The world feels kind of gross right now. In fact, I feel gross right now. I haven’t washed my hair in four days, my skin is dry and I’m definitely feeling a little bogged down. It’s amazing though, how many things I’ve discovered in the last few weeks that are making me really really happy. I want to share them with you! Read on and feel uplifted.

A mentality: eating good food…and feeling good about it

I’ve ordered takeout from a couple local restaurants lately and hope to continue supporting local as often as I can. It feels good to know I’m doing a tiny part to keep these restaurants in business. Already I’ve experienced so much kindness from people who are feeling fortunate to have the chance to stay open.

On the other hand, I’ve already seen so much messaging about maintaining an in-depth home workout schedule and pressures focused on weight loss since more people are spending time at home. If that’s your goal, that’s great! You can totally achieve any goal you set out for yourself, at home or otherwise. It’s a great time to explore fitness and overall health. However, don’t feel like you have to live up to anyone else’s opinion of what at-home life needs to look like. Bake a cake and eat it too. Drink lots of water. We’re all going through the same things and yet, our circumstances are incredibly different. Everything is a balance and you deserve to live the way you want to.

A netflix binge:

DERRY GIRLS

There’s a reason (okay, several reasons) that Derry Girls is one of my all-time favorite shows to ever grace Netflix. It’s incredibly well-written and one of the funniest series I’ve ever seen. By this point, I can quote the entire thing and quote my favorite characters in a not-terrible Northern Irish accent. I think part of why the series resonates so much is that we’re watching people exhibit resilience in a dark time. Even with the Northern Irish conflict as a backdrop, each episode manages to offer up hope and a genuine sense that everything will be ok.

A ritual or two:

I can say that in an uncertain climate, my rituals become practically sacred.

Rituals are something we can depend on right now; they look, feel, even smell familiar. There's something intoxicating about pouring our morning coffee and putting on fresh clothes for the day. Cooking my favorite meal or video-chatting my sister to watch our favorite movie “together" are like little occasions that fill me up. They remind me that I have something to look forward to. I would encourage you to think over your “typical" day: what are your favorite moments? Are they easily repeatable? Repeat them. Create space to participate in them, whether that be scheduling a break for a neighborhood walk or ensuring you connect with a loved one.

a hobby:

I’ve gotten back into painting since being stuck at home and all the creativity that used to keep me working late into the night in high school is coming back. As someone who used to paint all the time and took AP art classes, I’ve really, really missed it. Instead of trying to reclaim my abilities, though, I’m more just focusing on the creation process; I’m creating something just for the sake of it. It doesn’t have to be “good”, it just has to be. This idea is one I’m keeping close as we progress in this climate: maybe we don’t have to be “good”, we just have to be, and that’s enough.

YOUTUBE CHANNELS:

YouTube has been something that offers me joy for, well, like, a decade now. Here are a couple channels I've come across in the last few weeks that I honestly feel like anyone would love:

TWOSET VIOLIN

I've laughed out loud at every single video I’ve watched and I’ve watched… several. Eddy and Brett are professional violinists-turned-YouTube comedians and their roasts of pop music and realistic take on classical musicianship never fail. Plus, there's some hilarious editing sure to make you laugh. They're so humorous and knowledgeable about their craft that you'll want to binge-listen to some Paganini and practice, well, something, for 40 hours.

If you don’t know who Paganini is, don’t worry, you will.

THE CHATEAU DIARIES

Very possibly now my favorite YouTube channel EVER, The Chateau Diaries has been the best distraction. Stephanie and a colorful array of her friends and family live in a 16th-century château (French for “castle”) in the heart of France, of which Stephanie is the owner (or châtelaine). Videos feature the people living at the château and the various restoration projects that are bringing it back to its original glory. I’m kinda sorta actually considering putting life on hold once this quarantine is over and flying out to Limoges to volunteer there.

Even if you don't watch for the history and intermittent French lingo, you’ll stick around for the magical glimpse into what it’s like to live in a real-life castle. Plus, Stephanie seems like an actual ray of sunshine.

SINGING & DANCING:

Structured dancing, slow dancing, like-no-one-is-watching dancing. It’s all the good stuff. In a time when we’re increasingly static and rigid for most of the day, dancing and using our voices just for the sake of it can feel a bit rebellious. If you haven’t had a solo karaoke sesh yet either, you’ve got to try it. I hadn’t realized just how unused my singing voice has become until I tried getting it to produce good sounds again. I'm making up for some lost time there, luckily for me, there's only my cat around to catch me at it.

My go-tos for singing and dancing to lately are:

Kacey Musgraves’ Golden Hour Album

Fleetwood Mac’s Greatest Hits

2000s hits (High School Musical, anyone?)

Disney, of course

An instagram account:

@thelesliejordan

I’ve loved actor Leslie Jordan for years, without knowing I loved him. I knew him as the heavily-accented “Shut the DAMN door” guy from The Help. Talk about a star character actor. However, turns out I adore his Instagram even…more? His sassy chats are addicting and easy to digest. Plus, he shares lots of positive content that spotlights the best real-life events out there. His account is an essential if you’d like an extra smile in your day.

VIRTUAL FRIENDSHIP:

I’ve been living for the weekly chats I’ve been having with some of my Instagram friends, lots of whom I've never met in real life. It feels incredibly good to have time set aside to connect, even for just an hour of my week. My friends and I I trying to have virtual game nights and while it’s tough to coordinate with everyone's schedules, it's worth it. There are all sorts of platforms to use for connecting face-to face without being “in-person”, too:

Zoom

Google Hangouts

Snapchat

Instagram Live

Jackbox TV

House Party

WhatsApp

Skype

Look at the things that are making quarantine life better for you, and create more room for them. I know that not everyone has the luxury of flexible time and workload, but if we can focus on the positive, things are sure to be better than if we focus on what we can't control. Be kind, stay safe, and stay home!!!