Under a month into the lock down and this is my official stance: quarantines, global economic downturns, and world-wide health crises can stay in disaster movies where they belong.
The good news is that there’s another side to that stance, and it’s a little lighter and more inspiring: when faced with all of the above, it turns out people can band together and do some really great things to get through it.
We’re fairly certain here at the UEA Women’s Alumni Network that your newsfeed is probably filled with real-world updates about all things anxious and COVID-19. Instead of adding to that clutter, we’ve asked our members to compile some of their favorite sources of positivity in this deeply challenging time. From free daily meditations to streamable concerts, here’s where the women of the UEA WAN have turned for a daily dose of happiness.
The Happy Broadcast
If you like your positivity fact-based and arrayed in daily and weekly snapshots, follow The Happy Broadcast (@the_happy_broadcast) on Instagram. Touting a stress-free tagline of “Anxiety-free news”, this account existed before the COVID-19 outbreak but is currently focused on delivering the few headlines of positivity during the pandemic.
Some Good News with John Krasinski
It’s funny – we didn’t know how badly we needed a good-news-only news source from none other than John Krasinski himself until it showed up on the internet two days ago. Already trending #11 on Youtube and featuring submitted stories of good deeds and great vibes from around the world, this fifteen minute newsreel is the perfect company to your morning cup of coffee. And fans of The Office? Head straight to 5:25.
Weathering the Storm on Headspace
The Headspace App has always been a great resource for mediation and wellness programs. The COVID-19 outbreak is no exception, and Headspace has really risen to the occasion by increasing their freely accessible content under the Weathering the Storm program:
It includes meditations, sleep, and movement exercises to help you out, however you’re feeling. It’s our small way of helping you find some space and kindness for yourself and those around you.
90 Days Free with Wellness Coach
Similar in aim to Headspace and also jumping on the free-content team, the amazing Mindy, Body, Sleep app Wellness Coach is normally available for purchase (£26.49/yr) but currently free to download and use for 90 days. Marketed as the Peloton of wellness, this app has daily live meditation sessions, on demand yoga/movement classes, and guided sleep meditations, with fresh content updated weekly.
8d anything, really
The concept of 8D recording isn’t new (I distinctly remember encountering the kind of mind-blowing Virtual Barbershop years ago), but it’s no fluke that the 8D recording of Billie Eilish’s Ilomilo is making the rounds again on WhatsApp. Now that we’re all sequestered indoors by a government directive, listening to music that makes you feel like you’re at an outdoor concert or in a club with your friends is suddenly something to be savored.
If you haven’t listened yet, or have heard it before but need a reminder, pop on your headphones and check out any of the multitude of 8D tracks available both on Spotify and Youtube. And wherever you are when you do so, I recommend making space to dance.
Livestream Concerts
Still jonesing for the real thing after those tunes? Check out Billboard’s ongoing and constantly updated list of music events and performances livestreaming during the COVID-19 outbreak. The pandemic has cancelled enough plans for three lifetimes, so we might as well make use of the next best thing!
UEA Women's Alumni Network 