Content And Things That Keep(s) Me Sane At The Moment

It feels like a fog has covered the world these days. The spreading panic gradually subsides and calm returns in large parts. Even if you don't know for sure how things will go on in the next weeks, months or rest of the year, you automatically learn to deal with the situation. And even though I personally have no problem with keeping myself busy at home, I know that this is can be a huge struggle for many people. For this reason, I would like to share a few things that I like to do, especially in this phase, and that benefit my mental health. As I am of course only speaking from my perspective and there are countless other things, please leave your tips and recommendations in the comments, then we can expand the list together and support each other at the same time. Since this matter affects the whole world, I decided to write it in English to make it accessible to everyone out there. I´ll probably update it after publishing it because there must be something I forgot. Keeping that in mind, hope you enjoy this little collection of things that keep me sane at the moment!

YouTube

I am totally aware of the fact, that the amount of time, I sometimes spend on YouTube is certainly not healthy, but for me, it is a form of relaxation and source of inspiration that brings me down after a long day of work or week. In general, I am open to any genre, but currently, I tend to watch a lot of vlogs, music videos and fitness,- yoga,- productivity, -creativity,- mindfulness,- and travel-related things. So here is a small fraction of what I have been loving the past few weeks:

➜ Alisha Marie Vlogs - relatable, entertaining, humor, fun, positive vibes
➜ linh truong - books, lifestyle, animal crossing, art, personality
➜ cari cakes - Seoul, travel, thrifting, books, aesthetic, mindfulness - especially loved making my life feel like a movie 
➜ oh no nina - lifestyle, k-pop, productivity, journaling, real talk
➜ Eric Nam - singer, songwriter, humor, fun content - enjoying his realness with his new format NOM NAMS (in the kitchen)
➜ MadFit - best workouts for every level (from beginner, immediate to advanced), yoga, I especially enjoy the short full-body workout routines to songs like ON (BTS) or Physical (Dua Lipa) which are perfect to incorporate them into your daily schedule (work)
➜ Boho Beautiful - the digital yogi life, meditation, calming, stress-relief
➜ A little bit of Monika - filmmaking, fashion, vlogs, lists of movies or animes to watch (top 5 ghibli studio films)
➜ 10 Drawing Ideas for When You´re Bored - totally recommend AmandaRachLee´s channel about lifestyle, music and bullet journaling!
➜ avantgardevegan - cannot get enough of his artistic way of creating vegan recipes (like this simple bread in quarantine)
➜ MMA 2019 BTS Full Live Performance - even if you´re not into k-pop, watch this and tell me what you think (it´s out of this world!)

Podcasts

Of course, I also listen to news podcasts to keep myself informed about the current situation and generally know what's going on in the world right now, but since I want to get away from exactly these media, there I want to share podcasts, that help you to switch off and forget the seriousness, at least for the glimpse of a moment. So here it goes:

➜ Unsolicited Advice - advice, funny stories (I noticed myself laughing a lot, because it feels like a real friend-talk)
➜ Pretty Basic daily-life, relatable, fun, lighthearted conversations, spilling the tea from YouTube (content, baby, content)
➜ Sonntagsgedanken - ein Blogcast - statements, thoughts, and insights on social and personal topics

Series, Films & Documentaries

Netflix
➜ Next in Fashion - my favorite team was Angel Chen (China) and Minju Kim (South Korea). They are both so humble, innocent, bright and talented, which inspires me to keep on being creative and work for my dreams. 

from left to right (middle picture): chen, minju

Especially Minju Kim´s sense of aesthetics and fashion is exceptional. I honestly have never been interested in designer clothes, but she changed my mind completely. One day I want to own one of her creations and embrace the pure beauty of fashion design.

➜ I'm not lying when I say that the Ghibli Studio films have completely changed my life, especially Kiki's little delivery service, LAPUTA Castle in the Sky, Spirited Away and my latest find: Howl´s Moving Castle! (see channel above: a little bit of Monika)

➜ Miss Americana - storytelling, hardships, eating disorder, hate, society and music industry
➜ Big Bang Theory -  awaken your inner nerd
➜ Modern Family - hilarious, easy to watch with your whole family
➜ Gilmore Girls - oldie but goldie, feel-good, funny
➜ Gossip Girl - probably watched it way too often, so trust me on this 
➜ Queer Eye - LGBTQ+, makeover, body-image, confidence and self-love 
➜ Terrace House - japanese reality show with no script, inspiring and entertaining

Disney+

➜ High School Musical: The Series - 3 episodes in and even though the original movies will always keep a special place in my heart (probably watched it 100 times, no joke!), it blew me away and I can´t stop listening to the songs.

➜ Newsies Broadway Musical - my friend (which is a total musical stan) made me watch here favorite and what can I say...liked it a lot and want to see it live
➜ Violetta - spanish series about music, friendship, family, love, intrigue and life (my friends probably know how obsessed I´ve been with this series since it came out)
➜ The Lion King - couldn´t watch it at the cinema, so I'm glad to finally have the opportunity to change that!

Viki (K-dramas)

➜ Hotel del Luna - mystical, imaginative, captivating, different, funny (IU gets across her role really well)

➜ Extraordinary You - extraordinary story(line) just like the name, funny, all the feels

➜ Itaewon Class: friendship, family, LGBTQ+, life struggles and striving towards success (V from BTS sings the OST by the way)
➜ Memories Of The Alhambra - one of the best dramas, exciting and captivating science fiction

*ultimate K-drama list coming soon!

Literature

Books To Read

➜ Starcrossed trilogy - lose yourself in the exciting, fascinating and mythological world of Josephine Angelini
➜ The Why Are You Here Cafe - one of the best books I have ever read about the finding the meaning of life and work
➜ Falling Fast and Flying High - one of my favorite light-reads, where you can identify with the main character (emotional)
➜ Harry Potter - a classic that should not be missing on this list, because you can get away in the magical world of wizardry and Hogwarts, I especially enjoy the first ones (still waiting for my letter though) 

Currently Reading

➜ Why We Sleep - Matthew Walker
➜ The Child In You Must Find a Home - Stefanie Strahl
➜ Everything I Never Told You - Celeste Ng
➜ Atomic Habits - James Clear
➜ How Not To Diet - Michael Greger

Find more inspiration, reviews, and recommendations in my latest Coffee & Readings or on my Goodreads page.

Online

➜ Daisybutter - petite joys, sundaze and really helpful guide to working from home
➜ Heavenlynn Healthy - gesunde Rezepte/Vorräte für das Immunssystem und spannender Beitrag über unsere Darmgesundheit
➜ Mehr als Grünzeug - sustainability, mindfulness, recipes, fair fashion, minimalism, zero waste, natural cosmetics
➜ The Ultimate At-Home Entertainment Pack & Quiz (The Anna Edit) - quizzes, games, what to read, listen and watch
➜ Morgan Harper Nichols - daily reminders through art and poetry, inspired by real stories 

 

Music

➜ BTS - new album, run-episodes on v-life, memes on twitter and bighit content
➜ Coffeehouse - perfect for productivity, morning and work-flows
➜ Animal Crossing lofi - upbeat, inspiring, fun, childhood-memories/nostalgia
➜ Current Favs - Lauv, Keshi, Troie Sivan, Martin Garrix, The Script and more

Activities

➤ clean and organize the space (here are some tips on how to cleanse your life)
➤ journal your thoughts, let the creativity flow and create fun spreads and themes (here are some of my bullet journal spreads and inspiration on Pinterest)
➤ walk outside (dog or alone) - maybe listen to a podcast
➤ stretch and exercise (workouts, see above)
➤ yoga and meditation - tune in with yourself and your body, relief stress
➤ try new recipes - I started to make my own bread, hummus and granola which are now a staple in our household, taste incredible and save us a lot of money
➤ if you have not tried dalgona coffee, what are you doing?! this trend has been around for some time but it is such a good occupation. It is super creamy, caramelly and instagram-worthy! 
➤don´t like coffee, bored of dalgona or want to try something else? why not try making brown sugar boba at home (it only needs a few ingredients!) - here is a great and easy to follow tutorial for you
➤ play the Switch (or any other gaming device) - I have started playing Animal Crossing and cannot stop, because it is so fun and addicting (also recommend playing Zelda or Pokémon)
➤ why not do things from our childhood again? - sudoku, crossword puzzles, chess or painting by numbers 
➤ learn something new (language, instrument, dance choreo, hobby)
➤ have a dance party at home and play your favorite music (because you deserve it!)

Let´s get social(ly awkward)

➤ use technology to see friends and family (Skype, Zoom, WhatsApp...)
➤ embrace the online community and all the possibilities to share interests and thoughts (hence why I started this blog)

Lastly: RELAX and SLOW DOWN,, because I want to end this on a positive note. With everything going on at the moment we tend to get anxious and work ourselves up, but besides our immune system, we should also need to look after our mental health. Nobody should feel pressured to do any of these things I mentioned at all. Sometimes it feels so overwhelming when everyone seems to do be so productive and happy, but let’s be honest, nobody can do that 24/7. Let’s do what feels good to us, nourish ourselves with good food and a positive mindset. We can get through this, together. Because just how it is said in my dearest High School Musical:

WE ARE ALL IN THIS TOGETHER.