If the past year and a half would be placed on the Dungeons & Dragons chart, it would probably land on chaotic evil. So if you still haven’t properly adjusted, it makes complete sense—after all, the “new normal” isn’t really what it’s cracked up to be.
And because we’re literally just trying to survive, our pre-panini hobbies were put on the back burner too. Tsundoku tendencies? Intensified. Pending artworks? Still pending. TikTok dance covers? Sleeping in the drafts. Sometimes it’s even hard to just get back into the shows and movies that we used to love so much. Like we said before, productivity shouldn’t be a pandemic requirement. But if you’re ready to face them again for sanity’s sake, we have a tip: watch videos.
Instead of forcing yourself to go back to your usual hobby cycle, seeing it unfold in other people’s POV might be the less overwhelming version of jumping into it again. Not all videos can do the magic, though, so we’ve prepared a few recommendations.
Book hauls
Getting stuck in a reading slump sucks, especially if you’ve got strong tsundoku tendencies that result in an ever-growing TBR pile. If flipping a page feels like a chore, book haul videos might inspire you to revisit your shelf.
A book haul video is more or less the bookworms’ version of flexing their latest finds (no shame, kid). Aside from presenting you new books to check out, book haulers can also offer you a fresh perspective on your current reads. Who knows, maybe they can make that seemingly enigmatic Shakespeare novel more digestible?
If you’re an avid fantasy reader, MelReads deep dives into a myriad of genres, especially popular fantasy novels. If fiction, mystery, and classics are your jam, check out Noelle Gallagher’s channel. With monthly book hauls containing beach reads and even Halloween reads, you can amp up your reading list and practice the art of curation, too.
Speedpaint videos and art tutorials
Picking up a brush isn’t as easy as it looks, so it might be good to start with just watching art happen. Not only are speedpaint videos satisfying, they’re also hella insightful. If your current creative process isn’t working anymore, then it might be a good time to take a page out of others’ habits (bits of procrastination on the side is valid.) We love a virtual mentorship that doesn’t involve deadlines.
Cooking and baking tutorials
This past year, a lot of us spent time in quarantine baking banana bread and downing 17 cups of dalgona coffee, but those aren’t the only recipes you can thank the interwebs for. Here’s an idea: Why not transport yourself to your favorite shows or movies and try remaking fictional food? Look, we know that the “Spirited Away” menu is totally overwhelming, but who says you can’t start with onigri (rice balls)? Come to think of it, it can be your temporary escape from reality, too.
New music releases and dance choreos
Music is also a great source of inspiration. If you’ve got the urge to dance or sing but not sure where to start, listening to new bops can help. Bonus points if a new song comes with a dance music video—that’s new music and new dance moves all rolled into one sweet package. If you’re on TikTok and YouTube a lot, you’re sure to immediately hear about new releases from the artists you love.
Even a 15-second dance cover can take a lot out of you, so maybe learning new moves with more thrill is the way to go a.k.a. watching dance challenges. They are relatively easy to follow than other choreos (especially on TikTok!), plus they can encourage you to hop onto the trend with friends. If you’ve gotten the hang of it, the next step is to make a new dance challenge yourself. Shameless laughter at the end included.
If you’re looking for new dance moves to master, YouTube is your best friend, too. You’ll also find plenty of dance routines and classes you can watch to pick up some new tips for your next choreo.
Reaction videos
When late-night karaokes are still out, where do you go to hone your singing? If you’re an aspiring singer, voice coach reaction videos can be pretty insightful. From talk show performances to musicals and concerts, these coaches not only react to these videos but also dish out bits of wisdom that can help you train your vocal chords. Just let us know when your EP drop is, alright?
New shows and movies
A lot of the time, we’re busy with either work or acads, so whenever we do have some downtime, we don’t really have the energy to do anything else. So a good way to chill is to binge new shows.
Scrolling through If you want personal suggestions, hit up YouTube or TikTok. Scroll through their recommendations and you might just will help you come across some gems you didn’t know you needed—including hyper-specific watchlists and criminally underrated recs. You can also just scroll through If you’re in the mood for local releases, iWant TFC’s shows and see if you want to give their new releases a go. has an interesting roster—including cinema classics. Binge-watching shows and binge-eating snacks while you’re at it just hit different.
There are tons of videos you can click for inspiration to get back in the zone for your hobbies and even discover new ones. Luckily, Smart Prepaid has got you covered with Unli Giga Video to keep that experience going. With unlimited data for YouTube, iWant TFC, Cignal Play, and NBA League Pass every day, we can continue watching all the content we love—even if it means watching multiple videos at once, because why not? You have unlimited data for it anyway!
It can be difficult to be physically present for a lot of our hobbies, so seeing it on our screens might be the next best step. There’s no pressure to whip up an output, no audience watching you, and no deadlines to boot.
The inspiration we need could already be within our reach—in the form of movies, TV shows, music, or the videos that our favorite content creators put out. These give us brainstorm material that we can use to get our mojo back and help us discover new hobbies and shows to stan. With Smart Prepaid’s Unli Giga Video, we’ll have more data, or better yet, UNLIMITED DATA—our next “thank u, next” ticket to escaping hobby slump.
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