Post-lockdown - will you go back to "normal"?

[Saracen999]

Now that the mood music frpm gov't suggests some form of reduction in lockdown is coming, will you revert to life as it was before?

Most obviously, for those that can, are you likely to work from home more?

What about foreign holidays? Wanna get back on an enclosed tube with a couple of hundred strangers?

For that matter, want to risk being stuck in some far-flung place for what could be months, if borders re-close and flights are cancelled, if we get a major second wave?

Will you reconsider where to live?

What about eating out, or buying in?

Even if they do re-open pubs, fancy risking it?

Currently, consumer spending is massively down as people spend less and build rdserves due to uncertainty. Will you go back to pre-crisis spending on non-essentials, or still be a bit cagey?

And so on.


There is some evidence that at least businesses think rebuilding to "normal" is going to take a long time. Years, in some cases, as evidenced by airline announcements.

Is "normal" going to still exist, as it was before, to go back to? Banks are musing about home and/or distributed working, and video-links, putiing demand for hugely expensive city skyscrapers at risk.

And finally, will your new "normal" be built with one eye on preparedness for a possible second wave .... or a completely new and as-yet unknown threat?


Me? Not a lot will change, though I'll take some extra precautions, and won't be getting on a plane any time soon. And certainly won't get on a cruise liner.

No bomb shelter in the garden, though.

[Terbinator]

I'll certainly be being more frugal, I think, in the near future. The jobs market is incredibly fluid and I think we'll probably get hit with a mega round of redundancies and lay off once we open back up.

Luxury purchase will include a new pair of glasses and that's it, maybe one of the newer GOUs in place of an XSX or PS5. GamePass can do the software lifting.

[MagicWok]

Mainly because of my kids, which generally helps make decisions such as this more straightforward for my wife and I, we'll still be taking things easy and err on the side of caution whenever certain bits of lockdown eases - a second wave is a potential thing and there is a delay as to when it happens and the data surfaces. Finances wise, I'm also just going to be frugal, probably till the end of the year and continue to save. Though interest rates for savings in the UK are completely useless right now. Depending on how the year develops we might fly somewhere in December.

Planet-scale wise, it's been so nice to see nature repairing itself relatively quickly in what is a short period of time and I'd hope we would re-evaluate collectively how we can continue to travel with more respect. We'll wipe out the repair progress pretty quick sadly.

There are advanced discussions at my place of work on how we'll stage going back into the studio in the situation where things are able to.

[Ferral]

I think we will be on the side of caution. Our holiday was supposed to go on Tues 5th but when this all started we moved it to 19th and then when the lockdown was renewed for a further 3 weeks we made the decision to put it off till next year so at least it is all but paid for now. The holidays when they re-open are going to be a bit strange the rest of the year regardless with no buffet and half capacity due to distancing so it won't feel like a holiday, at least 12 months and all should be back to semi normal.

We will be more frugal, this has made us realise that we need to use what is in cupboards and freezers etc instead of just continuous top up shops weekly.

One thing I have noticed when taking one of the dogs out is that I have stopped and chatted with plenty folk (keeping distance at all times of course). It does seem to have brought the better out in people round here and it takes nothing to say hello passing by.

[Galant]

I think we'll be a bit more frugal financially. We don't travel a lot so that won't change much.

On the whole, I do think society will return to what is was before simply because it's so ingrained. Governments will have to pass laws to change things substantially.

Here in Gibraltar the government announced a slow plan to release the lockdown. Today is the first day retail shops were permitted to open. After multiple appeals for continued social distancing and 'common sense' here's a photo from Main St. today:



If a strong physical or legal threat isn't there, things will be as they were.

[Jonj1611]

I am going back to doing everything I used to before but with the added going out more not less

[ik9000]

I will try and work from home more

[maxsmith]

I think no body is goiing to normal post lockdown because unemployment rate is going higher so it is difficult to go normal. I think after 3-4 year situation will be normal.

[TeePee]

What's normal?

I'm 'Essential' so I'm still at work as normal. Air Freight rates have skyrocketed, so I'm not going to be out of a job this year, unlike tens of thousands of Passenger Airline pilots.

The changes at work are likely to remain for a long time, after lock downs have ended. Which really means constantly changing procedures going through immigration in different countries. There have been a lot of hotel changes, as hotels are closing temporarily, although many may close permanently. There a fewer options for flights to/from work, and that's a pain but pretty mild. The Lock Down at home as been basically non-existent. Restaurants are take-out only, but that's been the only real change. Fortunately most businesses are open as normal, but that's not the same everywhere. (I'm in WA now, Gallup has been isolated from the rest of the US because the NM Governor is an idiot).

Long term, I may be out of a job next year. Cargo may survive longer, but with the recession and fall in consumer demand, I don't think my company will remain at it's current size. With 30-40% or Passenger Airline pilots on the street in September this year, there won't be other aviation jobs available. I'm hoping to bank enough money before that happens to hold out for a couple of years. I'm lucky that I can live cheaply. If the protests can force the States to reopen soon, we might see the start of a recovery by then.

The Unemployment rate in the US is currently the highest since the Great Depression. We may not see widespread starvation this time, but this is just the beginning.

[Spreadie]

I'm expecting the weeks and months following "getting back to normal" to be a rude awakening for everyone, as the backlash from the marked increase in unemployment hits the surviving retail, grocery and entertainment sectors; and possibly snowballs into an even bigger issue.

[pp05]

Work will be slower for the forseeable future, so will give company time to rearrange the layout to have some distancing.

At home, it's been about clearing out stuff we don't need to make space. But also adding those things that will stop us needing to go out should the need to stay in again arise.

Eating out, haven't ordered a takeway in 2 months. But also haven't eaten as much either.

[Saracen999]

What's normal?

That's where I was heading with this thread. Post-Covid "normal" will not, IMHO, be the same as the pre-Covid, or pre-lockdown, version.

A lot has changed, some temporarily, some medium-term and some, I suspect, permanently.

[[GSV]Trig]

I think "normal" will change for some once all of this is over, there will be some that'll go right back to how they were beforehand though.

We've already been told by work that we'll be going back in stages as events start to come back in and they're already trying to get some sort of calendars from the teams/organisers so we at least have a rough idea of whats going on..

[Ttaskmaster]

People have very short memories. The majority will go right back to behaving as if this had never happened, as seen in Galant's photo.
We'll get more spikes and waves, people will lock down again when told, and then go back to being mindless cattle whenever the farm gates are opened by Farmer Boris.

[kalniel]

I reckon cruises will be nice and cheap shortly after lockdown ends - and hygiene standards should be better than ever.

[TeePee]

I reckon cruises will be nice and cheap shortly after lockdown ends - and hygiene standards should be better than ever.

Probably, but I wouldn't recommend paying up front...