With just about everywhere back in lockdown, we’re all really struggling to stay sane. While I don’t have any great tips to make you feel magically better, I thought I’d share some of the things that are lifting my mood just a little bit at the moment!
- TV Shows
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While Covid-19 has affected most everything – including the film and television industry – there are still some new shows out that I find myself looking forward to every week. Disney+ is offering us the wonderfully weird Wandavision every Friday, Channel 4 is still showing the Junior Bakeoff every weekday (and who doesn’t love children trying to bake with scaled down versions of tools), and in the States, the new seasons of 9-1-1 and it’s spinoff Lonestar are on every Monday!
- Podcasts
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Podcasts are great for getting out of your own head – whether you’re exercising, playing a video game, or lying with your face under a pillow or two! Here are my favourites at the moment:
The Empire Film Podcast – It’s the official podcast of the Empire Film Magazine and updates weekly, bringing movie news, facts and interviews with actors, directors, and writers! The hosts are good fun and because each episode is really quite long I can usually get all my weekly housework done within the span of an episode.
David Tennant Does a Podcast With – Hosted by actor David Tennant, the podcast sort of does what it says on the tin. Every episode, David Tennant sits down and has an in depth chat with a different celebrity – ranging from Dan Levy to Tina Fey to Michael Sheen to… Gordon Brown?
Getting Curious with Jonathan Van Ness – In each episode of this show, hosted by Queer Eye’s Jonathan Van Ness, a new expert is invited onto the show to talk about whatever it is Jonathan happens to be curious about. I’ve learned a lot about subjects I never thought I’d be interested in such as snakes, the american judicial system, and figure skating!
Welcome To Night Vale – I don’t have the words to even begin to describe this show, but I love it. Set in the thankfully fictional, and very odd desert town of Night Vale, the show is presented by the host of the Night Vale radio show Cecil and through a series of ‘community updates’ you get to know a host of weird but endearing characters.
- Baking
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This is definitely not an original idea, but especially now that it’s cold and snowy and we’re stuck indoors, baking can really lift everyone’s spirits (and make the house you haven’t left in a while smell great). It could even help you get into a routine, if you decide to venture into bread baking and you have to make sure there’s always fresh bread for the next day!
- Skincare
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Something that’s especially important in the winter months when you spend a lot of time on (socially distanced) walks in the cold or in dry, heated rooms is skincare. While I don’t have much occasion (or the energy) to do make-up anymore, I have found myself doing my best to keep my skin looking its best at least. Like the baking, mentioned above, skincare is definitely something you should do regularly enough that it can help introduce structure and routine into your day-to-day life.