Here we are, half way through the longest shortest month of the year. How do we keep going?
With whimsy.
The world is particularly bleak at the moment, in ways that bewilder and defy. It all seems somehow out of our control. But I saw one post that called for joy as an act of resistance. So if not for yourself, employ these ideas for whimsy as a political and spiritual act!
I found this post on Instagram, and it’s one of those posts that makes it so you don’t actually want to delete all of social media. tarawinequeenwrites (Feb 19 2025) that @alimilne shared responses to a video asking about whimsical little habits. The following are some highlights from the comments:
lauren_po: as a recovering people-pleaser, I created a hole punch card and get a punch every time I say “no” to something (something optional at work, a social event I don’t wanna go to etc). When I get 10 punches, I buy myself a little treat
_pikashoo_: Idk if it’s whimsical or just delulu but if I’m having a bad day and have to be around people at work or in public, before I enter a room or leave my car, I will count down from 5 and then say, “Action!” and literally imagine I’m on a set and being followed by a camera, and the scene is a woman doing whatever it is I have to do full of confidence and joy.
When I’m done, I’ll whisper “cut” to myself and resume allowing myself to be or feel whatever is authentic.
Only applies to strangers and people I’m not emotionally attached to. My circle gets the raw BTS footage lol
trickikitti: When I take my contacts out every night I say to myself “alright I’ve seen enough”
amthomp: I hot glued a bow tie onto the Roomba and we call him Jeffrey.
novelheidi: I always set my alarm clock to weird times like 8:52 am or 4:47pm because I don’t want less used numbers to be lonely or sad.
lindiana_jonez: I always say “I’m a dragon” out loud after I vomit
row.josephine: sometimes i shower with the lights off and pretend im a little fairy in a midnight storm tbh it’s insanely relaxing
karalynradford: Whenever someone is driving aggressively I tell myself it’s because they really have to poop.
abundancengrace1111: If I’m too tired to fully clean up from the night before, when I enter my kitchen the next morning I’ll ask “Who closed last night?” because clearly whoever was on the schedule had a lot going on. (I live alone.)
yosoylacynthia: Whenever I can’t find something I say out loud OK THATS ENOUGH, GIVE IT BACK RIGHT NOW!! And then the elves who took it hear me and put it back where they found it.
teresa.a.johnson.333: When I pull into the garage I say “docking bay one – making final approach – ready for landing”
indyink: I whisper “go make someone SO happy” when I put something in the donations bin
mrscaseytaylor: When I fill up my dog’s water dish, I set it down and say, “drinks are on me!”
beastwatcher: When my husband gets off the phone, after talking to someone for a long time, he looks at me and says “Wrong number”
thatstheyolks: I always say excitedly “everybody into the pool!“ when adding chopped vegetables to a pan and cackle to myself.
laura_jrk: When I could barely move when I was pregnant, when I finally managed to roll myself off the couch or bed I’d shout “parkour” to make myself less sad!
rene.egg: if I want to have negative thoughts about myself I have to think them in a cockney accent
leaturnerholt: I call my to do list my TA DA list and do jazz hands as I tick things off.
Josie: I say “well good thing no one overreacted” out loud to myself after a good cry
candymandingo: When I leave the house I always tell my dog “no parties while l’m gone!” And then laugh so he knows he is 100% allowed to throw parties if he wants.
So now you can delete your social media accounts. I’ll post the good stuff here. And if you’re wondering how you’ll know what’s going on and how you’ll connect with community, you’re holding the answer in your hands!