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101 ways to take care of yourself when the world feels overwhelming.

A therapist shares small ways to practice self-care.

I think that, for most of us, there are times in life when it all just feels like Too Much.

There may be some days, weeks, months, maybe even years when — for whatever reason — just getting through the day or going to work or putting one foot in front of the other feels hard. Really, really hard.

Photo via iStock.

Maybe it’s because you’re wrestling with anxiety, depression, or some other mental illness.

Maybe it’s because you’ve had your heart broken. Maybe you’ve gone through a physical or emotional trauma. Maybe you’re deeply grieving. Or maybe there’s no easily understood reason for why you’re feeling bad.

Whatever the case, I want you to know that it’s OK if you’re going through a tough time.

This doesn’t make you any less lovable, worthy, or capable. This just means you’re human. Being a human can be a messy, hard, confusing, painful experience sometimes.

So if you or someone you love is going through one of these tough times right now, a time where it all just feels like too much, I want to offer up 101 suggestions for self-care to help you or your loved one get through this time.

Photo via iStock.

1. Have a good, long, body-shaking cry.

2. Call a trusted friend or family member and talk it out.

3. Call in sick. Take comp time if you can. Take a mental health day.

4. Say no to extra obligations, chores, or anything that pulls on your precious self-care time.

5. Book a session (or more!) with your therapist.

6. Dial down your expectations of yourself at this time. When you’re going through life’s tough times, I invite you to soften your expectations of yourself and others.

7. Tuck yourself into bed early with a good book and clean sheets.

8. Watch a comforting/silly/funny/lighthearted TV show or movie. ("Parks and Recreation," anyone?)

9. Reread your favorite picture and chapter books from childhood.

10. Ask for some love and tenderness from your friends on social media. Let them comment on your post and remind you that you’re loved.

11. Look at some some really gorgeous pieces of art.

12. Watch YouTube videos of Ellen DeGeneres and the adorable kids she has on her show.

13. Look at faith-in-humanity-restoring lists from around the internet.

14. Ask for help. From whomever you need it — your boss, your doctor, your partner, your therapist, your mom. Let people know you need some help.

15. Wrap yourself up in a cozy fleece blanket and sip a cup of hot tea.

16. Breathe. Deeply. Slowly. Four counts in. Six counts out.

17. Hydrate. Have you had enough water today?

18. Eat. Have you eaten something healthy and nourishing today?

19. Sleep. Have you slept seven to nine hours? Is it time for some rest?

20. Shower. Then dry your hair and put on clothes that make you feel good.

21. Go outside and be in the sunshine.

22. Move your body gently in ways that feel good. Maybe aim for 30 minutes. Or 10 minutes if 30 feels like too much.

23. Read a story (or stories) of people who overcame adversity or maybe dealt with mental illness, too. (I personally admire J.K. Rowling’s story.)

24. Go to a 12-step meeting. Or any group meeting where support is offered. Check out church listings, hospital listings, or school listings, for example.

25. If you suspect something may be physiologically off with you, go see your doctor and/or psychiatrist and talk to them. Medication might help you at this time, and professionals can assist you in assessing this.

26. Take a long, hot bath. Light a candle and pamper yourself.

27. Read inspirational quotes.

28. Cuddle someone or something. Your partner. A pillow. Your friend’s dog.

29. Read previous emails, postcards, letters, etc. from friends and family reminding you of happier times.

30. Knit. Sculpt. Bake. Engage your hands.

31. Exhaust yourself physically — running, yoga, swimming, whatever helps you feel fatigued.

32. Write it out. Go free-form in a journal or on a computer. Get it all out and vent.

33. Create a plan if you’re feeling overwhelmed. List out what you need to do next to tackle and address whatever you’re facing. Chunk it down into manageable and understandable pieces.

34. Remind yourself you only have to get through the next five minutes. Then the next five. And so on.

35. Take five minutes to meditate.

36. Write out a list of 25 reasons you’ll be OK.

37. Write out a list of 25 examples of things you’ve overcome or accomplished.

38. Write out a list of 25 reasons you’re a good, lovable person.

39. Write out a list of 25 things that make your life beautiful.

40. Sniff some scents that bring you joy or remind you of happier times.

41. Ask for support from friends and family via text if voice-to-voice contact feels like too much. Ask them to check in with you via text daily or weekly, whatever you need.

42. Lay down on the ground. Let the Earth or floor hold you. You don’t have to hold it all on your own.

43. Clean up a corner of a room of your house. Sometimes tidying up can help calm our minds.

44. Ask yourself: What’s my next most immediate priority? Do that that. Then ask the question again.

45. Read some poetry. Rumi, Hafiz, and Mary Oliver are all excellent.

46. Take a tech break. Delete or deactivate social media if it feels too triggering right now.

47. Or maybe get on tech. If you’ve been isolating, maybe interacting with friends and family online might feel good.

48. Go out in public and be around others. You don’t have to engage, but maybe sit in a coffee shop or on a bench at a museum and soak up the humanity around you.

49. Or if you’re feeling too saturated with contact, go home. Cancel plans and tend to the introverted parts of yourself.

50. Ask friends and family to remind you that things will be OK and that what you’re feeling is temporary.

51. Put up some Christmas lights in your bedroom. They often make things more magical.

52. Spend a little money and treat yourself to some self-care and comfort. Maybe take a taxi versus the bus. Buy your lunch instead of forcing yourself to pack it. Buy some flowers that delight you.

53. Make art. Scribble with crayons. Splash some watercolors. Paint a rock. Whatever. Just create something.

54. Go wander around outside in your neighborhood and take a look at all the lovely houses and the way people decorate their gardens. Delight in the diversity of design.

55. Go visit or volunteer at your local animal rescue. Pet some animals.

56. Look at photos of people you love. Set them as the wallpaper of your phone or laptop.

57. Create and listen to a playlist of songs that remind you of happier times.

58. Read some spiritual literature.

59. Scream, pound pillows, tear up paper, shake your body to move the energy out.

60. Eat your favorite, most comforting foods.

61. Watch old "Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood" videos online.

62. Turn off the lights, sit down, stare into space, and do absolutely nothing.

63. Pick one or two things that feel like progress and do them. Make your bed. Put away the dishes. Return an email.

64. Go to a church or spiritual community service. Sit among others and absorb any guidance or grace that feels good to you.

65. Allow yourself to fantasize about what you’re hoping or longing for. There are clues and energy in your reveries and daydreams that are worth paying attention to.

66. Watch autonomous sensory meridian response videos to help you calm down and fall asleep at night.

67. Listen to monks chanting, singing Tibetan bowls, or nature sounds to help soothe you.

68. Color in some coloring books.

69. Revisit an old hobby. Even if it feels a little forced, try your hand at things you used to enjoy and see what comes up for you.

70. Go to the ocean. Soak up the negative ions.

71. Go to the mountains. Absorb the strength and security of them.

72. Go to the forest. Drink in the shelter, life, and sacredness of the trees.

73. Put down the personal help books and pick up some good old-fashioned fiction.

74. Remember: Your only job right now is to put one foot in front of the other.

75. Allow and feel and express your feelings — all of them! — safely and appropriately. Seek out help if you need support in this.

76. Listen to sad songs or watch sad movies if you need a good cry. ("Steel Magnolias," anyone?)

77. Dance around wildly to your favorite, most cheesy songs from your high school years.

78. Put your hands in dirt. If you have a garden, go garden. If you have some indoor plants, tend to them. If you don’t have plants or a garden, go outside. Go to a local nursery and touch and smell all the gorgeous plants.

79. If you want to stay in bed all day watching Netflix, do it. Indulge.

80. Watch or listen to some comedy shows or goofy podcasts.

81. Look up examples of people who have gone through and made it through what you’re currently facing. Seek out models of inspiration.

82. Get expert help with whatever you need. Whether that’s through therapy, psychiatry, a lawyer, clergy, or something else, let those trained to support you do it.

83. Educate yourself about what you’re going through. Learn about what you’re facing, what you can expect to feel, and how you can support yourself in this place.

84. Establish a routine and stick to it. Routines can bring so much comfort and grounding in times of life that feel chaotic or out of control.

85. Do some hardcore nesting and make your home or bedroom as cozy and beautiful and comforting as possible.

86. Get up early and watch a sunrise.

87. Go outside, set up a chair, and watch the sunset.

88. Make your own list of self-soothing activities that engage all five of your senses.

89. Develop a supportive morning ritual for yourself.

90. Develop a relaxing evening ritual for yourself.

91. Join a support group for people who are going through what you’re going through. Check out the listings at local hospitals, libraries, churches, and universities to see what’s out there.

92. Volunteer at a local shelter or hospital or nursing home. Practice being of service to others who may also be going through a tough time.

93. Accompany a friend or family member to something. Even if it’s just keeping them company while they run errands, sometimes this kind of contact can feel like good self-care.

94. Take your dog for a walk. Or borrow a friend’s dog and take them for a walk.

This kangaroo dog loves walks.

95. Challenge your negative thinking.

96. Practice grounding, relaxation techniques.

97. Do something spontaneous. Walk or drive a different way to work. Order something new off the menu. Listen to a playlist of new songs.

98. Work with your doctor, naturopath, or nutritionist to develop a physical exercise plan and food plan that will be supportive to whatever you’re facing right now.

99. Pray. Meditate. Write a letter to God, the universe, the Source, your higher self — whatever you believe in.

100. As much as you can, try and trust the process.

101. Finally, remember, what you’re going through right now is temporary. It may not feel like that from inside the tough time you’re in, but this too shall pass and you will feel different again someday. If you can’t have faith in that, let me hold the hope for you.

This list is really just a starting point meant to catalyze your own thinking about how you can best take care of yourself during life’s tough times and to spark your curiosity and interest in strengthening your self-care now and ongoing.

It's not meant to be prescriptive nor do I mean to imply you need to do all or any of these things to take good care of yourself. You are the expert of your own experience, and I trust that you know what’s best for you.

Also, my hope is that in reading this, you’re hearing me say how normal and natural it is to struggle and to have these tough, hard times. It’s part of being human.

You’re not alone in this.

GIF via "Friends."


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Gen Z is the first generation less cognitively capable than their parents but Denmark has a solution

"Since the late 1800s, every generation has outperformed their parents."

Gen Z; Millennials; technology; cell phones; social media; teens and technology; teens social media
Photo credit: Canva

Gen Z is the first generation less cognitively capable than their parents. Denmark has the solution.

Nearly every parent hopes their child will be better off than they are: smarter, more secure, and more well-adjusted. Many parents see this as a stamp of successful parenting, but something has changed for children growing up today. While younger generations are known for their empathy, their cognitive capabilities seem to be lagging behind those of previous generations for the first time in history.

Dr. Jared Cooney Horvath, a teacher turned cognitive neuroscientist who focuses on human learning, appeared before Congress to discuss concerns about cognitive development in children. In his address to the members of Congress, he says, "A sad fact that our generation has to face is this: our kids are less cognitively capable than we were at their age. Since we've been standardizing and measuring cognitive development since the late 1800s, every generation has outperformed their parents, and that's exactly what we want. We want sharper kids."

kids, intelligence, sharp kids, generations, education, cognitive abilities Student smiling in a classroom, working on a laptop.Photo credit: Canva

Horvath explains that the reason this happens is that each generation has gone to school longer than the previous generation. Gen Z is no exception to the longer duration of time spent in school, but they're the first ones who aren't meeting this normal increase in cognitive development. According to the cognitive neuroscientist, the decline is due to the introduction of screens in the classroom, which started around 2010.

"Across 80 countries, as Jean was just saying, if you look at the data, once countries adopt digital technology widely in schools, performance goes down significantly. To the point where kids who use computers about five hours per day in school for learning purposes will score over two-thirds of a standard deviation less than kids who rarely or never touch tech at school," Horvath reveals.

In most cases, the decline in performance doesn't result in better strategies. The neuroscientist shares that the standardized testing has been adjusted to accommodate lower expectations and shorter attention spans. This is an approach that educators, scientists, and researchers went to Capitol Hill to express wasn't working. But not every country is taking the approach of lowering standards to meet lowered cognitive ability. Denmark went in the opposite direction when it realized their students were slipping behind.

France24 recently interviewed educators in Denmark following their seemingly novel approach to students struggling with cognitive development. Since the beginning of the 2025/2026 school year, Denmark has not only been having students turn in their cellphones, but they've also taken tablets, laptops, and computers out of the classroom. No more digital learning for the majority of the school day. Danes went old school by bringing back physical textbooks, workbooks, and writing assignments. The results have been undeniable. Even the students can't seem to deny the success of the countrywide shift in educational approach.

"I think the biggest issue has been that, because we kind of got rid of the books and started using screens instead, that we've noticed that a lot of the kids have trouble concentrating, so it's pretty easy to swipe with three fingers over to a different screen and have a video game going, for example, in class," Copenhagen English teacher, Islam Dijab tells France24.

Now, instead of computers being part of every lesson, Denmark uses computers very sparingly and with strict supervision. One student says that it has been nice not having screen time at school because she loves to read and write. But it wasn't just the lack of attention span children were developing, they were also developing low self-esteem and poor mental health due to the amount of time spent on devices.

kids, intelligence, sharp kids, generations, education, cognitive abilities Students focused and ready to learn in the classroom.Photo credit: Canva

The data showing the negative impact of screens on teens' brains has prompted a nationwide change in Denmark that extends outside of the classroom. Afterschool activities are eliminating or extremely limiting electronic use. There is also a national No Phone Day that encourages everyone to put away their devices for the day, and Imran Rashid, a physician and digital health expert, is petitioning parliament to ban social media use for children under the age of 15. The no phone movement in Denmark is a nationwide effort that hopes to right the ship before another generation feels the effects.

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People share the 'brokest' things they did to save money and their stories are a generational time capsule

You can't even attempt some of these anymore.

broke, no money, save money, broke money saving methods, methods to save money
Photo credit: Canva

People who are broke share the great lengths they've gone to save money.

When times are financially tough, creative frugality often becomes a necessity. Being broke can foster ingenious new ways to get by and reveal just how tenacious people can be.

Rather than folding when there was zilch left in their bank accounts, people facing financial hardship got tough. They mastered the art of stretching money and resources to make it to the next paycheck.

On Reddit, people who have struggled financially shared the "brokest" things they've done to save money. From scraping together cheap meals to learning new skills, these are 18 ways people went to extreme (and genius) measures to get by.

broke, broke finances, broke no money, empty wallet, broke money saving Broke woman with her empty wallet.Photo credit: Canva

"In my early 20s whenever my deodorant ran low, I would rub the little bits left on my armpits with my fingers. 😩 That gave me a good 1-2 weeks extra with that same deodorant. Babyyyyy I made it work!!" - Hefty-Expert-750

"Battery ran too low on my piece of junk car. Couldn't afford tow truck. I carried the battery a mile to my apartment, recharged it for several hours, then carried it back to the parking lot where I'd left the car. It worked, I got the car home again." - Miskatonic_Graduate

"I didn't know absolutely anything about HVAC. Called two different companies both wanted me to change the whole outside unit for 4k+ cuz the motor was fried. Went on eBay, looked at some numbers on the old motor that seemed like serial numbers. Found it on eBay, opened the outside unit, took out the whole fan with the motor on it and banged it with a hammer to detach the fan, connected the wires color matching them to the old ones cuz it seemed reasonable, put it back on and the thing has been running for 10 more years since that. 30 year old unit it's insane." - Independent-Show1133

"I lived a couple of blocks down from a big funeral home in college. Like they hosted multiple funerals a day. Well, I ended losing my full time job at Winn Dixie and couldn't find a new one right away. So I would look up the obits, learn small things about the deceased and then go to the funeral so I could attend the repass and eat. There was 1 man who didn't have his obit written and I attended. There was not a single soul there. I stayed the entire 3 hours and went to the burial. The funeral director came up to me as I was leaving the burial and said 'I guess you don't just come for the food, huh?'. I was so embarrassed. But I told the man the truth and apologized. He offered me a receptionist job, which i took...and I still got the leftovers. Win win if you ask me." - Franklyn_Gage

"I ate pancakes for about 2 weeks for every meal until I got paid again." - san323

pancake, pancakes, eating pancakes, cheap pancakes, budget pancakes Man eating a plate of pancakes.Photo credit: Canva

"Back in the day when Pizza Hut & Domino's accepted checks, we knew about how long it would take them to deposit & hit my acct. I'd write a check to pay for pizza delivered & we ate that until end of week when paycheck hit." - Remote-Impact3040

"When there were big meetings at work they would always put the leftover catered sandwiches in the fridge. I'd purposely stay late cause I didn't want to ask in front of everyone. I'd take them home for lunch or dinner for the week." - So-Durty

"When I was a broke flight attendant, I would actually ask the maids for extra toiletries rather than swipe them. They hooked me up, sometimes bringing me a Ziploc bag full of various stuff. I also loaded up on dry cereals if they had a breakfast buffet that crew had access to, as well as other non perishable food. I wasn't proud, but my roommate had moved out with no notice and I was left scrambling financially. It was brutal, but I made it." - bestcrispair

"Made bread soup for dinner. Stale bread, water, and a bay leaf. The next day I found a can of tomatoes. I was rich! Had bread soup with tomatoes!" - sheatim

"Summer of college, I was working at a warehouse that made salads for the community. I lived off ONLY the free salads for lunch and dinner during an entire summer in order to save any penny I could. I'm talking lettuce/spring mix (no dressing) and the occasional taco salad. By the end of the of it I weighed 115-120 lbs as a 19 year old dude. Skin and bones I tell you. Skin and bones 🥲. (Saved 10 grand in 3 months after paying coworkers for gas and earning $13ish an hour! Paid for my next full year of college after scholarships and such.)" - Old-Independent4351

"Washed my clothes and my kids clothes by hand in the bathtub and hung them all over the apartment to dry." - 30222504cf

washing clothes, hand wash clothes, wash clothes by hand, hand wash laundry, washing laundry by hand Washing clothes by handPhoto credit: Canva

"Paid for .32 cents worth of gas." - UrCreepyUncle

"I'd cut the lid off shampoo bottles or lotion or toothpaste to scrape out every last morsel of product." - frosted-mule

"Walk into hotels that offer free breakfast. The staff on shift don't know every guest and likely don't care. I just walk in with the confidence of a hotel guest." - alyssainwonderIand

"In college, I drove a manual ford fiesta. Battery was shot. So in the mornings, I'd have my girlfriend sit in the drivers seat and pop the clutch after I pushed it up to speed. I'd park on the second floor of the parking garage, and I'd push the car out and down the ramp to pop the clutch. Made it a good week or two like that." - chrisb-chicken

"Gleaning... I know of a peach tree and apple tree near the parking lots of local businesses that I've picked fruit off of." - mlo9109

"I wore one contact for a while and would switch it between my eyes so they wouldn't get too strained." - hww94

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Helicopters dump 6,000 logs into rivers in the Pacific Northwest, fixing a decades-old mistake

Forty years ago, restoration workers thought logs were the problem. They were wrong.

river restoration, washington, river fish, restoration, Yakama Nation, indigenous land, indigenoues tribes, salmon, trout, pacific northwest
Photo credit: Canva

Restoration workers now see how "critical" wood is to the natural habitat.

For decades, river restoration in the Northwestern United States followed a simple rule: if you saw logs in the water, take them out. Clean streams were seen as healthy streams, fast-moving water was seen as optimal, and wood was treated like a "barrier" to natural processes, particularly those of the local fish.

Now, helicopters are flying thousands of tree trunks back into rivers to undo that thinking.

In central Washington, one of the largest river restoration efforts ever attempted in the region is underway. More than 6,000 logs are being placed along roughly 38 kilometers, or 24 miles, of rivers and streams across the Yakama Reservation and surrounding ceded lands.

Nearly 40 years ago, Scott Nicolai was doing the opposite kind of work, all in the name of restoration.

"(Back then) the fish heads — what I call the fisheries folks — we stood on the banks, and we looked at the stream," Nicolai, a Yakama Nation habitat biologist, told Oregon Public Broadcasting. "If we saw a big log jam, we thought, 'Oh, that's a barrier to fish. We want the stream to flow.'"

river restoration, washington, river fish, restoration, Yakama Nation, indigenous land, indigenoues tribes, salmon, trout, pacific northwest Fish find shelter for spawning in the nooks and crannies of wood. Photo credit: Canva

At the time, logs were removed in an effort to simplify the habitat. However, it soon became clear that wood provided vital "complexity," creating sheltered pockets for salmon and bull trout to spawn and supporting algae that feed aquatic insects. Logs also slow water, spread it across floodplains, and allow it to soak into the groundwater. That water is then slowly released back into streams, helping keep them flowing and cooler during hot, dry periods.

The consequences of removing this "critical part of the system" (in addition to overgrazing, railroad construction, and splash dam logging) were made all too clear over the years as the rivers dried up and wildlife populations declined.

"We're trying to learn from our mistakes and find a better way to manage," said Phil Rigdon, director of the Yakama Nation Department of Natural Resources.

That's why Nicolai is now helping lead a project for the Yakama Nation aimed at rebuilding river complexity by returning logs to their rightful place. Many of these streams are now unreachable by road, which is why helicopters are used. Logs are flown from staging areas and carefully placed at precise drop locations marked with pink and blue flagging tape.

river restoration, washington, river fish, restoration, Yakama Nation, indigenous land, indigenoues tribes, salmon, trout, pacific northwest Many of these streams are now unreachable by road, which is why helicopters are used.Photo credit: Canva

The wood comes from forest-thinning projects led by The Nature Conservancy and includes species such as Douglas fir, grand fir, and cedar. Although some of the timber could have been sold, it is instead being used as river infrastructure.

For tribal leaders, the work carries even deeper meaning. During the helicopter flights, they gathered along the Little Naches River for a ceremony and prayer.

river restoration, washington, river fish, restoration, Yakama Nation, indigenous land, indigenoues tribes, salmon, trout, pacific northwest Tribal leaders gathered by the Little Naches River for a ceremony and prayer.Photo credit: Canva

"It was very simple: to bring what was rightfully part of this land back to us," said former tribal chairman Jerry Meninick.

The aftermath of the original restoration project illustrates how human concepts, such as the belief in the superiority of "cleanliness," can be limited and sometimes cause more harm than good. The miracle of nature, however, is that when left to her own devices, she can heal herself.

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TV news anchor shares his three expert strategies for sounding more confident when speaking to others

No “sort of” or “maybe” allowed.

public speaking tips, news anchor, communication tips, public speaking, talking
Photo credit: Canva

Learn how to speak with authority and clarity.

You may be preparing for a wedding speech, a work presentation, or another event where you’ll be speaking publicly. No matter how prepared you are, you're nervous and wondering if you could sound as confident, authoritative, and clear as a news anchor on TV. Well, one newsman shared his tips on how he sounded confident live and on camera even when he had to report under stressful conditions.

News anchor Dan Schrack of 12WHAM News in Western New York shared on TikTok why and how people in the news sound confident even when they’re not, and especially when they have to speak without a script. Schrack went on to share three tips that helped him “eliminate uncertainty” in his voice and fully keep a group’s attention.

@danschracktv

Ever wonder how news anchors sound so calm and confident - even when chaos is unfolding live? Here’s the secret: it’s not about being fearless. It’s about sounding certain, even when you’re not. 🗣️ Cut the hedging. Drop your voice. Slow down. That’s how you sound like you belong in control. #PublicSpeakingTips #CommunicationSkills #SpeakWithConfidence #VoiceTraining #NewsAnchor

1. Remove hedging language

Schrack recommends removing hedging terms like “maybe,” “probably,” “sort of,” etc. from your vocabulary. This is because such terms automatically make you sound uncertain and can remove authority from your sentence before you’ve finished saying it. Other speech coaches agree with this, adding that qualifiers water down your message and act as needless filler, too.

2. End sentences with certainty/a period

Making declarative statements and ensuring that they verbally end with a period helps you establish your credibility. Schrack points out that speaking with an uplift in pitch and tone could make whatever you say sound like a question or unsure, so it’s best to be mindful about how you speak along with the content. While you should speak declaratively and without hedging, it’s important to note that you are clear when you are stating an opinion, a theory, or a fact so your declaration remains true.

@leogonzall

duet this 😂 who’s on the other line?

3. Slow down and don’t be afraid to pause

Speaking quickly isn’t really speaking efficiently. Talking too fast can indicate to people that you’re nervous or anxious. Along with that, speeding through your speech can make it harder for people to understand and keep track of what you’re saying.

Conversely, speaking at a slower pace indicates that you’re in control. Adding pauses between your sentences also allows whoever is listening to fully digest your words and gives them more weight, encouraging them to listen closely to you.

Schrack says that these three tips will help you sound confident even when you’re not.

@tamaranews

The art of talking like a #newsanchor #tvnews #newsanchor #voiceeffects #voice #behindthescenes #bts #tvreporter #foryou

Fellow news anchors and communication specialists weigh in

Many of Schrack’s peers, along with other communication experts that reached out to Upworthy, agree with his advice, but have other tips and insight to offer.

“One thing I would add is that it’s helpful to understand the story you’re telling through your public speaking and adapt your tone accordingly,” advised Vishakha Mathur, communications specialist and Vice President of SKDK. “You want to make sure that your tone during a serious story conveys the gravitas of the issue, while during a funny story it conveys the lightheartedness of the moment.”

"People resonate with people,” said Ryan Bass, Media Director at Otter PR and sports broadcaster for the Tampa Bay Rays. “Over-the-top declarative statements or hyperbolic tone are not the best way to actually reach people."

@pierredalati

Stop talking like this, here’s how to sound more confident and clear #confidence #communication #selfgrowth #fyp

“The pause, the inflection in tone, and the force behind the words should all be intentional,” said Mathur. “Used well, these elements help convey emphasis, signal confidence, and guide the audience toward what matters most in what you’re saying.”

"Authenticity is everything," added Bass. "That’s the biggest way to create valuable connection and to get people to pay attention."

"The very phrase 'public speaking' should remind anyone who is communicating that it is not solely about them. It's about their audience,” said Christina Butler, a former Emmy-winning local news anchor turned professional communication trainer. “Keeping the focus on that audience and what their needs are is one of the most fool-proof ways to become a strong public speaker. Your points will become more concise, your body language more authentic, and perhaps best of all: your nerves will disappear when you quit focusing on yourself and how you look and sound."

All of these things could help you sound more confident, cool, and convicting whether it’s performing on a stage, at a projection screen at work, or during the nightly news.

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Four high-school boys fall victim to infectious laughter in addictively wholesome 'spit take challenge'

More of this, please.

teenagers, tiktok, funny videos, viral videos, tiktok trend, household items
Photo credit: Canva, Vecteezy Images (left, cropped) / Andsx from andsxx (top right) / wistudio from WiStudio Elements (bottom right)

High-schoolers are trying to crack each other up with random household items.

No matter your age, it’s always easy to look at younger generations and think, "Kids these days with their technology." But one new teenage TikTok trend is so analog and evergreen, it feels like it could have existed in the 1900s. It’s pretty simple: Kids are bringing random household items to school, gathering with their friends, plopping their selections down onto a table, and hoping the surprises will make each other laugh to the point of a classic spit-take.

It’s hard to pinpoint exactly who started this wholesome game, but it’s quickly become popular enough to spawn an entire social media account rounding up the most popular clips. Several of the best belong to TikToker eliblair._, who posted their first such video on January 9. It shows five kids sitting in a circle, each taking turns in a sort of show-and-tell style. The first one ends with the biggest group laugh: a stuffed Super Mario toy.

@eliblair._

#fypシ #viral #school #funny

That clip earned over one million views, and (as of this writing) they’ve posted nine more videos, showing the friends cracking each other up with everything from jumper cables to robot vacuums to a large Boston Terrier mask. Some of the biggest laughs happen when two people bring in the same item, including clothes irons and packages of hot dogs. It's hard to describe exactly why this is funny, but...it just is.

Will this trend eventually extend beyond schools into our offices, break rooms, and living rooms? It seems entirely possible, given how universal the whole thing is. At any rate, lots of people on TikTok are delighted by these displays of good, clean, (if slightly bizarre) fun. It seems to have triggered a certain nostalgia for many viewers, who made comparisons to the former MTV game show Silent Library (2009-2011), in which contestants tried to stay quiet in strange situations. Here are some of the top reactions to eliblair._’s videos:

@eliblair._

#fypシ #viral #funny #school #trending

"We gotta bring back silent library"

"If you think about it [you’re] really just playing show n tell"

"2026 and we’ve finally brought back silent library. the world may be healing"

"humans are so easily entertained it's amazing"

"The children yearn for Silent Library"

"Everything is so much funnier at school 😩"

"'hey mom can i bring the roomba to school?'"

"Fellas please don’t stop doing this. It’s so simple yet it’s freaking hilarious. I’m 53 and I laughed my a-- off every time I watch this. This is so me when I was in high school. I love every second of it please keep doing it."

"Roomba trying to find its home dock all day"

"48.2 million views proving THIS is what tiktok was made for."

"this IS EXACTLY what it's like to hang out with your bros lmfaooooo"

"71 year old grandma here and I love these. Always a good laugh."

Speaking of absurd but joyful TikTok trends, please turn your attention to the German craze of "pudding mit Gabel," in which teens meet up in parks, bring along a cup of pudding and a fork, and eat together. That’s pretty much it! And it’s gone viral beyond Germany, even extending into other countries: One meet-up even took place in New York City’s Central Park.

kids, teens, wholesome, fun, youth Teenagers hanging out at a park. Photo credit: Canva, Africa Images (both images, cropped)

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