Well, it’s finally 2023. Wild to think we’ve spent the last three (3!!!) years in a global pandemic, with no end in sight, and bad news is everywhere. Cool cool cool! So… I’ve decided it’s time to conduct a quick vibe check instead of crafting resolutions.

LOL ☹️

With the depressing state of the world (*gestures vaguely*) constantly beating me over the head, I have to work harder to find the good shit to keep my spirits lifted. I won’t lie, it’s difficult. I’m susceptible to clickbait and advertising on my feeds, which only makes me doom scroll. I’m trying desperately to break the cycle. Because if I don’t, my happiness will continue to drain.

How am I doing that?

Playing copious amounts of Animal Crossing, for one. In typical Nicole fashion, I was late to the party on this game. I completely understand why this was insanely popular at the beginning of the pandemic and during lock downs. It’s addicting. There are worse things to be addicted to, I suppose. I picked up the game in early October and have easily put in almost… 500 hours so far. (Is that a dark confession or what?) I mean… Thank goodness I finished my novel before I started it (more on that next week)!

I talked my friend into playing, and now we are obsessively cross-breeding flowers. We visit each other’s islands and water our flowers, shop, and mingle with villagers. We swap goods/screenshots and joke about how we’re writing a saga, fanfic if you will, about the villagers and their secret relationships. Outside of that last part, it’s an incredibly wholesome game and utterly delightful. I don’t even miss scrolling through Twitter. (Okay that might be a small, white lie — I miss the people with whom I interacted.) It’s relaxing and brings joy. I zone out tending to flowers and running around my island creating cozy vibes. There are (many) worse things I could be doing!

Avoidance of news is another thing I’m trying. I will check local news and have an Apple News widget on my iPhone (hidden on the second page of my Home Screen), but for the most part, I will pick up major news items via Reddit. Unclear on how/why scrolling on Reddit doesn’t feel like doom; maybe it’s because of the plethora of cat photos and memes and jokes. I’ve become pretty good about not interacting with a soul-sucking headline, and sometimes ignorance can be bliss. Not generally a statement I agree with, but I consider it self-care to ignore the bullshit trying to infiltrate my spaces.

Reading will be the next thing I add back to my routine. I really let that go in 2022 because I was finishing my own book, which I read at least four times while writing my latest draft. I aim to be more attentive to my goal this year (I track on Goodreads, follow me if you’re there).

Masterclass is another fun, productive escape. It helps me improve as a writer. I have been a member for a few years and for me, it’s so worth it. Even outside of writing courses, I’ve watched a few random lessons that have helped me with my career. I enjoy getting a glimpse into the creation of work by artists, musicians, and chefs and find it inspiring. The catalog has grown so much over the last couple of years and there’s truly something for everyone. [I have some guest trial passes, if you would like one, email me and I’ll send it your way! #notanad]

A quick list of some other self-care, good vibe-inducing behaviors I’m going to embrace this year:

Consistent skin care routine and drinking more water
Using my French Press more
Enjoying tea in the afternoon
Checking out with Bravo TV shows again (it soothes me!!!)
Journaling (might even do Artist’s Way and consistently write my Morning Pages, idk, we’ll see)
Reading at least 1-2 chapters before going to sleep
Continue my Duolingo streak (currently my longest yet: 160 days!)

To wrap this up, one last thing I’ve done is remove social media apps off my phone. The browser versions function just as well, and if it doesn’t let me do something the app would, I end up signing off. Plus, the browser version doesn’t collect as much data from me, compared to the apps. It’s a win/win!

Coming soon: more vibe checks! I’ll be compiling some things that bring me good vibes/keep my self-care activities positive and share them here. Or resources I’ve found helpful. If there’s something you’re doing to keep a smile on your face and your anxiety at bay, comment and I’ll include it in a future post.

Happy New Year to you and yours, may we find a little more peace and happiness in 2023. We can’t let the vibe continue to deteriorate!

Vibe With Me

New Year, New (Hopefully Good) Vibes