my job thats not affected.
He gets a fair amount of support from hospital and GPs so again, we are lucky there.
He’s got a few home projects and we have an allotment that needs greenhouse building so am hoping to keep him occupied but still isolated. He’s a real active person so I think that’s why its so tough.
But everyone is struggling right now aren’t they? We just have to try and remember what we are sacrificing this year is so we can still have our loved ones next year.
We are slowly making our way through all the Marvel films again which keeps us all occupied 
thanks to you all, I hope you are all doing ok 
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@Forever_his delivery drivers are heroes 
They have really made such a difference to everyone’s lives, recently, often at personal cost. Give him a hug from all of us!
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