Comfort in Chaos
- JB
- Mar 31, 2020
- 5 min read
There’s no way around it; we are living through strange, strange times. Despite the excellent quality of memes about 2020 that do (for a short time) make things a bit better, this year has not been a good one. January saw escalating tension between Iran and the USA to fears of war, in February Australia was burning and it’s animals dying by the million whilst the north of England was flooded in the wettest February on record, and March has seen the rapid spread of the Covid-19 virus. In the UK we received the ‘lockdown’ on the 23rd of March, with all non-essential workers working from home, no gatherings of more than 2 people and no going outside more than once a day for exercise or essential shopping. It’s almost unreal on one hand, as you watch the reports from Italy & America roll in on the news like they’re from another planet, but on the other hand friends begin to go into self isolation and we have to bargain with my 93 year old grandmother to not pop to the shops like she always does on a Saturday. Anxiety is high all over, with tensions and anger flaring at random and unrelated moments.
In an effort to shake of the majority of the sadness of the situation, at least as much as I can, I’m returning to my comfort blankets. I don’t mean actual blankets (though they’re good too), I mean the games, films, food and books that have brought me the most joy, what I always go back to time and again. I’m going to list mine here, then a few extras you may like, that will hopefully bring a bit more brightness to your self-isolated day too.
GAMES
One of the ultimate soothing games you can get is Animal Crossing, and the most recent addition to the franchise Animal Crossing: New Horizons has built on everything that came before it. Does a gentle life sim that sets you on a deserted island with adorable animals sound good? If it does, it’s not just you, as sales of this game have been so high that in less than a week it’s the second best selling Switch game.
Animal Crossing: New Horizons is a new game, so what about old favourites? Another game I’ve been going back to is Shadow of the Colossus through the beautiful remake available on the PS4. This one is more for those wanting a grand adventure, and also a cry. It’s very cry worthy, both for its story and the graphics (though that is more crying with joy) Shadow of the Colossus also connects with how a lot of us are feeling: isolated. It’s a barren world, and you and your horse are the only ones in it. The game will give you the satisfaction of taking down huge colossuses and a safe place to let out some of the sadness we all have right now.
My ultimate comfort blanket game right now though is Pokémon Yellow for the Gameboy colour. It was the first game I ever played, and one that I know like the back of my hand. Maybe it's the tactile nature of holding my GBC and huddling under a lamp, or the nostalgia for all the times I’ve played it before, but that little yellow cartridge is truly a joy.
FILMS
The Star Wars saga and The Lord of the Rings are locked in a perpetual battle for the top spot in my heart. I can never choose between them. As a kid, my best friend and I would watch them alternately every weekend at our sleepovers, staying up as late as we could and watching anything that we missed in the morning. That pretty much has continued since then, though the sleepovers are less regular. Curling up with the Empire Strikes Back or The Two Towers is the ultimate self care for me as it’s all action, and no one dies (that I remember) Return of the King may be too much for me right now but if you’re looking to have a cry, that’s the way to go.
Most films from the 80s, 90s and early 2000s have a sweet nostalgia for me, as they’re what I watched growing up and they bring up those rose tinted kid feelings. If I’m not putting on the classic trilogy or LOTR in it’s entirety right now, it’s probably going to be something like Back to the Future, the Matrix or an old BBC version of My Family and Other Animals from 2004 (look it up, it’s incredible) Whatever gives you those lovely warm feelings, go with that. There are some great lists here if you’re struggling to remember the names of things or to get some inspiration:
BOOKS
Ah, books. They smell good, they feel good, and they look good. Love ‘em. I definitely fall victim to the problem of ‘buy all the books then read some multiple times and feel bad about the others I don’t read even once’. But, my favourites have been read a LOT.
Harry Potter is always a great series to go back to. The writing is easy and digestable, the story is engaging and the beats are a familiar, worn path in my mind. I know what bits make me sad, and therefore what to skip, and what chapters that I can read over and over and over and over…
I’ve also been dipping into some of my favourite history books, like Helen of Troy by Bettany Hughes, for the escapism. History for me is very comforting to read however something like The Hobbit is a reasonably low stakes fantasy that is soothing in it’s writing too. (Let’s all take a moment to mourn the what-could’ve-been that are The Hobbit films, sigh)
FOOD
I hope that where you are, the panic buying has lessened off. I’m lucky in that I live in a relatively small community that’s serviced by multiple food stores, and though the fear is still there, theres still things you can buy. If you can, try that meal you love, or one your friend made once, or a new one that keeps popping up on Instagram. I’ve been making Monday Night Pasta Sauce, which was my parents way of smuggling vegetables into our diets, pretty regularly. Breakfast is a big deal for me too so I’ve been experimenting with savoury pancakes and different flavours with French toast. I hope you can get the tasty treats that you want, that make you feel cosy, where you are.
The media we consume is important. It shapes how we think and how we feel a lot more than we give it credit for, and takes up a good chunk of our time. It is a great weapon in changing the way people think or presenting you with something that you can never experience. Usually, this is how I use media: to stretch my imagination and to challenge myself to consider something differently. And though I’m not stopping doing that, I’m taking the time to really consider what it is that I’m consuming at the moment. Putting down the news app for the rest of the day when it all gets too much and picking up my DS Lite or a book or a custard cream and spending time with something that brings me joy, even if it’s just in that moment. All we can do right now is act with kindness; whether that’s to your neighbour, to the most vulnerable, or to yourself. You deserve some kindness too. So dig out your comfort blanket, whatever it’s form, and cosy up, buttercup. We may be in this mess for a while but, maybe, we can be slightly less sad.
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