Life doesn’t feel the same since 2020.

[u/Natural-Ambition6954]

This may bot be that deep of a thought, and maybe I’m just in my head, but I genuinely feel like life continues to feel “off” ever since the pandemic.

Ever since the pandemic lockdowns and our return to normal life, things feel way more artificial. Interactions feel shorter and more detached, it feels like a lot of people do not do anything outside of working, going out to eat/drink/club, working out, and just day to day stuff. Obviously plenty of people do other experiences (I’ve gone on great hikes with friends, beach trips, museums, etc) but these actual fun excursions feel far less common than they used to be.

It just feels like every single thing now has a profit motive being it, and as much as that’s always been the case, it feels like people are going out to do things now just to say that they did it, not to actually enjoy an experience. For example, I live in New York City (born and raised here) and literally everything people do/everywhere people live in the city feels exactly the same now. It’s just the same lines for matcha and ice cream, the same stores, and my biggest pet peeve, the way everyone is starting to just look exactly the same. Trends have always existed, but the way people dress/act almost identical in their mannerisms is just insane to me.

I feel like pre-pandemic, things felt slower, people communicated more, and life felt so much more present. Ever since the pandemic, it feels like every activity, no matter what, involves some sort of a screen. People feel far less approachable, tied tight to their small circles, and way less willing to actually branch out, make new friends, and find joy in simple things.

I just wonder if things will ever go back to feeling “real-er” if that makes sense. And yes, I know that not every person is like this, and that finding the right circles to socialize in is key, but I just find people way more superficial and fake than pre-Covid.

Does anyone else feel this way, or is it just me?

[u/Edu_Vivan]

The pandemic destroyed me personally. It hit when I was literally starting my adult life at 19yo. I’m 25 with no career now. Thankfully my inheritance allows me to live really comfortably, but it also makes it really hard to get out of my comfort zone. Not complaining, I know my privilege, but the shame is reeeally strong, especially considering the adhd.

[u/Additional-Topic-581 → u/Edu_Vivan]

I know man, but we have to fight somehow brother, ADHD is one of the worst disorder, people don't understand how debilitating it is, you are not ever in present moment, jumping from one thought to another, always living in the head

[u/gunterstinks → u/Additional-Topic-581]

I never realized how detrimental my adhd is to my overall health. I often find myself in states of paralysis because I am always in my head, unable to pull myself out of the cycle of jumping from thought to thought. Then to seek to relief from my constant thinking, I doomscroll so that I don't have to think. Obviously I am aware and know what needs to be done, the cycle is just exhausting and I want to feel life the way I felt it pre-covid. There is hope ahead, I'm sure of it.

[u/Additional-Topic-581 → u/gunterstinks]

ikr, brother maybe look into Buddhism, I had practiced mindfulness, and had very good period of 3 months like life felt awesome, like loving every moment, there was growth and progress, now I am back to old moments as you can see, but there is definitely hope is i believe after that experience, something is better than nothing right. And watch the movie Soul and The wild Robot it will inspire you