Have You Got Post-Pandemic Envy?

As we emerge from lockdown and start to see our friends and family again, the gap between some of us appears much wider

- Kara O'neill, Tanith Carey

As the vaccination roll-out continues, and the government slowly lifts the COVID-19 restrictions that have kept us indoors for the best part of 18 months, we’re finally being allowed to socialise again. For many of us, that means meeting up with friends and family to catch up with everything that’s happened to them since March 2020. But it’s clear that people’s experiences of the pandemic have been very different and it’s becoming harder than ever not to compare your life to others – particularly when they appear to have emerged from lockdown seemingly happier and healthier than ever before.

One in five adults are determined to have the same lifestyle as their friends, with over half claiming to be envious of their best friend and the life they lead, according to a study**, and now, thanks to the pandemic, these feelings are more prominent than ever before. Perhaps you’ve put on a few lockdown pounds, while your friend has been on a health kick and dropped two dress sizes. Maybe you were forced into furlough while a mate has been merrily working from home – and saving money because of it, ready to splurge on a big holiday when travel opens up again. It’s hard not to feel resentful of a friend’s success, particularly if you’ve had such a difficult time of it yourself. But how normal is post-pandemic envy? And what can we do to stop it from ruining a friendship? Woman investigates.

‘WE HAVE ALL DEVELOPED OUR OWN COPING MECHANISMS’