some soft in these trying times

[rlyqueer]

Other people are posting some fantastic resources and distracting content, so I just wanted to slide in with a couple minor contributions of my own.

Don't forget to groom!
If you're practicing social distancing, self-isolating, and/or self-quarantining, try to maintain a grooming and self-care routine. This especially goes for if you aren't feeling well or if you're sick, like I was last week. My mental health took a dive when I let my grooming routine fall by the wayside, then bounced right back when I remembered to pick it up again. It doesn't matter if no one else is going to see you—keep doing the things that make you feel good and taken care of.

Some nice distractions.
Currently binging Junior Bake Off, and it's very charming! That's a playlist of the most recent season, which I started this weekend, and here's a larger playlist of the other seasons.

If you like soothing games, I'm plugging Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp. You don't need a gaming device for it, just a smartphone—which was the big draw for me! I've been playing for almost a year now, and it's the perfect blend of constant new events and repetitive gameplay that keeps me engaged while letting my brain take a break. A solid distraction, and great for when I'm feeling fidgety.

And here are some of my favorite channels on YouTube:

Bon Appetit, starting with Gourmet Makes and It's Alive but most of the shows are solid.
PBS Eons, for those interested in the history of life on earth. Informative channel for the prehistory nerds.
Journey Through the Microcosms, a channel about micro-life. Soothing with stunning visuals.
TierZoo, a hilarious gameplay take on zoology.
OverSimplified, explaining historical events with amusing narrative and animation.
HidaMari Cooking, an ASMR channel with no talking and no music, just baking.
The Corridor Crew, particularly VFX Artists React.

I'm on Discord!
This is something I've been meaning to post for a long time, but I almost always have Discord open on my phone. I'd love to chat and get to know you better, fandom friends! You can add me at arie#8997 or drop me your handle. ❤️

Comments

[clevermanka]

Yes! That first one is so important! As someone who's pretty much home-bound as like, a general lifestyle, this is crucial. And even though today looks pretty much like any other day of my life (except I don't have the option to order take-out for dinner if I get lazy/tired tonight), I still took an extra long time in the shower this morning to gave my feet some attention with the pedicure grinder thing. Maybe tomorrow I'll do a face mask. Just... something to remind my body that it's still here and we're still living in this world (whether we like it or not).

Thank you SO MUCH for the reminder of PBS Eons! I forgot about it and have made my way through all the Netflix documentaries that interest me. I appreciate having that in the front of my mind, now, and I'm off to mark the first video for later so I remember.

[rlyqueer]

Yes, exactly! Similarly, I work from home and have done so for over 6 years, so things haven't dramatically changed in my own day to day life. However, I'm definitely not used to getting sick (knock on wood—I only get sick once or twice a year), so that's what threw me off my game and turned me into a little gremlin. A long, hot shower does amazing things for mental health! I also trimmed my nails and gave my face a nice close shave (god that hair grows maddeningly fast). A face mask will be my next activity! And maybe I'll paint my nails. Little things like that go a long way to remind my body we can still feel nice, even with all the recent stuff going on.

And YAY you like PBS Eons, too! That makes me so happy! It's real good prehistory content.

[clevermanka]

I prefer documentaries with Zero Humans other than the narrators. XD

[rlyqueer]

Yeah that's a mood. I've been thinking of getting a subscription to CuriosityStream, because the documentaries on there look pretty damn outstanding! I'll probably grab a free trial later today. 👀

[yantantether]

The grooming thing is a great reminder, thank you! I had it in mind today on my first morning of working from home when I got up and conditioned my hair.

And I will be checking out Animal Crossing. I'm also finding the History of the World podcast pretty interesting (90+ episodes so far, presented by a man who's engaging but talks Very Slowly, so it seemed like a good time to start it :D)

[rlyqueer]

Yes, that's awesome! Also I love how circular this is because you've just reminded me that I need to buy more hair conditioner!

And omg I've never heard of this podcast, and I'm definitely going to give it a listen. I love this kind of stuff!! Thank you for the rec. :D