I think lately we’ve all been in a funk. Is it forward for me to say that? I just feel safe assuming because, you know, pandemic and inflation and monkeypox I mean the universe is really giving us a poker hand with a bunch of 2s in it right and laughing gleefully as we try to make it work, damnit!

But the good news is - there’s stuff out there that is great. A lot of it we already know about, and recently we’ve forgotten.

These 7 things won’t pull us out of the funk entirely, or solve inflation, but they might add a little pep in your step, a little fun in your bum, a little…well, you get my drift.

1. Enya

We all know of the mystical musical artist that is Enya, but when was the last time you played her mystical music?

Listening to Enya is my life hack for nearly anything in life. Am I stressed? Listening to Enya calms me down. Am I needing inspiration? Enya’s voice literally makes me feel more creative after just listening to her for 30 seconds. Do I want to go to the spa but I’m currently not trying to spend money? Enya is an auditory spa to me, and listening to her gives me the same effect.

Treat your ears to some much needed delight and listen to Enya sometime in the next week. I can 100% guarantee that you won’t regret it.

2. That game 2048

Remember this game that everyone was obsessed with in college? (Or at least around the year 2013 haha, I just happened to be in college)

Before Wordle was a thing, people were obsessed with 2048 and it’s a mix of both Tetris but also…math (but in a fun way, I promise)

Well, the other week I was on a plane and I saw someone playing this game in the back of the plane and it brought up so many memories for me. I used to play this game obsessively and I’m sure you did too at one time - there was a point at which it was sweeping the freakin nation.

So bring back some old nostalgia and give 2048 another whirl years later. We’re so connected to social media all the time that I find myself forgetting about the other joys of screens - games!

3. Reading Calvin and Hobbes comics in the bath

Another item here hits heavy on the nostalgia list. One of my favorite things to do as a kid was bring a book with me into the bath - and out of all the books we owned, Calvin and Hobbes books were my favorite.

Theres something so nice about reading a book in the bath, and it also always gave me a bit of a thrill as a kid because I had to make sure I couldn’t get the book wet. Naturally, it would fall into the bath a few times during every session, which is why every Junie B Jones book in our library had crinkle-dried pages on the bottom half of them.

But reading a comic book is something so delightful. In a day and age where we get comedy through podcasts and standup routines and short TikTok videos, we often forget about the lost art of the comic book. You feel good, it’s easy reading, and you get clean while you’re in the bath!

4. Putting a pinch of salt on your salad

About a year ago, I was out at a restaurant and I was eating a salad that was so good that it kept mystifying me. Do you ever have a salad like that? Salads are interesting because unlike a grilled cheese that is relatively “great” every time, salads can really run the spectrum from horrible to unbelievable every time and you never really know what you’re going to get.

(Apples do this, too. A great crunchy apple makes me so happy, and a soft saggy piece of shit horrible apple ruins my day entirely)

So halfway through this amazing salad I decided to revisit the menu to figure out why it was so good. Was it the dressing? Ingredients?

Well it turned out that there was a “pinch of salt” on the salad. This led to me learning more about cooking in the months after and about how salt and oil serve as “flavor enhancers” in dishes.

So the next time you’re making a salad at home and you want to kick it into high gear, throw a pinch of salt on that bad boy and watch as it goes from a 7 to a 10 with nearly no effort!

5. The TV show Whose Line Is It Anyway

It blows my mind that some people have never watched (or even heard of) this TV show.

This TV show was huge in the 90s, and it was hosted by Drew Carrey and featured some of the most talented improv comedians of all time. Of all time! Even Kanye would agree with that statement.

When you watch it now it’s a bit blurry (because you know, 90s TV show) but it’s absolutely hilarious and such a hoot and I’m going to throw some screencaps of it below because damnit it just lights up my life.

6. Going for a run as you listen to the soundtrack of a musical

I discovered this hack a year ago and it has made running so much easier for me that I absolutely need to share.

Running while you listen to the soundtrack of a musical is better than music, podcasts, or even running on a treadmill while watching the musical. Because listening to a musical soundtrack occupies your mind fully. I don’t know why, but it just takes my mind completely off of running, and makes me envision the musical via the soundtrack, and it somehow makes me forget about the pain of running. Every time I do this I find myself being able to run faster and further than I usually can.

And if you’re not a musical fan to start with, watch one the night before your morning run! If you need a suggestion, one of my favorite movies is The Sound of Music. I love that movie.

7. Volunteering

And don’t you dare click out of the article right now! Volunteering is something that’s been near and dear to me for years. And it’s entirely for a selfish reason (well, not entirely, but that’s how I’m going to try and sell you on it)

Volunteering makes me feel good, so good. If you’re feeling bad, or in a funk, do the opposite of what Instagram posts are telling you to do. Don’t just light a candle for self-care or order-in pizza to comfort yourself. Get out of your house, and volunteer at a food shelter. Ask the public library if you can help organize books or sort them. Look up opportunities to volunteer online and do them!

You feel so good in a way that (sorry, Enya) the other items on this list won’t be able to make you feel. You feel like you’re part of a community (something that we sorely lack in 2022), you get to interact with people, and make a difference. A lot of people forget how fun volunteering is - if you were going to catch up with a friend on Wednesday, why not catch up while you’re sorting books for the library? It makes you feel great.

So! Let me know what things you think are great that some people have forgotten about! Is it my podcast?

(Well I hope you think it’s great, but not that people have forgotten about it)

And to anyone who is reading this and currently in a funk - let me at least soothe your worried and unhappy mind with this: a lot of us are. And I know that might seem hopeless, and like something that comic books in a bath can’t help, but I do think that finding 2 things to do every day to purposely make you happy and have fun is a great start at getting yourself out of a funk.

Until the next one,
S

7 things you forgot about that are great