I’m indulging in some good old time-wasting this lockdown

There was a huge sense of camaraderie in England during the first lockdown. We posted photos of our sourdough successes (and failures, too), and shared tips on how to stave off boredom with oh-so many lists of all the shiny new shows you could watch online.

By now, though, the novelty of lockdown has long-since worn off. Being “productive”, it turns out, is quite exhausting, and the idea of committing to reading 50 books and listening to 10 new podcasts easily fills one with dread instead of anticipation. 

We’ve noticed this on The Independent’s culture desk, and so our mission has changed somewhat. While we still have plenty of exciting new TV shows, films, books and music to recommend, we’re also reaching back into the past to find the things that comfort us in times of stress and sorrow.

Possibly something that was overlooked during that first lockdown was quite how extraordinary the situation we found ourselves in was. Calling it “the new normal” didn’t hide the fact that this was, for want of a less frequently used word, a completely “unprecedented” period of our lives. Perhaps keeping ourselves busy with new projects and hobbies was too obvious a distraction, when we should have told ourselves it was also OK if we wanted to wallow.

So if you’re feeling at a loss as to what to do with your time right now, consider wasting it. Want to watch Schitt’s Creek on Netflix for the 100th time? Do it! Into the period dramas? Sure, everyone’s talking about Bridgerton, but you can also revisit the Bennett family, should you wish, in the shape of the classic BBC series also available on the streaming service. (If you’re more of a Keira Knightley fan, her gorgeous Pride and Prejudice film adaptation is also there.)

However, one thing I know I’m determined to spend more time doing is reading. As warm and familiar as many of those films and TV shows still seem, books more than anything provide a real sense of escapism. It’s a way to get away from the glare of the screen and into the magic of your own imagination.

Next week, our books columnist Ceri Radford is offering her own selection of comfort reads to beat this particularly nasty bout of January blues. She writes wonderfully of how, over time, she has built a collection of books that she turns to whenever times are hard. Instead of sending flowers or chocolates to friends who need cheering up, she sends books instead. 

“Comfort reading doesn’t mean junk reading,” says Radford. “This is not the cheap white bread of the literary world. There are some books that have it all: as beautifully written and thought-provoking as they are life-affirming.”

So make sure you look out for that list, but also remember, you’re not obligated to do anything in lockdown if you don’t feel like it. It’s brilliant to introduce yourself to new things, but when it starts to feel like a chore, that’s when the fun stops.

Yours 

Roisin O’Connor

Music correspondent