I am now in the third week of a union strike by professors, instructors, and librarians at my university, during the rising fourth wave of the coronavirus pandemic here in Manitoba, and having just been blasted with our first big dump of winter snow.
In other words, I am completely stressed out.
One of the reasons why I have been blogging almost exclusively about Second Life lately, and not about what’s going on in the broader metaverse, is that SL is my happy place, where I go to escape messy, chaotic, and painful reality. Second Life (plus the RuPaul’s Drag Race and Dragula franchises) are helping me stay sane and get through this time of high anxiety and high uncertainty!
I wanted to share a short playlist of five songs which I have been listening to, when I feel anxious, upset, and stressed. I know that many of you (including the faculty, staff, and students at my university) are feeling pretty stressed out as well, and I sincerely hope that listening to this uplifting music helps in some small way. Maybe you’ll even find a new song to help you get through the tougher times in your life!

YouTube Music: https://music.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLgsEMkuBXPb9EGepUhCOmpNwsyq77546i&feature=share
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/173526c5AnIurL6sFH2MA3?si=360ddc00f51e4b95
Here’s my playlist:
Rise Up – Andra Day
This Is Me – Keala Settle
(Something Inside) So Strong – Labi Siffre
You Gotta Be – Des’ree
Proud – Heather Small
I hope this music cheers you up during your stressful times!
P.S. I am open to suggestions of other songs along this vein, so if you know of a great uplifting song that you think should be added to this playlist, please leave a comment on this blogpost, thanks!
UPDATE Nov. 19th, 2021: I have had another suggestion for another great song to add to my playlist. Thank you, Scott Forbes!