Overwhelmed is the word of the week. I not only watch 25 lecture videos per day, but I am also in the process of growing my business Jack’s Snacks, all along with being a research assistant and teaching assistant. I have concluded that I am overwhelmed.
When I am feeling like my busy thoughts are eating me alive, I turn to Youtube. Youtube videos have changed drastically over the years. It’s no longer a place where people upload random videos of themselves, and has turned into a place where filmmakers can provide content for their viewers. One genre in particular that I watch religiously is aesthetically pleasing channels that deliver relaxing content through the lens of making food.
Cooking has always been a therapeutic experience for me, but when I’m busy I always watch people cook. With all the new film making technology readily available to ordinary people, my favorite Youtubers have taken cooking to a whole new level. They deliver an aesthetically pleasing, earth tone, calming environment for their viewers to relax and vicariously live through their videos. Here are five Youtubers you should definitely watch, especially on the days where you need to relax and be still even for 10 minutes.
1. Michelle Choi
I’ve been following Michelle for a couple years now. She mostly does vlogs titled “Living Alone Diaries,” but she also does “What I Eat In A Day” type videos as well. However, I find her living alone diaries to be especially therapeutic for a fellow 20 something woman to live vicariously through. She lives by herself in New York City, and is incredibly real and honest with her viewers, which I really appreciate. Youtube lost some of that honesty in its creators when influencers started to be thought of as celebrities, but Michelle’s humble personality mixed with her “just trying to get by” mentality communicates to her viewers well that she is nothing but real. Her recipes are also super easy to follow and great for the beginner cook! You can watch her here.
2. Her 86m2
I recently started following this Youtube channel when Thuy came across my recommended page! What I especially love about her is her love for life, her family, and her DIY balcony garden. Thuy is everything I’d like to be when I become an adult. Living freely with my partner in an unfamiliar place, but also trying to make it a familiar place all at the same time. Her videos are so beautifully shot with the help of her husband (who is an amazing photographer). I highly recommend her videos because they’re like movies that feature a family just trying to live life to their fullest. Their daughter, Alexia, is especially cute when she helps her mom with everyday chores! She pays homage to time in nature and pushes me to do simple things for myself to make everyday living enjoyable. Just the simplest things like opening your window to let air in drastically changes my mood, and I have Thuy to thank for that. You can watch her here.
3. Liziqi
Besides Michelle Choi, I really love Youtubers that dedicate their channels to showcasing life outside the city. I’m a really big believer in spending time outside, especially through the art of growing something from nothing, because that’s how humans were intended to live in the first place. There’s amazing clarity in the act of growing your own food, and cooking that food. Liziqi is an OG in this genre of Youtube. She makes it apparent that she’s not totally removed from modern day, but she pays homage to planting, gardening, and foraging. Her dishes are also cooked in traditional cookware which is honestly, super hard to cook with, but Liziqi makes it look so incredibly easy. I especially love her videos that showcase one ingredient and throughout the video, she makes 15 dishes just from that one ingredient! She lives in a provincial area that reminds me of the times that I go to the provincial area in the Philippines, and reminds me of my roots. You can watch her here.
4. Imamu room
Imamu room is another Youtuber that I stumbled upon accidentally. She’s a Japanese wife currently living in Canada, and she does videos showcasing her husband’s bento boxes! Her bentos are super cute, but not childish, and she aesthetically edits her videos to fit that earth tone aesthetic that so many of us love. Although she does mostly bento box videos, she occasionally features “What We Eat in a Day” type videos, showcasing meals her whole family eats. Being the sole chef in my own family home, I enjoy these videos because it gives me a lot ideas on what I can cook for my mom and I and my own family in the future. Her channel is steadily growing, and I think will get bigger and bigger as this genre grows popular! You can watch her here.
5. Jihyunkkung
Jihyun is a Korean college student that does “What I eat in a Day” videos. Although her shooting style is simple and not as thoroughly curated as the other Youtubers I mentioned, she still delivers her content in a way that is a realistic portrayal of college students’ strive to be aesthetic in their everyday lives. I love that she’s relatable as she’s a college student, but still puts care in preparing her food. I do this as well, so I find her very relatable and destroys the stereotype that college students don’t have time to make yummy food for themselves! Jihyun is a breaker of that stereotype and cooks delicious food almost every day. I really appreciate her channel and look forward to her weekly uploads. I especially love that she eats her meals at the same desk that she works. That’s incredibly real and true for college students! Her cute every day outfits also push me to not be so lazy at home. You can watch her here.
I watch all these Youtubers almost every day because it’s essential for me to indulge in a bit of escapism, but also take inspiration from. They all work to enjoy every day life through the use of food which is something I practice as well. American culture of food tends to focus on food that is fast and can be made in a microwave, however in doing so, you take away the meditative practice of cooking your food. I hope these Youtubers prompt you to look at food as a part of your routine that can simultaneously calm your thoughts as well. I hope you see the act of feeding yourself as nurturing yourself, rather than an everyday chore that you have to do.