Daily De-stressors: Spring Break Double Edition

By: Charmaine Lim, SMB Editor-in-Chief

It’s hard not to be stressed right now, with changes being made to how we’re taking classes, trying to stay healthy and even the thought of moving home for more than a few weeks. No matter how much we love the people we’re with, we all need a distraction now and then. Here’s a special edition with two suggestions for each section.

 

Each of these suggestions was written with the quarantine and limits to travel in mind. Accessibility to entertainment and distraction are important during these times, which is why both books are available on Audible, shows and movies are available on Netflix and Hulu, and activities are doable within the comfort of your home.

 

 

Read Artemis by Andy Weir.

Jazz is a freelance worker on Artemis, the first and only city on the moon. When she’s not getting into trouble for stealing, Jazz is moving illegal products from Earth to a set of wealthy customers. But one of her customers gets involved with the wrong people and she ends up with the chance to commit a perfect crime. The only problem? A conspiracy is taking place as she attempts this crime and it might be a threat to life on Artemis.

 

 

 

 

 

Read Becoming by Michelle Obama.

Michelle Obama is nothing short of a role model. She was the first African American First Lady, an advocate for women and girls around the world, and changed the ways families approached a healthy lifestyle. She is also a powerful mother and wife. In her memoir, Obama reflects on the life experiences that brought her to where she is today, from childhood on the South Side of Chicago to law school.

 

 

 

 

 

Listen to The Mortified Podcast.

Everyone has embarrassing memories, but not everyone has the courage to read them out loud to a live audience. Mortified creators Dave Nadelberg and Neil Katcher created the show after finding their own embarrassing letters and diaries from their teenage years. Each episode focuses on a different person or theme, and the people on stage are more than happy to let everyone laugh with them.

 

 

 

Listen to Bad with Money with Gabby Dunn.

It’s no question that money is a big deal to a lot of people, whether you have it or you don’t. Discussions around money can be a touchy subject, but it really shouldn’t be. That’s why Gabby Dunn, YouTuber and actress, created her podcast. When she realized how little she knew about money, Dunn set out on a journey to reclaim financial independence and teach other people like her what it really means to pay off student loans and credit card debt on a budget.

 

 

 

 

Watch Queer Eye.

This isn’t just a makeover show, it’s a feel-good time. Each episode focuses on a new person, nominated by someone in their life, for a complete lifestyle makeover. From hair and clothes to food and living situations, the cast members of Queer Eye make it their goal to help people feel better about themselves and make small, sustainable changes to their lives that truly make a difference.

 

 

Watch Sex Education.

If you like raunchy British humor, this is the show for you. Otis is a teenage boy in high school, trying to finish his education without getting embarrassed by his mom, a sex and relationship therapist. He can’t escape sex though, not when it seems like everyone around him is doing it or wants to do it. When social outcast, Maeve, approaches him with a business deal to help other students work through their problems, Otis reluctantly agrees and begins a journey of learning what kind of person and life he wants.

Content warning: Nudity, explicit sex scenes, profanity, bullying, some violence, underaged drinking, homophia and emotional trauma.

 

 

 

 

Watch Leap.

Félicie is an orphan with great dreams of becoming a ballerina. When she joins a high class ballet school, Félicie learns what it’s like to compete against girls who have spent their entire lives working toward a lead role. As the production of “The Nutcracker” gets closer, Félicie has to prove to everyone that her passion is enough to make her a great ballerina.

 

 

 

 

Watch What Men Want.

Ali is a female sports agent working in a male dominated industry. When she gets passed up for a promotion again, she becomes determined to figure out what men are thinking and how she can use that to her advantage. After drinking a strange potion, Ali wakes up to find out that she can literally hear what all the men around her are thinking. Armed with this new ability, she sets her signs on signing a rising baseball star before the men around her can do it.

 

 

 

 

 

Cook a new recipe.

With all the food you’ve probably stockpiled, it’s as good a time as any to try something you’ve never made before. For some people, it might be a simple recipe, and for others, it might be the fancy dish you’ve always wanted to make. Either way, it’s a good distraction and a valuable skill to learn and improve your cooking skills.

 

Do something for you.

Set aside some time – an hour, an afternoon or a day – just to do something that makes you feel good. Take a bath, meditate, journal, learn a new yoga routine, do something artistic, get dressed and do your makeup, pick up an old hobby or try that thing you’ve always wanted to try. It can even be allowing yourself to binge your favorite TV show for the tenth time or re-watch a cringey movie. Whatever it is, take the time to do something for you.