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These 10 Instagram accounts will make everything feel much better

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Words by Emma Mason

It’s Sunday night and your weekly screen time report pops up on your phone, the overwhelming feeling of dread is palpable as you know this week hasn’t been good. You finally pluck up the courage to check and – shock – your screen time has gone up again.

These past months have seen us all be guilty of looking at out screens more, as let’s face it, what else have we had to do? Instead of mindlessly scrolling through Instagram however, why not make the hours we spend on our phones worth it by spicing up your newsfeed with some great accounts.

If you’re in the mood for some positivity, some pure escapism, or have decided to re-do your house for the third time this year then keep scrolling for some great Instagram accounts that will help you get through this second lockdown.

1. @globalpositivenews

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Romeo Cox, a 10-year-old English boy from Palermo, Italy, was moved by the plight of refugees. To raise awareness about the journey many of them have to take, young Romeo decided to walk across Europe and visit his grandma in London on foot. His dad – a journalist and documentary maker – accompanied him all the way. + Father and son started their long trip in late June. They first had to take a sailing boat from the island Sicily to Naples and then continued on foot. “We would sleep in the middle of nowhere under the stars and trees and those were some really good times,” Romeo recalls. + The pair covered 2,800 km from Palermo to London, and on September 20, Romeo and his dad arrived at Trafalgar Square in London. After 14 days of quarantine, Romeo could finally meet and hug his granny. + With the attention his journey received, the 10-year-old also raised about £19,000 for digital education of young refugees. ‘We should all get an equal chance to study & live’, his JustGiving page says. — h/t: Forbes Photos: @romeos_big_journey_home ••• @globalpositivenews @globalpositivenews @globalpositivenews . . . #caring #heartwarming #positivepsychology #globalpositivenews #news #somegoodnews #tanksgoodnews #goodnewsmovement #Positivenews #positivenergy #positivity #onemillionactsofgood #entreprenuersipfacts #forbes #thegrowinginvestor #trip #helprefugees #London #grandmother #father #walking #walk #refugees #charity #fundraising #awesomekid

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If you’ve ever found yourself questioning what good has come of this year, one scroll through this account will turn this idea round on its head. @globalpositivenews really does what it says on the tin, it provides heart-warming stories of kindness from all around the world that will leave you with a warm fuzzy feeling inside.

2. @pieladybooks

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🌿Book Review🌿 . “It would be a fitting close to her family life, or at least to life with her children. You are always saying hello to them while preparing them to say goodbye to you. You are always dreading the separations, while cheering them on, to get bigger, smarter, to crawl, babble, walk, speak, to have birthdays that you hope you’ll live to see, that you pray they’ll live to see. Jeanne will now know what it’s like to live that way, to have a part of yourself walking around unattached to you, and to love that part so much that you sometimes feel as though you were losing your mind.” ~Edwidge Danticat, Everything Inside🌿 . If someone were to ask me why I read, I no longer need an explanation, I can just point them to this book. To say that Everything Inside by Edwidge Danticat is well written would be a complete understatement. This book is profound. Beautiful. And moving in a way that I will never forget.🌿 . Told in eight, hauntingly beautiful short stories, Danticat explores the complexities of the human heart and the love and loses that define our lives. This book is filled with immense understanding and sensitivity of the power of connection and the strength of the human spirit, as well as a beautifully penned love letter to the people and country of Haiti.🌿 . And while Everything Inside is a technically a quick read, the stories are each so powerful that I found myself taking my time and savoring each one. As a mother, I was especially moved by “Sunrise, Sunset” (from which the quote above was taken), and found myself reading it over and over again with tears running down my face.🌿 . And this, my friends, is why I read: to bear witness to other people’s stories, and to honor their journeys, whether fictional or not. To empathize, learn, & be challenged by the stories that are different from mine, and to live by the lessons they teach. These 8 incredible short stories are everything I love about literature, and reading them was an experience I will never forget. Thank you, @edwidgedanticat for writing this incredible book.🌿 . I am so unbelievably glad that this powerhouse is the @reesesbookclub August pick. Everyone should read it!🌿

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If you’re an avid reader looking for inspiration for your next book to read, or a novice who has vowed to pick up a book this lockdown then @pieladybooks has everything you need. Not only does the account recommend a variety of novels, across different genres, but it also pairs each book with a delicious, freshly baked treat, that could even rival those of Mary Berry’s.

3. @humansofny

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“The technician quickly told us that it was a girl. But then she started taking longer, and finally she asked us to step into another room. Our doctor delivered the news gently. But then she sent us to a specialist who wasn’t so gentle. ‘The measurements are all off,’ they told us. ‘We need to know how you’d like to manage the pregnancy.’ It was surreal. I was firm in my decision, but I can empathize with women who feel like they have no choice. Because in that moment I doubted that I would ever be able to meet the needs of my child. She had a condition called ‘skeletal dysplasia.’ Her bones weren’t growing like they should, and she might not even survive. I’m usually a fairly private person, but this time was different. I didn’t care how many people knew. There were prayer chains and Facebook groups. My friends got together without me knowing, and they prayed over us. We received letters from so many people: family overseas, people we’d lost touch with, people we’d never met. We hung them all in the bathroom until the entire wall was filled. But a few weeks before our due date, we received the worst possible news: Elliana’s chest cavity hadn’t grown enough, and there wasn’t room for her lungs. I asked the doctor to give me the odds, but he just shook his head. We began to plan for her funeral. I could feel Elliana kicking inside me as we chose her urn and filled out the paperwork. I remember wanting to stay pregnant forever so that she’d always be safe. On the day of her birth, the waiting room was filled with people who loved us. They prayed from 10 AM to 5 AM the next day. I still keep a picture of that waiting room hanging in our hallway. And it’s my favorite picture, because it reminds me of all the people who petitioned for Elliana’s life. And we got our miracle. I struggle with it sometimes, because I know so many people lose their babies. But Elliana came out breathing on her own, and the doctors were in awe. Eight years later—they’re still in awe. Our story has a happy ending. But even when it seemed like a tragedy, I never felt alone. I never felt like the story was my own. Because in my darkest moments, a community of people chose to share my burden.”

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This year has prevented us from being together in more ways than one but @humansofny helps bridge this divide through incredible story-telling. It’s real people sharing their real life stories that are often both touching and addictive to read. Be prepared to cry as your faith in humanity will be restored through this account.

4. @jamesrelfyder

If you’re in the need for some real escapism from the long and cold wintry nights then @jamesrelfyder is exactly what you need to fill the holiday shaped whole in your life. His feed of golden sunsets and panoramic views will have you reaching for the computer to book the next available flight to some remote whimsical cabin to a place you’ve never heard of before, and it will be worth it.

5. @lostinhistorypics

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Young Joe Biden in the 1960s

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Have you ever looked back at the 20thcentury and thought, I wish I could go back there and revisit it? Well now you don’t have to as @lostinhistorypics gives you rarely seen before shots of celebrities and everyday people like, living their best life all the way back to 1900. Did I also mention young photos of Joe Biden in the 60s? Enough said.

6. @residentobjects

This account was born out of two women’s mutual love affair with all things thrifty and vintage. This lockdown creation by two fashion industry neighbours has grown in success and now sells their pre-loved goods worldwide. If you’re in the market for quirky 80s and 90s vintage home goods then look no further, @residentobjects has what you need.

7. @dj_fattony_

@dj_fattony_ is getting all the press at the moment, and rightly so. This DJ turned meme creator will literally make you laugh out loud. He encapsulates the public mood so acutely in his posts, and to make him even cooler, he’s even friends with Kate Moss.

8. @mr.pokee

Although hedgehogs might not be the most obvious thing to pack in your hand luggage for your next travel adventure, @mr.pokee will make you second guess this idea as soon as you see how cute the pictures are. Expect beautiful backdrops and two very smiley hedgehogs to brighten up your feed if you decide to follow this account.

9. @uniquehomestays

I know you may not want to hear the word ‘staycation’ after this pandemic is over, but this account makes staying in the UK look never better. From chic seaside houses in Cornwall to impeccably furnished cottages in the Cotswolds, @uniquehomestays gives you both holiday and interior inspiration, what more could you want!

10. @gemmacorrell

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Worrier pose – COVID edition 🧘‍♀️🧘‍♂️ (March 2020)

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To get through this lockdown heavy doses of positivity and humour need to be prescribed, and UK cartoonist @gemmacorrell fills her feed with just that. Making light of any highly relatable situation seems to be her forte, with witty and pun-laden cartoons guaranteed to leave you with a smile on your face.

The post These 10 Instagram accounts will make everything feel much better appeared first on Marie Claire.

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