#self isolate

Stay home. Write, read, cook. Do anything. Just stay home.

A.ka Netflix recommendations for (almost) every country in quarantine

Hi tumblr 💜

I've been quiet the last few days because I hit a bit of a slump. It happens, and it's nothing to be ashamed of, but it's taken me some time to learn that these things happen and it's not because I'm doing anything wrong and I shouldn't beat myself up.

Some days you just need to get through and take care of yourself as best you can. So I thought this would be as good a time as any to tell those of you just starting this isolation/quarantine life to take care of yourself too, that it's ok to have days that you just get through, and offer some ideas of things you can do to help with that.

A big thing for me on days like this is distraction. Some days, distraction is the name of the game, but when I feel like this it's hard to think of what to do. That said, I'll try and post some ideas on this blog of things I've found to be helpful, starting with escapism.

Escapism can be great for 'getting through' days like this, it's fun to get to experience other places and things and as someone who's had very limited mobility and independence, I weirdly don't find it upsetting but rather exciting to see all these new places and worlds. Rather than sad that I can't go there, I feel blessed by modern technology and arts to be able to experience them.

Escapism doesn't have to come just from TV, although it might be your first thought. That said, it is the least tiring in most cases so I'll start there.

By the way, other forms of 'escapism' can include:

🌟Listening to an audio book

🌟Reading a book or comic

🌟Writing a story

🌟Playing a roleplay game

🌟Looking at art (why not take a virtual gallery tour?)

🌟Listening to music

🌟Trying to interpet/understand the lyrics behind your favourite songs

Lots of companies and services are pushing 'binging' at the moment, and enjoying a show is good, but remember: although TV is a great way to relax and escape without tiring yourself out when you have limited energy, it's important to break up the time you spend watching in order to avoid that 'ughh' feeling. It might be tempting, but don't sit for hours in the same position without moving or thinking of anything else. It doesn't have to be anything 'big', you know your capacity best, but stopping every now and then to do something else can really help your mood and stop the 'eughh I did nothing today' feeling.

Here are some things you could do to break up time in front of the TV. You can even come back to them throughout the day. Try setting alarms if you struggle to remember

🌟Get some more water to drink

🌟Make a cup of tea

🌟Do a puzzle (you can just pop back every now and then to put a few more pieces down)

🌟Do some stretches

🌟Brush your hair or style it

🌟Brush your pet

🌟Go into the garden for a bit

🌟Wash your face

🌟Water a plant/plants

🌟Walk up the stairs and down again

🌟Put on a song that always makes you move and dance around a bit (for example, mine would be 'Outro: Ego' by BTS or 'Hip' by Mamamoo)

🌟Talk to someone, either in your household (just a quick 'hi, how's your day going?') or on the phone for a few minutes if you can

🌟Colouring

🌟A sticker book

🌟A word search

Without further ado then, and after much more rambling than even I had anticipated (😅) here are some TV series that I have found to be helpful during my time in my own kind of 'quarantine' over the years. Basically my favourite escapist TV shows. I've gone by what's available on Netflix and tried to include options for every country currently in some kind of lockdown/quarantine, but some information may be incorrect or out of date as everything is changing so quickly so I apologise if that's the case. If people actually find this helpful I can do a part 2, and also include recommendations for other streaming services. I just chose Netflix because lots of people seem to have it- it's not sponsored or anything 😅 Anyway here we go:

(Note: if you're unsure if a show will be upsetting for you, search it on doesthedogdie.com and you can check for triggers)

Netflix recommendations for (almost) every country in quarantine:

The Musketeers

Available in: Belgium, Norway, Turkey, Canada, Brazil, Hong Kong and The Philippines

Sherlock

Available in: Italy, France, Poland, UK, South Africa, Russia, Colombia, Argentina, Belgium, Germany, Spain, Norway, Denmark, Turkey, Canada, USA, Brazil, Czech Republic, India, Israel, Hong Kong, The Philippines and Singapore

Peaky Blinders

Available in: Italy, France, New Zealand, Poland, UK, South Africa, Russia, Colombia, Australia, Argentina, Belgium, Germany, Spain, Norway, Denmark, Turkey, Canada, USA, Brazil, Czech Republic, India, Israel, The Philippines and Singapore

Reign

Available in: Italy, France, New Zealand, Poland, UK, South Africa, Russia, Colombia, Argentina, Belgium, Germany, Spain, Norway, Denmark, Turkey, USA, Brazil, Czech Republic, Israel and The Philippines

The Rebel (the thief who stole the people)

Available in: Italy, France, New Zealand, Poland, UK, South Africa, Russia, Australia, Belgium, Germany, Spain, Turkey, Czech Republic, India, Israel, Hong Kong, The Philippines and Singapore

The Last Kingdom

Available in: Italy, France, New Zealand, Poland, UK, South Africa, Russia, Colombia, Australia, Argentina, Belgium, Germany, Spain, Denmark, Turkey, Canada, USA, Brazil, Czech Republic, India, Israel, Hong Kong, The Philippines and Singapore

Merlin

Available in: New Zealand, Poland, UK, South Africa, Russia, Australia, Argentina, Belgium, Germany, Spain, Denmark, Turkey, Canada, USA, Brazil, Czech Republic, India, Israel, Hong Kong, The Philippines and Singapore

Once Upon a Time

Available in: Italy, New Zealand, Poland, UK, Colombia, Argentina, Belgium, Spain, Denmark, Turkey, USA, Brazil, Czech Republic, India, The Philippines and Singapore

Hwarang

Available in: France, New Zealand, UK, South Africa, Russia, Australia, Belgium, Czech Republic, India, Israel, The Philippines and Singapore

The Untamed

Available in: Italy, France, New Zealand, Poland, UK, South Africa, Russia, Australia, Argentina, Belgium, Germany, Spain, Turkey, Canada, USA, Brazil, Czech Republic, India, Israel, Hong Kong, Singapore

Disabled people: