Pandemic Time Skip: How Covid Warped Time

The long COVID pandemic has been a nearly four-year global game-changer. Regardless of who you are, what industry you’re in, your age, or any other factor, the pandemic touched every corner of life for us. It’s been unprecedented and played tricks with our sense of time. 

During the early phase of the shelter-in-place lockdowns, days blended into weeks and months slipped away into what’s now being framed as the “pandemic time skip.” This collective, palpable feeling is something everyone seems to agree on: we all missed out on significant chunks of life.

2020 unfolded, packed with Zoom calls, remote work, homeschooling children, masks, toilet paper shortages, social distancing, wiping down groceries, and birthday car-line parades instead of parties. It didn’t feel like real living. COVID didn’t just alter our routines. It shook our perception of time itself — read on to learn more about the COVID time warp.  

What is the “Pandemic Time Skip”?

The “pandemic time skip” refers to a phenomenon from the earlier days of COVID-19 that many people can relate to. It felt like we had life on fast-forward. One day, it was March 2020, and then suddenly, we were nearing the end of 2023. 

The concept of the pandemic time skip gained traction on TikTok, where users began sharing how they felt about this lost sense of time — when days turned to weeks turned to months, with no clear distinction between them.

People lamented the important milestones and moments that should have taken place without the pandemic backdrop. The experience created a unique blend of nostalgia meets regret and is often encapsulated by phrases like “the stolen years.”

Missed milestones: Birthdays, weddings, graduations

Almost everyone can tell of at least one celebration over Zoom or an intimate wedding ceremony at home instead of in a grand ballroom. According to research in The Knot’s 2021 Real Weddings Study, 80% of couples reduced their guest count, and 45% changed their wedding location in 2020. In 2019, the average wedding had 131 guests, but in 2020 that number dropped dramatically, to just 66. 

Also impacted were graduations and birthday celebrations. From virtual and drive-through ceremonies to outdoor socially distanced birthday parties and neighborhood car parades, no festivity in 2020 looked like our norm. 

The feeling of a “stolen year” and its implications

The gap between what was supposed to be and what actually happened in 2020 tapped into our human need for progress and achievement. The sadness of the stolen year is about more than just missed parties or trips. We continued to strive to move forward but never could quite get there.

It turns out this ongoing state had a severe mental health impact. Since the start of the pandemic, people have experienced COVID-related increases in anxiety, depression, and feelings of helplessness, according to the American Psychological Association (APA). In 2019, the monthly average range of anxiety symptoms experienced by adults in the United States was between 7.4% – 8.6%. By August of 2021, that rate leaped to a staggering 37.2%. 

Depression rates saw similar jumps. In 2019, anywhere from 5.9% – 7.5% of adults reported symptoms of depression. In August of 2021, the percentage of people experiencing post-covid depression was up to 31.1%. 

The societal pressure to be productive vs. the reality of coping

As lockdowns continued, people found unexpected free time in their days. The COVID time warp began as people who were once commuting or sitting in an office, were suddenly encouraged to take advantage of extra hours and do things like learn something new, start baking bread, do jigsaw puzzles, take up an artistic or creative hobby, organize their closets, or buy a Peloton. 

Should we force ourselves to use our extra time wisely, pick up new skills, and find new hobbies, despite the feeling that being productive is impossible in isolation?

As researchers explored this issue — and found that employees who shifted to work-from-home environments might be up to 13% more productive than when they were in office — they discovered that while some people thrived under lockdown conditions, many others struggled with feelings of guilt, anxiety, and shame for not being as productive as they wanted to be (or felt like they were expected to be) in quarantine and close contact isolation.

How to Cope with the Feeling of Lost Time

Dealing with lost time means recognizing our grief for what we missed. Not only must we recognize it, but we must also validate it in a crucial step toward healing. 

Granting yourself grace and compassion and practicing self-care are critical parts of rediscovering our psychological well-being as you recover from feelings of remorse stemming from all the things you missed out on.

Acceptance and self-compassion

Acceptance and self-compassion mean allowing yourself to feel a sense of loss for the time that slipped away during the pandemic. 

Being gentle and kind to yourself as you navigate this experience will help you cope with your feelings. Some studies suggest that people who practice self-compassion might be less likely to suffer from anxiety and depression. This alone should motivate you to try and make peace with the reality of our time skip. 

Reframing perspective

Reframing your perspective means instead of dwelling on what was lost during the time skip, try shifting your focus toward personal growth and continue nurturing deeper relationships with people you connected with during the lockdowns. 

Focus on the new skills you picked up, or try to strengthen those bonds you created. Reframing perspectives is a powerful way to remember that there are always things worth celebrating, even if they aren’t what was expected. 

“While it is hard to forget what occurred during the pandemic, holding onto what could of/should of/would of been isn’t helpful or healthy. The decisions that were made and followed through with were based on the knowledge we had in front of us. Giving ourselves permission to be okay with the decisions we, personally, made during this time helps assuage the feeling of having missed out on some sort of experience. Concentrate on what growth did occur during a hard time.”

– Talkspace therapist Minkyung Chung, MS, LMHC

Mindfulness and meditation

Mindfulness exercises and meditation practices help ground you in the present. According to research, rather than focusing on the past or worrying about the future, being mindful can alleviate anxiety and calm your mind. 

“There are a plethora of relaxation techniques available to a person to help in working through episodes of elevated anxiety/stress/mood changes.”

– Talkspace therapist Minkyung Chung, MS, LMHC

Seeking support 

Talking to friends and family about how you’re feeling is an effective way to overcome the sense of loss you might be experiencing. Any time you seek support and make connections, you can see benefits. If reaching out to people in your life isn’t enough, you might want to consider seeking professional help. Therapy can be instrumental in offering comfort and perspective as you come to terms with the time you lost. 

Consider talking to a professional and learning various techniques that will help in managing the stressors that come with post-pandemic stress. There are a lot of techniques out there, and it is not a one-size-fits-all. A mental health professional can help in tailoring the right strategies for you.

– Talkspace therapist Minkyung Chung, MS, LMHC

Journaling

Journaling for your mental health is an excellent coping tool and therapeutic outlet. Writing down your feelings and experiences and trying to make connections to lessons you learned can help you process emotions. Journaling also offers a tangible record of how you’re growing through any experience.

Engaging in new experiences

New experiences can be a welcome distraction if you’re trying to survive an ongoing crisis or heal from trauma. Finding the strength to engage in new things, try new hobbies, or participate in new activities can help you create fresh memories. These simple acts can begin to renew your sense of time. 

Addressing Pandemic-Induced Emotions in Therapy

The pandemic left a mark on all of us. It impacted mental health and caused emotions that many of us struggle to understand even now, almost 4 years later. It’s important to note that you’re not facing this journey alone. Because we all went through this experience together, finding somebody who can understand your emotions can be helpful.

One positive outcome of the COVID era is the prevalence of telehealth solutions that gained popularity. Talkspace offers you the ability to find professional help from the comfort of your own home, so you can work through any pandemic-related feelings of grief or loss and process the stolen time.  

The pandemic time skip was a jolt to our reality, but if there was a silver lining, it also served as an unexpected pause that offered the opportunity for self-reflection, a time to gain new skills, and the ability to build deeper connections and relationships with those around us. 

Coping means learning to accept what we’ve gone through, and therapy can help you find peace so you can move forward into a future where we’re all shaped by resilience born out of adversity. 

Reach out to Talkspace today if you feel like you’re stuck in the COVID time warp and need help via online therapy.