This post is part ofHard Refresh,a soothing weekly column where we try to cleanse your brain of whatever terrible thing you just witnessed on Twitter.
In times of crisis, I turn to ancient gelatinous Cnidarians to soothe my soul.
They call these creatures "jellyfish." As the victim of multiple jellyfish attacks, I prefer to ogle them from a remove, either from behind an aquarium glass wall, or failing that, a computer screen.
They and all their delightfully lethargic underwater friends provide much comfort during hard times, (a.k.a. all times at this point.)
SEE ALSO:Sister Helen Prejean's Twitter account is proof that the world still has good in it
Though I wish I could spend an hour a day at the New England Aquarium, for those of us who don't have access to aquariums/are too cool to live in Boston, there are plenty of aquarium live feeds online, available free of charge. Plus, a study published in Environment and Behaviorfound that well-stocked aquariums, like pets, have a soothing effect on humans. Watching a tank for five minutes can temporarily relieve anxiety. It's like having a margarita with none of the puking.
There's just something so primitively comforting about seeing an illuminated blob fart around in a tank. It's slow-paced aquatic living.
Personally, I rely on a combination of live feeds and long feed recordings featured on YouTube. Here are a few suggestions for where to get your underwater fix:
Mashable Top StoriesStay connected with the hottest stories of the day and the latest entertainment news.Sign up for Mashable's Top Stories newsletterBy signing up you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.Thanks for signing up!
1. The Live Jelly Cam from the Monterey Bay Aquarium
It's like a Windows screensaver, but good.
2. A live West Coast sea nettles cam
What these sea nettles lack in color they make up for in sheer blobiness.
3. A live sea otter cam at the Seattle Aquarium
Sea otters are healing. Please don't bring up the *one* time a group of otters were caught on camera banding together to kill a monkey at the Bronx Zoo. Thesearen't thoseotters.
4. A live beluga cam from the Churchill River estuary in Manitoba, Canada
Baby belugas > adult humans, most days of the week.
5. Footage from a Great Barrier Reef cam
I've dreamed of the Great Barrier Reef ever since playing Where In The World Is Carmen Sandiego? as a child. Now my dream can play out on-screen right in front of me.
6. Footage from an Osaka Aquarium cam in Japan
It's a stunning potpourri of sea creatures.
7. A live reef lagoon cam
This cam will lull you into an afternoon nap.
8. A live walrus cam
Most of the time I check this channel, the walruses aren't even there. I'm cool with it. The idea that walruses might one day show up is healing on its own.
9. Just a clip from The Little Mermaid
It's not live, nor is it technically real, but it has everything these other cams lack: songs, dance, and forks that double as hairbrushes.
Watch and restore thyself.
Featured Video For YouSomeone taught Amazon's Alexa sign language