10 Soothing Things to Chill You Out Today

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10 Soothing Things to Chill You Out Today

We had other posts planned for today, but now all I want to do is sit in the corner and have a quiet heart attack. So, let’s all take a quick breather. If you need it, here’s a soft landing place for you…

Above: Look at this little face.

Imagine sleeping in comedian Jordan Firstman’s epic bed!

Take a deep breath and count to 10.

Pretend you’re walking down this path.

Watch this Tetris game with super soft pillow things.

Know that a group of kittens is called a mischief. Also, a shiver of sharks and a crash of rhinoceroses.

Think about your simple pleasures. Says Samantha Irby: “You know what makes me happy? Unexpected phone calls in the middle of the day. Remembering what I liked at that one restaurant we went to that one time. Half-dead grocery store flowers just because they were on sale.”

Listen to toddler Anton name the Beatles.

Watch Li Hongbo’s paper sculptures.

Give someone (or yourself) a high five. Sending so much love your way today. Now, we wait. xoxoxo

P.S. Simple pleasures, and what sounds do you love?

(Kittens photo by Stocksy/Christine Love Hewitt. Pancakes photo by Stocksy/Julie Rideout. Soft Tetris via Kottke.)

Tags: anxiety, news

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folding gate

February 12, 2021 3:37am 3:37 am

kittens are the best entertainers

Emi

November 29, 2020 6:19am 6:19 am

A group of bunnies is called a…

fluffle.

Denise

November 4, 2020 9:41pm 9:41 pm

I used the live jellyfish cam in my Calculus class while they took a quiz. It was very popular and soothing!

Maria

November 4, 2020 7:00pm 7:00 pm

Hi CoJ staff, I would love to see a post rounding up women who have voted for Trump and hearing with their own words, why. I am genuinely trying to understand why it’s even as close of a race as it currently is. Sam Harris’ latest podcast speaks to this and I’m craving more.

Alex

Reply to Maria

November 5, 2020 3:57am 3:57 am

I like this idea

Amanda

Reply to Maria

November 7, 2020 10:30am 10:30 am

This would be interesting! However, it would definitely be a tough one, as it can be hard to make feature posts about a person whose behaviour you do not wish to normalize… would be super interesting if done carefully!

Reply to Maria

November 12, 2020 2:30pm 2:30 pm

ooh. interesting… I would like to read this… but perhaps it would cause a very negative backlash in the comments and then cause a kind of hateful vibe all around, which I feel is generally avoided on CoJ. They try to be positive and uplifting, while still tackling difficult issues in a tactful/sensitive manner. I feel like such a post would be too… difficult to stomach for a lot of readers? I feel like the subject matter would be too volatile. But it’d be interesting for sure, because I am very curious. I have no friends who are outwardly Trump supporters, and the only people I know live deep in the rural areas, where their demographics and lifestyle are completely different from my own. I’d be interested to hear from someone in my own demographic (30s, female, professional) who support Trump… it’d be quite a journalistic challenge to convey the appropriate tone! I hope CoJ considers it.

Susan Y

November 4, 2020 1:44pm 1:44 pm

Yes, I knew the ‘free to leave’ comment would spark disagreement, and for a minute I had forgotten all about how covid makes that practically impossible at the moment. However, in normal situations it is not impossible; I know because I left, and stayed away for 5 years, on money that I earned. Nobody paid a dime on my behalf. I did the research, secured a work visa, later on landed a job in the foreign country, paid taxes, and ultimately received citizenship. Of course that option is not easy for most. So if one cannot leave, what are the options? Be angry, expect retribution, demand that everyone else feels your pain before the world can be right again? I would say, get to know your neighbor; look up local nonprofits doing good work for the people in most pain and volunteer there, or give money. Write to the local paper and invite the community to a forum of discussion and healing. Yes, we do need to be intolerant of intolerance, 100% agreed Olivia! But Jessie, I find it strange that you would just assume I am angry and that I expect others to “halt their mourning in order to make this experience more comfortable for people who have chosen to support a person who wishes to further dehumanize so many of us.” I simply asked for more constructive action and attempts at understanding the other side. – and more reaching across the aisle instead of continued fists in the air. I encourage you to read this article: https://www.city-journal.org/glenn-loury-on-systemic-racism-trump-blm
By the way, I actually voted for Biden, with the hope that his seemingly decent human character would be better for our country right now than the alternative. However, I can completely understand why many voted for Trump, and why many are very unhappy with the direction this country has been going over the past 20 years.

Susan Y

November 4, 2020 12:00pm 12:00 pm

I think it would be way more productive to be preparing ourselves for how how to be more kind and compassionate and helpful toward our fellow Americans no matter who is elected. To be constructive in building and solidifying the kind of country we all want to live in. Let’s face it – everyone -no matter their race or political affiliation- needs to accept that yes, we are all different, and we may never fully be able to walk in another’s shoes, but that at the end of the day we are all choosing to live in this great country- and it is up to us to keep it great. Tolerance cannot be one-directional. (And by the way, if you are embarrassed to live here or to say that you’re an American because of our president or because of 50% of the voting population, remember that you are free to leave…..)

Olivia

Reply to Susan Y

November 4, 2020 12:31pm 12:31 pm

Love your message of tolerance, Susan! But I think it’s extremely privileged to say that people who disagree with the president or those who support him are “free to leave.” Procuring work visas, or any other path to citizenship/long-term residence in a different country, pulling up stakes and starting over somewhere else, requires a huge amount of money and resources that many people cannot access.
Have you heard of the paradox of tolerance? It is true, tolerance cannot be one-directional. But, in order to maintain a tolerant society, the society MUST be intolerant of intolerance. It is not anti-American to criticize intolerance when we see it–in fact, it is one of the mechanisms that is “constructive in building and solidifying the kind of country we all want to live in.”

Jessie

Reply to Susan Y

November 4, 2020 12:49pm 12:49 pm

We are not free to leave, Susan. Either because of economics in normal times (it is extremely expensive and difficult to emigrate), the fact that this is the only home we have ever known, the inability to work elsewhere, or the added present reality that COVID-19 has effectively banned us from all other developed nations. We are not free to leave. Furthermore, it is not the responsibility of people with broken hearts from marginalization and dehumanization to halt their mourning in order to make this experience more comfortable for people who have chosen to support a person who wishes to further dehumanize so many of us. I would encourage you to spend some time with your feelings of anger toward witnessing the pain that others are in (regardless of how they chose to express that pain). Why do you think this stirs anger or resentment in you? Is there something in your heart or history that this shines a light upon that causes the discomfort? If someone called you a fish this morning you likely wouldn’t have any meaningful emotional reaction because you clearly know that you are not a fish. Is there something here that you feel is being directed at you that causes pain for you because perhaps it resonates in some regard? Maybe I’m off base, but your words here suggest to me that the pain of others has sparked an emotional reaction in you that is not one of empathy or tenderness.

Sarah

Reply to Susan Y

November 5, 2020 8:42am 8:42 am

As a citizen of Canada, I am frankly terrified of a continued Trump assault on the environment. He doesn’t listen to the science of climate change and none of us can move to escape that if we don’t like it. Not trying to make anyone feel badly. But many people in the world are freaked out by Trump because the U.S.’s influence is so large.

Betsy

November 4, 2020 11:32am 11:32 am

I stayed off all social media, tv, non-work related computer viewing yesterday. I was about to lose it on Monday. My anxiety is still high, but I love this COJ community so much. I just knew I could come here for calmness. Full of lovely, wise, intelligent people. Hoping for a Biden win, but preparing myself mentally for another 4 years. Time will tell, but I know I can always count on this lovely group for comfort, in the coming days, weeks, years. Light and love to all!

sarah

November 4, 2020 11:12am 11:12 am

This is exactly what I needed today!

I keep reminding myself that an election could make things better, but there’s still so much to do, even if my wishes come true. It’s nice to love your president, but our tax dollars are supposed to make our lives better. Let’s keep the system accountable to us! Let’s not stop the hard work of making this world a wonderful place to be. In a democracy, that job belongs to everyone. Voting is just the starting point.

Rusty

November 4, 2020 10:43am 10:43 am

I’m nit religious in any way.
I lit a candle and prayed for America today.
Sending love and hope from Australia.
❤

Małgorzata

November 4, 2020 10:13am 10:13 am

Sending love from Warsaw. We are also still waiting for the result and resolutions worthy for Poles…

204 COMMENTS

204 COMMENTS

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