Things that make us feel
Because who are we if we don't?
It’s very easy to fall into pits of despair. I think we all know this, in a general sense. It’s easy to feel fearful for humanity. It’s easy to fear the takeover of the human mind, the death of creativity due to the developing technology that shall not be named… (I’m done even saying those two letters out loud anymore). It’s easy to fear because it feels that fear is the desired outcome.
I often feel this grieving for a world that predates the artificial mind. It’s this feeling of “I can’t go back,” when in reality, I was never there. The world that I crave only exists in pre-2010-ish movies and literature. But then I stop myself. Because I can either choose to wallow in this reality or I can live the good.
Whenever I feel like I’ve lost control over the outcome of the world, I go back to things that make me feel. Here are some things I do to fight against the fear and enjoy my life. And feel free to pull from my list if you feel the same!
Feeling the weight of a good novel unfolding (that’s an obvious one)
I try to challenge myself to curate my own reading list, not just reading what’s popular or trending right now. I love when I finish one book and it sort of naturally leads to another based on the topics, themes, or more of the author’s works. It’s exploring 100% on your own terms, not the terms of an algorithm. Don’t get it twisted though — I do not appreciate the vilification of reading “trending” or “Book Tok” books. I think if you’re having fun, by all means read Heated Rivalry and ACOTAR, okay?? A book is a book, ugh!
Writing absolute nonsense in my journal
Perhaps another obvious one. But writing just makes me feel sane. And I’m not talking about “official” forms of writing like my Substack or scripts or books, etc. I’m talking about scribbling in a journal every night or jotting something down in the purse journal (everyone should have a purse journal btw). It feels good to write something that doesn’t need to be perfect (and isn’t even in the pursuit of perfection) because it’s something no one else is going to see, and in today’s world that’s a rare phenomenon.
Absurdly unattainable restaurant lists
My boyfriend and I have a shared folder of all the restaurants we want to try. There are two things happening here. 1) I love the excitement that builds in anticipation of something new and adventurous. 2) The hope that we will get to them all is a beautiful thing. Currently sitting at 150+ posts in our shared folder.
Frolicking, aka movement driven by the pursuit of strength and joy, not for aesthetics.
It’s been difficult for me to do this, but once I began seeing it as a movement that’s just naturally part of my day rather than “getting in a workout” or working toward a “summer body,” I found myself both enjoying moving my body more and actually doing it more. I found myself going on short walks when I had a window in the day. There’s something so valuable about having time just for yourself. But it can also be an opportunity for social connection as well because exercising with friends, siblings, partners, etc., can be very special and fun. Like no one is stopping you from having a catch! Do some off-brand movement.
Morning trips to the cinema
Going to the movies at any time is one of the best ways to spend your day (IMO) but going in the morning? Elite move. Having popcorn before 11am? Unbeatable. Calling it “the cinema”? Chic.
Silent car rides
Maybe this was born out of necessity trying to decompress from work but with how much information we are processing in a day it’s a perfect time to completely tune out the world and sit in total silence.
Cooking without a recipe
Cooking is a form of creative expression and there’s a fleeting beauty to a recipe you’ll never be able to replicate. It was only meant to be enjoyed in that moment.
Bookclub
If you don’t have one, make one! (If you want) Or just read something with a friend. (If you and your bestie can keep a schedule) I joined one pretty recently and I’ve really appreciated being able to discuss a book with friends and people whose opinions I value! You end up diving so much deeper into the text than you would reading alone. But when I am reading alone, I usually do a post-reading discussion in my book journal, mainly how the book made me feel.
Listening to an album end to end
Not a groundbreaking take, but sometimes it just hits to fully absorb an album in its complete, intended form.
Creation
Ending on the biggest category possible because it’s sort of the point of all of this. Discussing ideas, designing logos for a company that doesn’t exist, debating, drawing, arts and crafts, sidewalk chalk, sewing, dancing, pottery, painting, singing, playing an instrument, etc, etc, etc.
Who are we if we don’t create and share and learn and grow and enjoy life? I find that it’s pretty easy to lose sight of that sometimes. I’ll go through periods of feeling lost or anxious or “in a rut” and have to remind myself that I am happiest when I’m doing a variation of the above items. At the end of the day, feeling helps me to remember who I am.