Things We’ve Been Doing to Keep Ourselves Calm and Occupied During Isolation

Hello friends!! We have been is self-quarantine/isolation for the past few weeks, and in that time, we learnt how hard it is to stay relaxed, occupied and happy. Because we thought that some of you may also be struggling, we brought you tons and tons of things to watch, listen to, and do during isolation.

Above all, remember that these are challenging times, so the bottom line is: do whatever makes you happy! Try not to have inhuman expectations for yourself, and take care.

Youtube

Booktube.

• Merphy Napier is so well-spoken and always comes up with original content, even when it comes to over-discussed topics, like Harry Potter.
• Literarydiversions shares a lot of crime and mystery novels, has a cute dog and she is SO ADORABLE with her wife, Helen. Oh, and I adore her accent.
• Readwithcindy is one of the funniest, most sarcastic booktubers and she always makes me laugh.
• Chandler Ainsley concentrates mostly on romance novels, and she has many fun, unique ideas.
• Olivia’s Catastrophe is one of the kindest people in the book-blogging community, and her booktube channel is incredible, as well.
• Paperbackdreams is another funny, somewhat sarcastic booktuber, who puts so much effort into analyzing books.
• Jen Campbell is very chill and is also an amazing author. I love her vlogs and series on the true history of fairytales.
• LucieReads is another more relaxed booktuber. I love her humour and the rest of her personality too.
• BooksandLala has some of the most creative videos out there and I especially love her reading vlogs.

OTHER ENTERTAINING CONTENT.

• Buzzfeed Unsolved is one of my favorite corners on youtube. Even though they share somewhat darker content, the two hosts are hilarious.
• Alex Meyers is quite prolific and has covered loads of tv shows and movies – some old, some new – so you’re bound to find something you’re interested in. Also, his videos are funny as hell.
• Carpool Karaoke is wickedly funny and gives us a more down to earth look into these artists’ life than what we normally get.
• Crosswalk the Musical is one of my favorite things on the internet – it’s a little bit over the top, but it’s great entertainment for musical lovers.
• The Zach Sang Show has some of the best interviews with artists I’ve EVER seen. Very thoughtful and respectful, with the focus being on the music, not on the artists’ personal life.
• Possessed by Horror reviews and recommends horror and thriller movies, and man, her reviews are always so eloquent and well thought out.
• JennaMarbles has over 20 million subscribers, so I’d be surprised if you weren’t aware of her channel, but her videos are a great assortment of random (hilarious) projects and often feature her dogs.
• Micarah Tewers is a high-energy sewing youtuber who is also extraordinarily funny. I cannot recommend her wisdom teeth video enough.
• ERUDA Art paints the most magical scenes which is so peaceful to watch.
• Vine compilations are one of my favourite things to watch when I am feeling down, and now is no different. Chuck “clean” in front of the search if you have little kids around!

podcasts

• The Magnus Archives might be a horror podcast, but listening to it is actually quite calming, mostly because the host’s voice is so relaxed and nice. The content is incredible, too.
• Welcome to Night Vale reports weird-ass news about a fictional town, and boy, it is a journey to listen to this.
• Approachable features two best friends discussing contemporary life topics in a light-hearted and easy-going manner.

working out, meditating

• Workout Apps have been so useful for me before! Many of them are completely free and they will even give you a warning each day so you don’t “forget” about them. (Cuz I sure do otherwise.)
• Yoga With Adriene is an incredible channel on youtube with yoga videos for every level, time frame and occasion (Yoga for Headaches has really helped me out) as well as great guided meditations.

culture and education

• Free Ivy League Courses: I have to admit, I haven’t looked into this properly, but some of the courses sounded really interesting, and it’s something I will be trying in the near-future.
• Metropolitan Opera Streams: You can stream a new opera every day, which remains available for nearly a whole day.
• National Theater at Home: Through Youtube, England’s National Theater is sharing a new musical every Thursday. The first, One Man, Two Guvnors, can be streamed until the 9th. Next up is Jane Eyre!
• The Show Must Go On: A new Andrew Lloyd Webber musical is made available every Friday, and remains so for a 48 hours. Next up: Jesus Christ Superstar.
• Free Audible Audiobooks: Audible have made some of their audiobooks available for free, and you don’t even have to register to access them.
• Eurovision Home Concerts will be happening every Friday, and they remain available on youtube even after. See the first episode here.
• Online museum tours: Many museums offer free online tours, click here to see a pretty neat list.
• Live animal webcams: A lot of zoos have cameras in their enclosures and are streaming live to the internet. Here is a good list of them.

CREATING

• Pinterest: is so fun and easy to use. I love putting together boards for books I have read. Tip: if you’re searching for images, try putting “aesthetic” at the end of your search term.
  Btw, you can follow us on Pinterest, just click on our names! (Sabrina and Vera)
• URSTYLE: This is a site that is great for putting together collages. You can upload your own pictures and items to use, or “clip” them from other places on the internet. Again, I like creating collages based on books I’ve read.
• Design Home is an app/game that (shockingly!) lets you design gorgeous rooms. There are new challenges every single day, and you receive scores for your designs.
• Traditional art: I love watercolour painting, and I got my first supplies really cheaply at Kmart, so it isn’t as inaccessible as you might think and it is very therapeutic.
• Adult Coloring Books: Sabrina has the skills and the will to paint, while I do not. But! What I can do is pick up a coloring book – super relaxing – and color away while listening to some relaxing music.
• Fanfiction: So I haven’t written any fanfiction during this time, but I’ve been reading it. Sometimes it is easier to just get sunk into a new story with characters and a world you are already familiar with. My favourite place to read is AO3, because you can really narrow down your search.

book blogs

• Fun content and new ideas: Drizzle & Hurricane Books, Olivia’s Catastrophe, Clairefy, Weird Zeal, Bookcheshirecat, Forever and Everly, Caitlin Althea, Reads Rainbow, Ruby Rae Reads, Me and Ink, Paperback Princess
• A+ Reviews: We Live and Breath Books, Offbeat YA, The Quiet Pond, It Stars at Midnight, The Literary Huntress, Novels and Waffles, Meeghan Reads

Obviously, the first group also writes great reviews, and the second group also has great ideas!! We just needed a way to not list everyone is one big group!

LET’S CHAT!

How are you doing? We hope you’re healthy and safe. Are you able to stay at home, or do you have work that requires you to regularly leave the house? What have you been doing to keep yourself calm and happy? Please share any tips and resources you have!