Be gentle with yourself and know that you're not alone. Mask on, and six feet apart, but a hug nonetheless. Give it a try.Īnd finally, it would be remiss if I did not add that the library has Peer Support Specialists for anyone who is in need of emotional support, or who just needs to vent, or who would really, really like to talk to someone. Fantasy High is hilarious, regularly makes me laugh until I cry, and is something myself, and many of my friends, have been relying on for our regular doses of serotonin.
I know what you're thinking, but here me out. I could write an entire book on my feelings regarding this show, and how absolutely perfect it is, so instead I will say, "Do yourself a favor: watch it, immediately."Īs a bonus recommendation, you should check out Dimension 20 on YouTube, which is College Humor's brand for all their Dungeons & Dragons content. My friends, I watched this television show for the very first time recently, and it was an experience. Snatches of serotonin that make me laugh, bring me to cathartic tears, or inspire the muscles in my face to move upwards in a smile.Īre you in need of a hug, too? Well, I’ve got something for you. With that in mind, here is what has been giving me the boost I need when I’m at my lowest. To remind ourselves what it is like to experience joy. We also talked about Art, and the importance of creative professions, and how, as a collective, we’ve all relied on films and books and music to make it through the day. I brought up my inability to think, to remember words, and I found solace in someone saying, oh yeah, that happens to me, too. The other day I was having a conversation with a fellow Book Squad member, someone who has been lovingly nicknamed "the book fairy” because she’s eternally cheerful, incredibly kind, and somehow knows the perfect book to recommend, every single time without fail.
Some days I forget words or find myself behaving awkwardly around people I think of as my found family, because it’s almost like I don’t remember how to be a human. There are days where I can’t remain positive, where that doesn’t even seem like a viable option. Which is a pretty way of saying the pandemic depression has been real, y’all.Įven as I marvel at the resiliency and creativity of human beings and their ingenious solutions to impossible problems, I can’t help but miss hugs.
Pixelated or not, sunflowers are always pretty.Īny ounce of joy I’ve managed to find, I’ve clutched on to it with as much willpower as I have, grasping that good feeling in my fist like a dandelion about to scatter in the wind. It was comforting, not having to worry about anything beyond whether my plants were watered every day. Hours and hours and hours of my real life were dedicated to this virtual farm. And then when the sickly sweet nature of that game became overwhelming, my focus turned to conquering Breath of the Wild, exploring a magnificent world from the comfort (and safety) of my couch. The cheerful certainty of Animal Crossing: New Horizons kept me company when the world was too big and too dreadful to think about. For a while, my entire life was video games. I don’t know about the rest of you, but during these past six months, I’ve been chasing every serotonin high I can possibly wrap my brain around.