It’s been a hard year.
Over the past several months, we’ve been faced with challenges that none of us have had to deal with before. All of a sudden, everybody’s lives have changed dramatically.
We can’t celebrate special occasions with loved ones out of safety reasons. Many of us are struggling to cope with a mix of emotions, such as fear, sadness, and loneliness. It feels like everything is just hanging in the air, full of uncertainty.
When will it end? And what do we do in the meantime?
The easiest and most obvious answer is: wait. Wait. That’s a heavy word.
5 Shows You Should Watch This Holiday Season on Amazon Prime
As the weather drops and most of us are curled up indoors, one of our favorite pastimes is watching TV.
According to a 2020 study in the UK, people watch 22.5 hours of TV per week on average. During the holiday season, that number jumps up to 25.75 hours of watching TV. Picture that: we spend three and a half more hours per week glued in front of the television during the holidays than any other time.
It shouldn’t be surprising that people watch more TV during the holidays. The weather isn’t as conducive to outdoor activities, we have more spare time, and shows get released around this time of year.
Sure, a good book can be entertaining, educational, and overall better for you. But TV shows are easy to consume, dynamic, and can even be a group activity. No wonder we love sitting on the couch and flipping on the remote.
There’s a lot to be said about a good show. A show can be thought-provoking, inspiring, or uplifting. It can change the way you think and maybe even the way you approach everyday life.
Amazon Prime has been releasing a number of interesting shows, some of which are exclusive to the subscription. If you don’t have it, you can watch using their 30-day free trial.
Here are 5 shows on Amazon Prime to watch this season:
1. Small Axe
Set between the 1960s to 1980s, Small Axe is an anthology series by Steve McQueen that tells the stories of people in London’s West Indian community who rally against a system designed against them. As the proverb goes: “If you are the big tree, we are the small axe.”
Based on historical events, the individuals go through pain and hardship to fight against discrimination and racism. At the same time, the show portrays the liveliness of their community through family gatherings, people cooking meals, and friends laughing over drinks. The meeting of all these elements, big and small, combine to create a powerful force.
2. Antarctica: A Year on Ice
This visually stunning documentary on the bottom of the world talks about its landscape and the people who live there. The beautiful cinematography and time lapses during the day and night show how a place filled mostly with ice and snow can go through so many shifts.
Beyond the scenery are the people, many of whom aren’t scientists, that spend extended periods of time in this cold climate. Interviews provide a close-up look at their day-to-day lives, including the type of work they do, their joys, and their struggles. This documentary helps you appreciate how Antarctica has remained largely the same since over a century ago, making it a place unlike any other.
3. The Expanse
Far off in the future, humans have colonized the solar system. Mars has become an independent power of its own. The two superpowers, Earth and Mars, are engaged in a cold war as they compete for precious resources. Thus begins the premise for the multi-season show The Expanse.
This show is rich in its storytelling, from its individual characters to human dynamics and conflict. There’s also an incredible amount of world-building, shown by the challenges and intricacies of living in outer space. This show is great for anyone to watch, sci-fi fan or not.
4. Happy People: A Year in the Taiga
This documentary follows a group of people who live in the Siberian Taiga. It shows life in the Taiga from spring to winter, demonstrating what everyday life is like and the work that needs to be done in each season. Life in the Taiga follows a steady rhythm, where there is a time and place for each type of work and celebration.
Life may seem harsh for these people, who rely on the land and usage of basic tools to trap and hunt. But there’s also a sense of freedom in being self-reliant. Are they truly “happy people”? You watch and decide.
5. The Pack
If you’re looking for a fun, adventurous show that involves dogs and their owners, this one’s for you. Twelve teams compete in a series of challenges across the world to get to the finish line, where $750,000 is at stake. The show focuses on the bond between dogs and people, and how both are willing to go above and beyond for the other.
Each episode takes place in a different city, where all the action is set amidst beautiful urban and nature backdrops. The tail wags, smiling faces, and people working with their dogs make this a feel-good show. The Pack is a breath of fresh air that’s exciting and invigorating, especially in a time when many of us are at home and facing personal challenges.
What’s On Your List?
These shows are notable for the feelings they provoke, each in their own way. But they’re only a few of the interesting shows that are original and exclusive to Amazon Prime.
Hopefully, you’ll watch something this season that makes you reflect, respond, and even see the future in a brighter way. Because in the end, that’s why we watch television: to incite a change within us, no matter how big or small.
What’s on your watch list these days?
Should You Suffer Now to Enjoy Life Later?
We’re stuck in an age-old dichotomy.
Work hard now, reap the rewards later. Enjoy life now, suffer the consequences later. We’re told you can’t have both, especially not at the same time.
When you’re stuck doing something that makes you unhappy, the feeling worsens when you look around and notice other people enjoying themselves. To console yourself, you tell yourself that same line.
You’re suffering now so that you can have a better future down the road. Meanwhile, others who aren’t suffering are going to have to pay the price later. It all evens out in the end.
The question is: Does it?
Why is suffering seen as a prized state of being? Is there something to be gained from pain?
5 Ways to Prevent Cabin Fever When Working Remotely
Working from home is the new norm.
What formerly caused eyebrows to rise and stir up feelings of envy has now become not only a benefit, but an expected part of work. People are working from home more than ever. In fact, research shows that remote work has grown by 159 percent from 2005 to 2017.
Companies and employees alike are increasingly recognizing the benefits of working remotely. Remote workers report being more satisfied, less stressed, and feeling healthier than the average worker. When you work within an environment of your own choosing, it’s understandable that you feel happier during the day.
But just as there are benefits, there are drawbacks.
How to Spend More Time Outdoors When You’re Stuck Indoors
Being cooped up indoors is unpleasant, to say the least.
When you’re kept away from fresh air, green trees, and bright sunlight, it takes a toll on you and your body. Over long periods, you feel anxious, depressed, and lethargic. Your body’s various systems respond by increasing blood pressure, tensing up muscles, and producing stress hormones.
The good news is that these effects can quickly go away with exposure to a better environment. When stressed or unhappy, people often flock to nature for refuge. People are universally drawn to natural settings for the sense of calm and overall well-being they provide.
Overthinking is Damaging Your Well-Being
Imagine that it’s close to bedtime.
You’ve finished a long day of work, ate dinner, and watched TV. You get into bed and relax by doing some reading.
After a while, you realize it’s getting late and decide to call it a night. You reach over and turn off the light. It’s pitch dark now.
You know you should be falling asleep. And yet there you are, staring at the ceiling. Your mind is racing with all sorts of thoughts.
You think back to something you said and wonder if things came out wrong. You reflect on a past action that resulted in negative consequences. Then, you start to worry about all the things that could possibly go wrong.
With each passing thought, you feel yourself sinking into a low mood.
If this sounds like you, you may be suffering from overthinking.
5 Types of Music That Will Increase Your Happiness, According to Science
Music is the final touch to a setting.
Take any situation, put in music, and the ambience gets taken to another level. You notice this all the time in films. Music is used as a signal of impending danger, hope, or blissful tranquility.
Music alone can evoke powerful emotions. The reaction upon hearing a tune is almost instant. You might think back to a memorable time in your life or imagine a picturesque scenario.
It comes as little surprise that we turn to music as a quick way to boost our spirits. But what is it about upbeat music that makes us feel better? Do our minds and bodies change as a result from hearing certain songs?
A Beginning is a Chance to Start Fresh
I love beginnings.
Beginnings of what, you wonder? Of anything, really. The first day of school. The first day of a holiday. The first time trying something new.
When you first start out, there are all these different stimuli that hit you right away. You look around in wonder, soaking in everything. It’s as if the sun is just rising.
When you begin, all the doors are open. Infinite possibilities lie ahead. Your future is a blank slate, yet to be written.
Nervousness mixes in with excitement. You feel unfamiliarity, uncertainty, maybe even fear. These emotions combine to create a rush, a thrill from being someplace new.
We usually assume that experts are superior to novices, since they know better. And that’s usually true. But in some unexpected ways, a beginner can have hidden advantages over an expert.
6 Simple Gifts That Make Life a Little Better
Have you ever been in a situation where you’re obligated to give a gift to someone you don’t know very well?
After painstakingly searching everywhere, you still have no idea what to get. Finally, you settle on a generic gift. A gift that isn’t particularly useful or meaningful to the person, but one that you know won’t be taken the wrong way.
And when you finally give the gift, the recipient politely thanks you. Yet both of you know that this gift is definitely not going to be useful. It is simply a gift of obligation, for formality’s sake.
Instead, how about giving a gift that will get used again and again? One that is not only aesthetically pleasing, but also practical?
8 Ways You’re Making Life Harder Than It Has to Be
Do you crave the challenge?
When you see a problem waiting to be solved, you can feel your energy levels rise. Blood surges through your veins. Your mouth salivates. Like a hound tugging at a leash, you want nothing more than to lunge forward and tackle the issue into the ground.
Except the problem isn’t so easy to solve. After awhile, it stops being fun and starts turning into work. You wonder what you’ve gotten yourself into.
Sometimes, we don’t want to find the easy answer to a problem. We want to toil and struggle to feel like we’ve earned something. Otherwise, we don’t treasure the result.
While this helps us push through difficulties, the problem arises when you use this attitude towards everything. Some challenges are not worth the effort. Others can be achieved more quickly.
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