hello inner light

somatic healing meditations

themes: meditation, neurodivergence, healing, trauma

i found this channel from someone on tiktok--i believe, though i can't confirm right now, that it was emily anne, who speaks a lot about neurodivergence (especially autism) in ways that i've always really related to. the sentiment she shared (again, if that was indeed her) was that traditional cognitive behavioral therapy (cbt) doesn't always work on neurodivergent people, and that it's important to learn about other therapy methodologies, such as emdr or somatic therapy.

well, i was definitely curious about both, so i looked into her recommendation of a podcast that hosts meditations using somatic therapy techniques. my first episode i listened to is one i will recommend until the dawn of time, and i haven't even revisited it yet. it just had that much of an impact on me. it's only 16 minutes, so give it a listen when you have a quiet space and the time to do so.

i find that these meditations help me not only regulate my nervous system in ways i struggle with as someone with a lot of trauma and anxiety, but they help me release thoughts and fears i've been clinging to with open-ended prompts. truly, i need to use these more frequently, and i recommend you do too.

find these meditations on youtube or on spotify, and take the time to care for yourself. you deserve it.

jan misali

themes: conlangs, rhythm games, nintendo

if you like watching someone talk about things they're really passionate about, this is the channel for you. jan misali makes a bunch of varied kinds of videos, so i had trouble picking themes, but i really appreciate their videos on conlangs (constructed languages, if you're not familiar) like toki pona. as i write this, they're actually five episodes in to a 12-part series on how to speak toki pona, which you can start here.

i also really recommend this toki pona cover of one of the songs from warioware, which is honestly just really catchy, as well as this video about how deeply strange the game of hangman is.

honestly, just go look and see if anything piques your interest—it's not a given, but if you find something, you're sure to love it. check them out here <3

leeja miller

themes: politics, law

if you are someone who wants to be politically active but is easily overwhelmed by the Everything of it all, may i please direct your attention to leeja miller! she's a lawyer who specializes in content on politics and law, especially when it comes to breaking down that week's most pressing headlines. i really recommend her video on trump's executive orders in the first 48 hours as well as her video from before the election covering project 2025, but i think any video is a great potential starting point as long as the topic seems interesting to you.

i especially appreciate how approachable she makes each topic, such that i always feel like i can get caught up without drowning in a sea of other terrible things going on in the world. she's also very cognisant of how overwhelmed everyone is at this point, and is very mindful with how she presents her opinions and suggestions.

i'm really glad to have a place i can go where the vibe of community-building is strong and the blend of cynicism and optimism feels both relatable and manageable. leeja is my go-to, and she should be yours too. check her out here.

nobody

themes: music

if you like obscenely specific curated ambient/classical music playlists to listen to as you go about your day, this channel is perfect for you. some of my favorites include music to make your brain shut up, you're at your safe place away from problems, and you're walking under the golden trees watching the melancholic leaves dancing in the air. as you can see, the playlists are in fact very specific, but that's part of the appeal.

i especially like putting these on when i'm working on writing or coding or something else that requires me to focus on words, so i really recommend this channel for that!

see more here <3

stardew valley

themes: cozy, farming, simulation, community-building

players: 1+

people have been recommending stardew for years, but if you still somehow haven't tried it or need convincing, i'm your guy! i strongly believe stardew has something for almost everyone, from combat to fishing to farming to raising animals to forming relationships with community members. it has plenty of collection elements and goals to achieve, while still remaining fairly sandbox-y and open-ended. you can play in a stardew valley farm for real or in-game years and never quite consider your journey "complete."

i think my favorite part of stardew valley has to be the multiplayer; it's how i learned to play the game, and it continues to be my favorite way to play. i feel as though the elements of community-building and creating your own unique space are at their most effective when you get to share them with people you love. it also makes the variety of the game work more in your favor—if there are elements of the game you don't enjoy as much, such as combat, you can send another player who enjoys it to take care of mining and head down to the ocean to fish.

it also has a quality i find so deeply impressive when it comes to games—it was entirely made by one person. the art, the music, the story, the coding, the game design, all routed through one developer who continues to put so much time into improving and adding content to the game. i find this almost always leads to a really cohesive experience where the love for the craft shines through, especially when someone is given the time to create something special. if only we all had the time and resources to make such art.

interestingly, despite how much i love automation games, i actually find my interest in the game declining the more i automate my farm to do all the work for me (even though it gives me more time to explore the mines, or make my way around town. i don't think i've ever played very far past completing the community center, though i love designing end-game farms with tools like the stardew planner. after a certain point, it always feels as though the challenge becomes to simply make your numbers (such as your gold) go up, which feels much more in spirit with the capitalist system you're told to fight than with the community-focused story.

still, i do think stardew remains one of my favorite games of all time. i would never trade the memories i've had playing it, or the fun i've had "offering my chub" (a real fish!) to my friends.

check it out on steam here

a gentle rain

themes: cozy, tile-placement, solo

players: 1

let me start this by saying that i am a huge fan of solo board games. i love getting to enjoy playing board games without needing to hassle other people into playing with me, to decide to play another round or call it quits early whenever i please, and to enjoy what can often be a meditative experience while playing.

i am also a huge fan of tile-placement games (including, i would argue, jigsaw puzzles!). getting to put together the pieces in a way that feels satisfying and either strategic or creative really feels good to me and the way my brain works.

a gentle rain is tremendous on both these fronts, as well as being incredibly simple to learn and play. the game involves a set of square tiles, each with half of a differently colored flower on each edge, and your job is to place each new tile you draw such that one or more of the edges matches up with a previously placed tile. when you place four tiles together in a 2x2 shape, you may pick one of the colors of flowers within those connected edges to place in the middle, with the goal being to place every color of flower into your grid before you run out of tiles.

it does not ask much of you, other than simply to participate, and to relax. still, it is certainly not a game where you win every time you play, though i think that is part of the appeal. a gentle rain is, in part, a lesson in learning to be okay with the outcome, because so much is outside of your control. more than that, it is an exercise in simply being with yourself for a brief moment, and letting the lilies unfurl around you.

learn more about the game on boardgamegeek

no boilerplate

themes: technology, neurodivergence, productivity

there are three videos from this channel that i want you to watch right now (or at least the first one!), and then you can come back and read more about why i love this channel:

• the cult of done: how to finish the first thing
• hack your brain with elaborate coping mechanisms
• the autism constellation

my introduction to this channel was the cult of done video linked above, and it has stuck with me deeply ever since. my next video of theirs was their first video on obsidian, which successfully got me into using obsidian for my school and personal life, and again, impacted me greatly.

what i really love about their channel is the snappy presentation and the way they connect each thought with such care and precision. i leave each video feeling seen and feeling the need to go out into the world and accomplish something of my own in equal measure. i don't usually get anything out of "inspirational" content (perhaps mostly because it's just made for neurotypical people and often designed to shame you into feeling guilty enough to do better, which has never worked on me), but the videos on the no boilerplate channel are the exception for me. plus, the pared back visuals make it really easy for me to focus on the videos through their entire runtime, which is impressive for me these days.

if any of this has spoken to you at all, please go check out their channel.