Hello everyone, and welcome back to my blog! This month has been both hectic and agonizing. What’s the reason? Finals! But now that I only have one more exam and a week off, I’ve been trying to take care of myself. It was critical that I did so because I was feeling very isolated and having mental breakdowns, neither of which is good for my mind. Health is a top priority for me, and one way I’ve been helping my mind is by surrounding myself with great content. Since I am constantly on my laptop, I might as well try to make that habit meaningful rather than leaving it open, wasting battery power and straining my eyes. I’ll be giving a tour on all of the things mentioned in the title: coping mechanisms and support systems in the form of media that reminds us of the joys in life ~

YouTube

During quarantine last year, I discovered a few lifestyle channels that produce weekly vlogs, and they have been a great source of comfort as well as inspiration! From days/weeks in their lives to room tours, these people’s creativity and bright personalities have earned them a growing fan base, and rightfully so! Here are the channels I absolutely adore:

Nayna Florence

Nayna is a third-year economics student from London who attends the University of Edinburgh. She uploads vlogs every Sunday, is a vegan, and promotes sustainability on her YouTube and Instagram accounts. Her promotion of these in her videos has been extremely beneficial in understanding that lifestyle. It has also encouraged me to try to do this with my food consumption and clothing purchases/wearing. Her vlogs are both relaxed and adventurous at times. Even though I’ve only been to Edinburgh once, I’ve seen more of the city and all that it has to offer as a result!

instagram: @naynaflorence

Moya Mawhinney

Moya is a content creator I discovered by chance, and I was surprised to learn that she was also studying art history! She is truly one of the sweetest people I’ve seen on the platform, and her videos have brought me a lot of hope and peace on late Sundays. Her videos have a certain charm to them, reminiscent of a coming-of-age film, as she documented her life in Dublin in her eponymous ‘Dublin Diaries’ vlog series (which are now over since she has finished university). But I’m excited to see what her future videos bring, and I have no doubt they’ll be amazing! P.S. Her fashion sense is also impeccable.

instagram: @moyamawhinney

Leah’s Fieldnotes

Leah Wei is a Canadian content creator and artist based in Montreal who produces a series of vlogs called ‘Adulting Diaries,’ among others. I gained a better understanding of veganism, spirituality, and yoga through her videos, despite the fact that I do not practice these myself. I also enjoy her videos in which she tries to speak only in French, which her boyfriend speaks fluently, and in which she tries to be trilingual in English, French, and Chinese. It rekindled my interest in language learning, and watching her vlogs helped me understand how to incorporate it into my daily life. Her creativity is also admirable, as she is a design graduate who also owns her own shop!

instagram: @leahsfieldnotes

Invincible (2021)

A whole web series has its own category. Invincible was a series that I had seen a teaser trailer for several months ago, but unfortunately forgot about soon after for no reason. It wasn’t until I saw KSI’s Instagram story of his finishing the first season and talking about how amazing it is, that I remembered. Since it is an Amazon Prime Original, and I do have Prime myself, I thought I’d give it a go. Verdict? IT WAS AMAZING!

As someone who enjoys the superhero genre (when done properly), this was a perfect blend of subversion and a nod to the genre’s humble beginnings. With a compelling narrative and a cast of complex and interesting characters, all of whom are voiced by well-known and talented actors, it’s no surprise that this series is already a fan favourite. It should be noted that the series has already produced at least two meme formats, which is impressive. If you haven’t seen it yet, I highly recommend you do so! But be warned: there’s a lot of no-holds-barred violence and gore!

Music

I was struck by a wave of nostalgia and decided to listen to some tunes from the 1990s and early 2000s. I decided to compile a playlist of songs that encapsulated the warm summers of that era. Selena has been an artist I’ve been aware of for a few years but had never properly listened to until this year. Three of her songs, ‘Como La Flor,’ ‘Amor Prohibido,’ and ‘Bidi Bidi Bom Bom,’ have kept me in a good mood during finals season. It breaks my heart that she died so young, but it also warms my heart that many of us can still listen to her music and carry on her legacy. Some of the other songs are straight from my childhood, and I just want to cherish them as much as possible.

As I clarified in my previous post, now that I’m no longer a member of the “born in the wrong generation” crowd, I’ve returned to unapologetically listening to mainstream pop songs. I’m not sure why I thought it was a bad idea because they’re just entertaining to listen to. Of all places, TikTok has reintroduced me to a few songs. There’s not much else to say except that I’m glad I can listen to whatever I want now.

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That’s all there is to it, folks. These are some of my personal favourites! Of course, as I’ll be a free woman in the coming months, if I discover (or re-discover) anything else, I’ll write updated posts with any new favourites in each category. I’m excited to be able to explore and spend more time immersing myself in new content of all kinds! You’re welcome if anything in this post was introduced to you for the first time and you enjoyed it 🙂

For now, take care of yourselves!