If your brain feels like an overwrought laptop, you’re not alone. You know that sound the fan makes when you have too many tabs or programs open and it acts like you’re asking it to launch itself into outer space? I’m right there with you. My brain needs the equivalent of, “Have you tried turning it off and on again?”
Lately, I’ve tried a few things that have helped. Here are 5 things that have helped me be a person.
Coworking/body doubling
This hack, y’all. For the past several months, a writer pal and I have had a weekly time slot when we get on Zoom, tell each other what we’ll be working on, then mute ourselves and work on that thing. Recently, I’ve also done this in person a few times. There’s something about having the other person present that helps me focus. We aren’t talking to one another, nor are collaborating. We’re just working in a particular space for a set amount of time together. This is called body doubling, and it’s helped me complete tasks I tend to avoid or procrastinate.
Somebody Feed Phil, Season 5
I’ve loved this show for a few years now. Even more so since realizing the theme song was written and performed by a band I love (Lake Street Dive—IYKYK). Phil travels the world, eating food and making friends. I’m not a food show type of gal, but I can’t get enough of this one. It is wholesome, hilarious, and uplifting. Season 5 just dropped and I watched the whole thing in a day.
This Here Flesh: Spirituality, Liberation, and the Stories That Make Us by Cole Arthur Riley
I’ve been taking my time with this book because every page is worth savoring. The way Cole Arthur Riley uses language to talk about God and humanity is both poetic and deeply approachable. I don’t have words for how much I’m loving it, so I’ll just borrow this sentence from the dust jacket. “In these deeply transporting pages, Arthur Riley reflects on the stories of her grandmother and her father, and how her family revealed to her an embodied, dignity-affirming spirituality, not only in what they believed but also in the act of living itself.”
An Unexpected Journey podcast
There may come a day when I do not recommend something Lord of the Rings related to you, but it is not this day! I am once again commending to you An Unexpected Journey. It’s a podcast that is an unabridged theatrical reading of The Hobbit and LOTR with the film scores mixed in. I know the books aren’t for everyone, but if you’ve been curious about these tales, this is a very approachable way to dive in. A side note: I love Tolkien as much as the next gal, but I 100% skip all the songs and poems he includes. From a world-building perspective, I love them. From a listening/reading perspective, I have my limits.
Adult Lunchables
I’ve been feeling a bit of ennui when it comes to meal planning and prepping. As in I’ve reached a point where I would rather shower with a bear than decide what kind of bowl/salad/reheatable thing I want to eat for five days straight. This week, I made myself some Adult Lunchables.You might also call it a personal charcuterie board. It’s just some Italian meat, some cheese, grapes, and carrot sticks. Bonus side items: hummus and crackers. From a sensory perspective, you get a little of everything. And if like me, you’re more of a grazer throughout the day, this is a swell option. The best part? Minimal dishes to clean after prep because there’s no cooking involved. And all God’s people said, “Amen.”
I love hearing from y’all, so please let me know if any or all of these add some delight and ease into your life. OR! Let me know what’s saving your life right now.
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