This lockdown doesn’t feel anything like the last two. There are no long springtime walks amidst brightly coloured tulips. The neighbourhood streets are frosty and deserted. There are no wide-open back doors, no pottering about in our gardens, no sunlight pouring through my study window and by 4.30pm I am already drawing the curtains, having a cup of tea and watching the news.

As we have already been forced to slow down, I suppose we have eased into this third lockdown a little more effortlessly. We don’t feel so bewildered and have grown used to the idea of it all, relieved that a vaccine is being rolled out.

At least we have more chocolate and wine in the house left over from the Christmas festivities this time. It has been a nice quiet Christmas within our bubble. I’m still catching up with some Christmas movies I recorded like Calamity Jane and Carry on Cleo. My husband is finishing off his Lego Star Wars Storm trooper helmet and is beginning his new year by clearing out his shed, building up a pile of old tech, a broken stool, shredded files, old rusty garden tools and he’s off to the tip.

Throughout autumn 2020 I rather enjoyed sipping gingerbread cappuccinos on park benches with the odd friend and was pleased that I had perfected the use of Zoom and made a few ‘virtual’ classmates on my creative writing course. It feels good to have another go at improving my very basic botanical drawing skills and move on from drawing exotic orchids to winter roses. I have another opportunity to improve my baking skills and have moved from beginners' to intermediate French on Babble.

I suppose we’re all grateful for smaller things these days. We have had to scale down our expectations, redefine our values, reorder priorities and accept these challenging times. The fact is that as 2021 dawns, we are still all in this together. So many things in our lives have changed both within and without. Many illusions about ourselves and our lives have cleared away like a fog dissipating and moving off to some distant horizon. The lockdowns have given us time to reflect and gain a clearer perspective on who we are and what we want, finding out who our real friends are and opening up to a more local life. We have hopefully matured through both positive and tough life experiences and can never go back to who we once were.

As we are living in historic times and will live to tell the tale. Maybe we should all seriously consider starting a journal. Who knows? Over time, it could become an historical reference for future generations. We could fill the pages with personal reflections about learning to pause, to reflect on what is and what isn’t working in our lives, and with the little things that we are also genuinely grateful for so that when we refer back to it, we will feel uplifted and inspired by memories of taking walks in the brisk Winter sun, the scent of freshly cut lilies on a newly polished dining table, or that first sip of morning coffee after a sleep-in.

I recently stumbled on a book, Consumer Detox, by Mark Powley. The author founded Breathe: a Christian Network for simpler living over a decade ago. The book is divided into three parts. In part one, Powley discusses the possibility of changing our lifestyle from consumerist cultural influences, to a gentler pace of life. Part two of the book he discusses slowing down the rhythms of life, the importance of real relationships and the benefits of ‘stopping.’

Although the book was published back in 2010, I find it eerily pertinent to what we are going through with these lockdowns. Maybe Powley thinks this is exactly what society was in need of, “Stop is not the world’s favourite word… we live in a world of 'always on'.

“The world says: Hurry, rush, quick, now, on demand, immediate.”

He argues that “stopping recharges us… but also confronts us… with what’s going on under the surface of our lives.” Stopping brings a freedom and ‘once we’ve pushed through the pain barrier, we realise that we can live without these things.”

In part three, he considers the gift of giving. Powley observes the importance of embracing a deeper and more generous life giving our time and nurturing real relationships, becoming more fully involved within our communities and giving us a bigger vision of our own individual lives.

Powley addresses the more shallow aspects of our lives, reconsiders the ceaseless pace, our overcrowded schedules and how our addiction to mindless consumerism devalues our time, which could be spent helping others or getting in touch with our own creativity in order to appreciate life more fully.

In a podcast from 2011, Powley describes how he gave up his car for a year and how a friend downsized and worked a four-day week so that he could slow down and devote some time to volunteering within his community. If only we could shift our way of thinking and "recapture wonder". Powley maintains that if we cultivated "that sense of inquisitiveness…and thankfulness we might become more attractive as people".

What he’s saying makes sense and his words make me think about where my love of retail therapy is coming from. The colourful displays, trying on different clothes, the little chats, the music, the scents and ‘the having’ instead of ‘the being’ just for a moment or two.

For now, I just need to get through January, get back on my exercise bike, eat more vegetables and lose a few pounds. As I cycle, I think about things. Okay I get it, Mr Powley, the seeds have been sown but every now and then my mind reverts back to the thought of those divine Kurt Geiger clutch bags I saw in John Lewis in December. This may take some time and I realise that I have some way to go.

  • Marisa Laycock moved to St Albans in 2000. She enjoys sharing her experiences of living in the city. These columns are also available as podcasts from 92.6FM Radio Verulam at www.radioverulam.com/smallcitylife