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Is it just me, or has everyone been down in the dumps and sort of lost their will to do anything (including work)?

I used to take interest in painting / reading / exercising before I joined a law firm. Now it seems like I have no hobbies left. And it's gotten much worse since the pandemic.

All I do nowadays is either work or complain or just be sad.
The number of people who are on the verge of a total breakdown now is at an absolute all-time high. Like you need one bad month and they'll snap out.
Howsoever motivating money may be, I feel it is time. We need to think from a long term health and happiness perspective- I can't be happy and healthy with what I am doing right now.

Money may follow eventually. But, to get out of this situation is important.
I can feel this I am on downhill from the very first day of my law school and think how to get away from this in a position which would be better then this.
Too late.

I began in the start of class 9, when we were told to get serious for the board exams next year.
You're not alone.

I'm very close to quitting rather than resuming WFO which will force me to spend whatever little time I have to myself in commute and pointless office pretences. Work itself gives me no joy lately despite decent team and appreciative affirmations from partners and clients.
Worst phase is when everyone else has a holiday and is chilling, but you have to turn up for work.
Just you. NLU grads don't feel burnt out by the silly miseries of law firm life.

(sarcasm)
Guys on a serious note, do you think reopening of offices/universities will add to the misery or will they curb it?
I think it will curb it. Might be wrong, but offline work has some regularity, some fixedness. Of course, firms may still be a pain, less so, because they don't feel like the A0/1 is just sitting at home, let's dump work on them.

Universities - it will ease up big time. Online education is the worst.
On the office front I don't think WFH is that bad, ofc this is only my guess because I haven't been to work. But if the work hours are so bad nevertheless, I'd rather be able to have a pet, work from a nice co working space sometimes with my actual friends outside of law firms, spend some time even if not quality time with my aging parent, sit in a cafe, exercise in a lull hour, switch up the spaces I work in and feel a tiny bit less monitored. I also have anxiety and adhd so my perspective night be different to neurotypicals but I hate being watched working and work better somewhat unconventuonally, pacing around etc. and having some time to collect myself and then call back /respond makes it so much better for me. None of the formal clothing what to wear how to travel tension either. So IMO it should atleast be a tangible and actual option in the long term. Would help parents in the profession, basically gives anyone, whatever the gender or age, more of a shot at a personal life atleast
We feel you OP. The pandemic has caused deeper repercussions in our life than we can possibly fathom. The amount of long term psychological impact that even a single infection of covid can cause is still being studied and whatever I have heard so far is not good. Just hang on. We all are.
For me the downhill began, the moment I entered law school itself, it's an ever crushing and very bad anxiety ever since, even though I am planning on completing law school and getting my degree, I am seriously contemplating an escape route and looking for other avenues. I cant deal with this absolute lack of work life balance that this profession offers and neither does becoming a Judge or Civil Servant seems very much favourable to me. Still contemplating my options.
Same here.

In my case work from home has made things worse. I am just sitting in one room whole day. Afraid to stay away from my laptop screen for more than 10 minutes, fearing that something urgent may come. (Since everything is urgent only).
Everyone keeps talking about mental stress and no support all the time and want to sit at home. In my time, we made friends in office, shared, when the person next to you is working, you are also motivated, you share, survive, learn from interaction, from hand marks, by assimilation of small small changes. WFH cannot replace this goldmine. I think once things are better, going back to office will take care of some of the problems you mentioned. Keep calm, we will survive together.