Morning Brew - ☕️ Pandemic journaling

What is up my Essentials people. Just want to say how much of a pleasure it has been to be your part-time internet tour guide these past five months. Something that started as a Brew quarantine project has turned into a crew of 110,000+ loyal readers. Appreciate you and your enthusiasm so much!

—Toby Howell

P.S. Was this forwarded to you? Sign up here.

Giphy

Journaling, like using your turn signal, is something most people don’t do no matter how beneficial it is. I totally understand the reluctance—it’s difficult to wrestle your thoughts onto the page, especially during a pandemic. But you might be looking at the wrong page. Here are four approaches to journaling that’ll make it easier for you to vent about people not using their turn signals. 

1. Make yourself the hero: The Hero’s Journal is a productivity tool that disguises your goals as an epic quest to be completed...with you as the hero. I’ve used it to help train for a half-marathon and can confirm that the quest narrative helps with motivation. 
2. Clear your mind: James Clear’s Habit Journal pairs with his book Atomic Habits like a fine wine. Less exciting than the Hero’s Journal, but just as effective.
3. One at a time: If you’re looking to dip your toe into journaling, the One Line a Day memory book maximizes idea capture with minimal writing. Plus, when we get back to a time with more precedent, it might be interesting to take a trip down 2020’s memory lane. 
4. Doodle: If writing isn’t your thing, don’t force it—doodle instead. It’s more fun, great for the brain, and there’s no such thing as a grammar police in drawing. Here are five good options for art journals. 

Bottom line: There are plenty of benefits to open-a-Moleskine-and-write-about-your-life journaling, too. The NYT has a guide walking you through this type of writing, but as always, do what works best for you. 

Level Up: Notetaking has come a long way from Hammurabi's Code. Roam is a notetaking tool that links your ideas in a way that reflects how your brain actually works. It just closed a $9 million round of funding and I’m a huge fan. It does cost money, but give the 30-day free trial a spin—your brain will thank you. 

Get lost in a hole: If you like email newsletters (since you’re reading this I’m going to assume you do), this list of the 80 best single-operator newsletters is a gold mine. It highlights the very best individual newsletter writers in categories such as politics, productivity, and pop culture.

Stay up to date: Watch the epic trailer for the upcoming Dune movie. There’s something magical about a well-executed movie trailer, and I’ll be the first to admit I got the chills watching Dune’s even though I have no idea what it’s about. Check out WatchMojo’s top 50 trailers of all time for more mini-movie magic. 

A chocolatey super powder is your metabolism’s super power. 

Not all heroes wear capes—sometimes they just come in a nice little packet filled with plant-based powder that boosts your metabolism.

With chocolatey deliciousness, Sakara’s super powder eliminates bloat, decreases puffiness, boosts energy, controls cravings, and improves digestion. 

Blend it in your favorite smoothie, mix it with coconut milk, or stir it straight into your morning coffee because you work smarter, not harder.

Deliver the super powers your metabolism needs with Sakara’s super powder.

Brew readers get 20% off site wide.

YouTube

Fresh beats: Will Smith, the Fresh Prince himself, made a playlist of chill beats to vibe to while in quarantine. It provided the background music for this edition of The Essentials, too, so if you’re reading this, thanks Will. 

Fresh produce: I’ve gotten really into avocado toast during the last few months, but if I don’t use a full avocado, it’s tough to keep it fresh for more than a day. Here are some tips on keeping your produce fresh while this video solves my avocado problem and a bunch of other kitchen lifespan woes. 

Fresh Prince: This online pop-up store sells Fresh Prince of Bel-Air merch to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the iconic show’s premiere. I’m a little young to have watched the show regularly, but for some reason this pop-up shop still makes me feel nostalgic for a better time. 

While it’s agonizing to choose a show on Netflix, the process of picking out a new book to read is just as painful. Here are a few tips to stop you from rereading Hunger Games for the fifth time.

Go diving: An ocean of books allows you to scroll through an actual ocean of books. Every author you’ve ever heard of has their own island where you can peruse their body of work. Then scroll around to discover similar writers near them. 

Narrow it to a science: Whichbook takes a much more measured approach to book discovery. Use multiple sliders to set your mood and watch the book suggestions adjust accordingly. If you’re feeling 70% sad, 25% larger than life, and 80% optimistic, apparently The Life of a Banana by P.P. Wong is the book for you. 

Okay, fine...if you’re already tired of books, here’s a Netflix roulette wheel to help you choose something for your next movie night. 

+ While we’re here: This piece on how the reign of Goodreads (the largest community for sharing books) might be coming to an end is a great read.

Getty Images

I was born and raised in Florida, and while I fully accept its role as the punchline of most jokes, it does have some positives, namely these cute fellas. This picture is from the perennially warm Crystal River, where manatees come to hang in the winter.

And that’s that! Hope you discover a great book to read, a good journal to journal in, or a Fresh new fit. If you do, let me know by replying to this email or by connecting with me on Twitter. Have a great rest of your Monday.