The article presents an analysis of the results of a fragment of an online study conducted by students and teachers of Saint Petersburg State University in April-May 2020, aimed at studying the factors of commitment to self-isolation measures during the COVID-19 pandemic. We consider the subjective assessment of changes in people's lives during the epidemic, both in the whole sample (449 people), and in three age groups: under 23 years, 24—35 years, and over 35 years. The majority of respondents noted changes in their lives, among which the most frequently mentioned are a decrease in physical activity, changes in leisure, changes in the daily routine, a decrease in live communication, as well as the appearance of free time for themselves. People under 35 were twice as likely as respondents in the older group to report that they purposefully added physical activity during self-isolation measures. People over 35 years, among the subjectively important changes in life at the initial stage of the pandemic, also noted an increase in workload and mental problems. People under 23 years of age had significantly higher and average levels of loneliness compared to people from other age groups.