I hesitated to write about lockdown because I knew most people were ready to put the pandemic behind them. I understood that feeling, but lockdown was also a significant period of our lives—and it taught me a few things about myself.
My experience was easier than it was for many people, and I know how lucky and privileged I was. Still, these are three lessons that have stayed with me.
1. Even introverts found lockdown difficult
As a self-proclaimed introvert, I figured that lockdown wouldn’t be so bad, especially since it was only going to last a couple of weeks (insert maniacal laughter). At the first part is wasn’t. I’m quite comfortable being on my own. I have always spent an inordinate amount of time comfortably alone and in my own head. This supposedly short period of isolation would be a piece of cake.
That said, as we got deeper into lockdown and March became May and then June and we were still mostly in lockdown, I began longing to leave my neighbourhood, be among other Londoners and spend time with people I cared about. No big surprise, but it turns out that most humans need to be able to interact with other humans even if they are really good at being alone.
2. I needed nature more than I realised
Before proceeding, let’s get something clear, I don’t consider myself an outdoorsy person. I don’t do sports or camping. I like going for walks but if that walk means carrying a backpack, making a fire and cooking or sleeping outside, I’m out.
With that in mind, one of the first things I thought about after being in full lockdown for a week (starting mid-March 2020) was that I wasn’t going to be able to see the spring flowers. The Victoria Embankment Gardens always has a beautiful display of spring flowers, especially tulips and I was really sad that I wouldn’t be able to experience it that year.
The good news is, early on in the first lockdown the government allowed people to go outside once a day for exercise. I took advantage of it and began exploring the area where I had lived for about a year. I discovered the Horniman Gardens and was thrilled to see tulips, other flowers and beautiful trees in bloom. Talk about a mood lifter.
From that day forward, I took advantage of the government-sanctioned exercise outdoors. I got to know my neighbourhood more and actually started to appreciate that I lived in a pretty cool part of town. I also appreciated nature and being in it a bit more. Fresh(ish) air is important, and seeing nature carry on despite all the weirdness happening among us humans felt reassuring. I still will not be going camping though. That’s still a hard no.
3. I was wrong about audiobooks
There was a time when I didn’t think listening to audiobooks was a valid way to consume a book. It felt like cheating. Admittedly, it was a snobby way of thinking and I feel bad about it now. I had listened to some audiobooks in the past but only because they were being read by Benedict Cumberbatch. (Can you blame me?) I had an Audible subscription just so I could listen to recordings of the radio series Cabin Pressure.
That weird way of thinking took a permanent turn during lockdown. Suddenly, I was spending at least 30 minutes a day outside walking and needed something to listen to. I used to always listen to music while walking, but now I was turning more and more towards listening to books while on my daily jaunts.
I’ve listened to a lot of books since then, including some I probably would never have picked up in print. Audiobooks have also introduced me to authors I might not otherwise have gravitated towards, especially when the narrator puts real effort into getting the voices right. They have even encouraged me to consume more non-fiction. While I know someone like Barack Obama has a gift for the written word, I knew that listening to him read A Promised Land was going to be so much better than tackling it on my own.
If you are interested in a list of books I listened to, let me know in the comments or you can follow me on Goodreads where I faithfully record every book I read or listen to.
None of these lessons is especially dramatic, but they have stayed with me. I value time with other people a little more now. I also pay more attention to the nature around me, and I am no longer remotely snobbish about audiobooks. Lockdown changed plenty of things I would rather forget, but these three changes were worth holding on to.
