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I said last week that I was going to talk a bit about what helps me feel better if I’m not having a great week. Following George Floyd’s murder and the worldwide marches, memorials and protests that it caused I was going to write something about that. I stopped myself because I am not the voice for that conversation at the moment. Once I am more informed and am more active against racism then I may write something. For now, I will read more literature about racism in Ireland and write about my own journey with mental health.

YouTube has been around for donkey’s years at this stage (2005) and it has long been a place where creator’s grow and maintain their audience. I know that the site has grown into something completely unrecognisable from what it once was but it is the one place online that I can visit for a long time and not feel drained afterwards. Facebook is full of memes and outraged people commenting on clickbait news articles. Twitter is full of the two poles of society, as absolute as that sounds. You get all the unfiltered news you want. The problem with that is that most of the news out there is bad, evil and makes you sad. Instagram is full of happy pictures and celebrities looking impossibly joyous and healthy no matter what is going on in the world. There are more sites out there, obviously, but those three in particular are particularly tiring. Yes, you can tailor your feed to be uber-positive but who has that much time on their hands.
Have a look at some of the channels and videos I watch and listen to to top me up with a little dose of serotonin in my noggin.

I’m not going to pretend that I’ve unearthed some hidden gem in Joe Wick’s channel. Not everybody likes to exercise but this channel is extremely helpful for people who lack motivation, but also for people who don’t like working out alone.
My gym buddy got a full-time job and moved county so since then I haven’t been half as regular in my attendance at the gym. I’ve been using that excuse for three years now! But it’s different with Joe…I swear, he doesn’t mean all those horrible things! He loves me! No, in all seriousness it is like working out with a buddy. I imagine it’s like working out with a good trainer. I’ve never had a trainer in the gym. I wish I could say it was because I am an absolute beasht but in reality it’s because I can never work up the courage to ask the people at the front desk of the gym. Working out with Joe may give me the courage to ask. If they’re even half as good as him I’ll be set.
He works out with you and you genuinely believe that he is feeling the same pain as you. Joe Wicks’ channel satisfies my motivation and a need for someone else to work out with me. Try it out!

I’m a new addition to the world of yoga. I had read parts of articles and heard snippets of audio about elite athletes practicing yoga and how it helped them in their journey. Now, at twenty-six years of age I am ready to finally start my journey to become an elite star.
Seriously, though, Yoga with Adriene was so peaceful and relaxing that I really felt at one with myself while breathing and doing the poses. With all new things that talk about your ‘innerness’ and being brave with yourself there is a bit of laughing and nervous chuckling at the start. I suggest giving the channel a look anyways. It’s good for your body but more importantly it’s great for your mind.

I use this more for work than relaxation but it does help me relax in work. My job is not stressful but some of the people make it that way and this channel allows me to concentrate on my work instead of getting distracted by their attempts to make me scream.
If you like Lord of the Rings and Harry Potter then this channel will make you smile, relax and chill out.

There are many other channels I watch for a laugh or to get my fill of times when Manchester United were good, but these three help me relax, exercise and be at one with myself. However, I do understand that a lot of people are going through a really hard time right now. It’s not nice being locked up with your own thoughts inside the same four walls for months. My girlfriend sent me a picture on Facebook that I think people could use. I’m always here if people need to talk.

Love, Cian.