Across the world right now, the story is pretty much the same. Some regions have just reentered lockdown; some have put in place restrictions that are lockdown in all but name; some have already been in lockdown for weeks.
Conventional wisdom holds that a winter lockdown will be far worse than its summer associate, but there are plenty of reasons the coming gloom might be more conducive to a life lived in the home.
Here are a few reasons winter lockdown is still rubbish, but might be less rubbish than you think…
1. The weather is awful
When it’s two degrees outside, raining sideways, and the roads are coated in ice and fog – it’s a really good time to be commuting to your front room. Many people go into a mini-hibernation during winter anyway, and lockdown means you’ll avoid not just Covid, but also the winter cold.
When going out for a walk requires so many layers you look like the Michelin Man, it might be time to celebrate the great indoors.
2. There are things to look forward to
And by ‘things’, we of course mean ‘Christmas’. Time waits for no one, and there nothing can stop the calendar from flipping to December 25th, whatever may be going on elsewhere. Presents, trees, festive food – all without having to suffer through the office Christmas party. Endure the Nightmare Before Christmas, and it may be A Wonderful Life after all…
3. Cosy comes naturally
Have you ever tried snuggling up in front of a movie when it’s 24 degrees outside, still light at 9.30pm, and you can hear the tail end of your neighbour’s barbecue? Only in winter can you reasonably feel snug as a bug in a rug, inured against the elements and pandemics alike.
The Danish concept of hygge has enraptured interior designers and wellness gurus alike, turning cosiness into a lifestyle just in time for the most indoor winter for decades. When the weather outside is frightful, the fire is extremely delightful – especially with blankies and cocoa.
4. There’s much less FOMO
From Glastonbury to the Summer Olympics, Caribbean beach breaks to bucket list backpacking, during the summer lockdown, you could barely move for cancelled plans and shattered dreams. The early winter months are totally missable by comparison. Unless you’re really into fallen leaves.
5. It’s dark outside
Humans are hardwired to respond positively to natural light, and your brightly lit house has a pretty obvious advantage over the inky blackness outdoors. This is how winter always goes: You finish work at 5pm, it’s already dark, so you stay indoors and watch telly.
6. We’ve had practice
This is not your first rodeo. Your remote quiz team is ready and (mostly) willing, your morning yoga routine is on point, and you’ve rigorously trained your elderly relatives on how to use video calls. If winter lockdown is so terrible, think how bad it could have been for lockdown number one. It’s a small mercy, granted, but a mercy all the same.
