Are you guys pulling your hair out too every time you check the news?
It puts me in a perpetual state of disbelief, despair and discouragement. I will still continue to protest, call my representatives and give to organizations that need our help — but I do think it’s important to balance out activism with sanity breaks.
That break might be different things for different people, but I really like to watch cleaning videos on YouTube. Yes, videos where people wander around their homes and dust, and put things in the dishwasher, and fold their laundry. It’s calming and soothing. And even when my own house is messy, watching these videos still (inexplicably) feels calming. My personal favorite is How Jen Does it. Outwardly, I have very little in common with a stay-at-home-mom in suburban Michigan who has two teenage boys, but I love how clutter-free yet homey her house is. I think she embodies “living with less” but still having her own style really well.
I know watching someone clean doesn’t do it for everyone (the videos made Matt want to run for the hills — houses that are too clean give him the heebie jeebies), but I encourage you to find or rediscover your guilty pleasure. And then, let your brain focus on that, instead of the news, for at least 15 minutes a day. The world may be blowing up around you, but somewhere near Detroit there are gleaming, clutter-free granite countertops and cookies baking in the oven.
And if that doesn’t work, try this. If you are a Chrome user, install this widget (Make America Kittens Again). It turns all photos of Trump to pictures of kittens. If that doesn’t lower your blood pressure just a wee bit, I don’t know what will. Oh. Baby sloths. Those work too.
Agreed. The news is bringing up all those same feelings (and anger!).
Right, Jess?! It really is so depressing and exhausting at times that I need a tiny break — so I can fight on again.
x Lar
I’m going to check out “How Jen Does It” ! I too like watching videos of people cleaning. I get inspired to clean more in my home. Earlier this year I binge watched this show… https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ScLmBiJgdGc which is the British show Obsessive Compulsive Cleaners. People who overly clean their homes (they do things like hoover the air to get the dust before it settles on their beds) are paired with people who haven’t cleaned in months or years. The cleaners help clean rooms but they also learn the stories of the people in the messy/dirty homes. And the cleaners often go home after four days – realizing they may not need to clean their homes as often. I totally learn from the cleaners who clean often. Anyway – you might like the show. 🙂
Totally the same. I don’t have time right now to watch anything, but I used to watch cleaning videos at night after work and I loved it. Especially when I lived at home.
Right now I just try to clean after the baby goes to bed. Last night I did the bathroom and kitchen while talking to my husband and it felt so much better when I crawled into bed finally. You can’t control everything in the world, but sometimes you can at least make your home feel good.
Note: Korance also doesn’t like super clean feeling homes. I do. I think he may be the only husband in the world that complains that I clean too much. (I don’t clean that much. Trust me.)