Genuinely recommend messing with your world settings. Lower counts and slower zombies can help you learn while not taking away the entire threat. Also no shame in extending your length of time with active power and water.
It can be difficult to learn, there's a lot of moving parts you have to keep track of. Early on, if you see more than one or two zombie shambling your way, just run. Hop fences if you can, head into the woods, do anything to break line of sight, and if you want to head back where you started, make a wide loop, try to lure them away.
I wonder when the next zomboid update is coming, seems to be soon since it's being tested. Game feels like a whole new experience after each major update so I'm pretty excited to get back onto it
Big changes to the world this next patch so I will guess that you need to start over to really enjoy it. I personally dont mind cause I think the start is the best part