Covid 19 Part XXXV-956,720 ROI (5,952 deaths) 452,946 NI (3,002 deaths) (08/01) Read OP

Does anyone have any personal experience based advice on how to cope mentally. It’s been nearly 2 years. Should we just accept that the life we knew in 2019 is gone & find a way to make piece with it. I’m well over Zoom calls, banana bread, walking. Covid has caused huge rows in my family & all I want for Christmas is a chance to go to bed & cry without my toddler needing a PCR test. I’m sick of WFH I’m really lonely, my kids are climbing the walls & my family are hard work.

I do realise those are 1st world problems. I’m just wrecked as are we all but it seems to me that a lot of people cope better than me.

Exactly. Team meeting. Water cooler conversations. The feeling of motivation from being around others.

"Omicron will have a high rate of hypochondriacs too."

They would still be hypochondriacs with or without covid.

Those aren't first world problems at all. This is a miserable half lived life for so many. Every tiny piece of joy has been sucked out of life. You can make no plans, have nothing to look forward to because the ground is so shaky. As a parent you can never forget all the normal experiences your kids are being denied.

And that's before you get into the rows rife in every family over whether anyone's fear of covid is higher or lower than anyone else's . Families not speaking because one person thinks everyone should be as afraid or not as they are.

This is truly awful, and it's worse in Ireland because the media and government seem intent on using only sticks and threats whilst simultaneously gaslighting us that "we are all in this together".

I honestly couldn't say with definite it will end. Too many people like to be wrapped in cotton wool so I can see the reaction to this being done for lots of stuff now.

Also, I go back through photos on my phone to remind myself of fun times my kids have had.

When "big things" like holidays in sunny climates, birthday parties with friends, teens getting a bit of freedom/going clubbing - when all those are gone it's easy to forget the "little things" like nice days out, jokes at home etc.

When I get overwhelmed with negativity pictures of my kids/teens being happy are my go to.

Also, when things are open go to everything - cinema, theatre, hotel trips, holidays abroad, do it all. Only in Ireland the message is "yes stuff is open but don't go or we will close it"

They waste no ytime taking our freedom away so I enjoy every last drop of freedom while I can.

We went to Portugal in August and it felt just like it did all the other times we've been away. My parents who would be quite nervous of covid came with us and had a lovely time. We have a trip planned to go to Spain now at Easter and hopefully we will be able to go.

Like others I'd advise turning off RTE and just going about your life as normal. Life is short. We had a tragedy in our family this year and it definitely made me realise there's so much to be thankful for. If you limit exposure to the media things can continue almost like normal! I hope you have a lovely Christmas Elle2008! Longer evenings are coming soon and hopefully next summer will be better...

Definitely not alone anyway, that's the first thing.

I'm surprised we're still locking down so hard despite the evidence that vaccines are largely holding up in terms of hospitalizations.

Interms of how to cope mentally, different for every person, maybe try talk with friends? As alot of people are finding this hard, yes, some harder than others.

Try think positively too, like the days will be getting longer, more treatments are available (covid pill, gsk's antibody treatment, vaccines etc.).

Ultimately, I think there's going to be a tsunami of mental health issues after this so maybe its a case of you need to talk to a councillor or a gp. Either way, there are alot of people struggling and don't dismiss your problems as being "just first world problems"

And as other posters have said turn off the news etc. There's nothing positive they have to say (Something I look at too much 🤦‍♂️)

Just listening to that aswell that Dr didn’t get the memo 😂😂😂 all joking aside seemed to really be playing it down no extra restrictions, peak over, no mad hospital increases all very positive

Yeah . The data is there from SA . It's hard to know what's going on .

If it does turn out or be milder that’s a good thing won’t help us to lift restrictions before end Feb as i still believe the main reason is to cover the HSE inadequate qualities regardless of data. It will take that lent of time to “read and examine the data”. But I’d be confident we will have a better summer this year

Caitriona Perry did the same thing on the news last week . Pushing and pushing MM to close schools . He was having none of her either

I think it’s becoming clear that some countries are using their restrictions as a last resort. It will be interesting to see how quickly the Uk go back to full open and lift restrictions. I think we will have much less restrictions after paddy’s day this year. And hopefully less doom and gloom for the summer and get rid of daily update and numbers