These past couple of months have created a new normal of masks, social distancing, and varying degrees of altered plans. Let me start by saying that I feel incredibly blessed and grateful that both my significant other and I are working at home–him permanently and me temporarily–and earning our usual paychecks. We are also safe and healthy. So, I feel lucky in our current global situation, and I have tried to do my best to help and support those who aren’t.
At first I planned to write a post along the lines of what I’ve been reading or streaming (via Netflix, Hulu, etc.) during quarantine, but I realized that this wouldn’t be especially novel or new for anyone. So, I got to thinking about how I have recently leaned heavily on YouTube videos to ease stress and relax.
I have to confess that my other half used to be the more enthusiastic YouTube devotee. I would find myself amazed that he could sit and watch an eclectic mix of offerings from many divergent sources for hours and hours. Our YouTube viewing began with our personal computers, and then evolved to our mobile phones, and eventually moved to the apps on our DVD player and Roku streaming devices. (We don’t yet have one of those smart TVs, but that will probably be the next step.)
I am guessing that most of you are probably either experienced or at least familiar with YouTube. There are videos covering such topics as fixing your sink to making a souffle to planning your next vacation, all of them free except for the requirement to watch advertisements before–and sometimes in the middle of–your selections. Given search engine giant Google’s ownership of YouTube, those ads have been tailored to your online behavior. It doesn’t bother me, as someone has to pay the piper.
Through some fairly large chunks of my adult life, I have faced anxiety and obsessive thoughts. So, feelings of stress aren’t a new phenomenon for me, but the lock-down has certainly presented me with larger blocks of time where I need to seek out some calming influences. And, given that I am a creature of habit and routine, working at home has required me to become more centered through the right background noises and images.
YouTube offers countless sources for such therapeutic media consumption. Of course, what relieves my stress and what relieves your stress may be completely different. Yet, I figure that I can put a few of my discoveries out there in case they strike someone else’s fancy.
Music and Video from Tim Janis
On his YouTube Channel Maine-based musician Tim Janis provides a variety of tune/image combinations designed to calm and inspire. The instrumental music ranges from spa and Celtic grooves to classic gospel hymns, while the images run the gamut from captivating cartoon animals and electronic backdrops to beautiful nature and wildlife photography. Janis blends repetition and novelty in such a manner as to leave me feeling relaxed but somehow still focused. Janis posts new videos with tremendous frequency, often tied to the seasons, but you may want to begin with one of his staple compilations for a sample of his style.
BBC Earth Videos, Particularly Those Related to the Ocean
The BBC Earth YouTube Channel presents a dizzying array of nature settings in all their splendid glory. I especially enjoy the longer selections that can serve as the television set background for an entire workday on the sofa with my laptop. Given that I am an aquarium buff, I naturally gravitate toward the ocean motifs.
I can savor ten-hour blocks of stunning BBC camera work in such titles as Ocean Surface, Open Ocean, Coral Reef, Sea Forests, and Deep Ocean. I appreciate the continual shifts in energy from sea predators on the prowl to chill creatures just swimming along. Word of warning, there are scenes of animals dining on one another. I don’t find these gratuitous, though swordfish and seagulls do seem especially noteworthy for the speed and precision of their mayhem.
Sand Tagious/ASMR
I must confess that I am rather late to the party on this one, but it seems rather nifty. ASMR stands for autonomous sensory meridian response. I won’t even begin to tackle the full-fledged science involved, though I found a helpful resource on the POPSUGAR site. In layman’s terms, ASMR engages the senses in such a way as to create euphoria.
The Sand Tagious YouTube Channel provides tactile/kinesthetic videos of sand crystals taking on colorful shapes. A video compilation provides a fitting introduction. I am not yet fully immersed in ASMR, but Sand Tagious whets my appetite to know more.
Until next time, keep calm and carry on.
Coloring Outside the Lines 