Calming Picks for Stressful Days
When the mind speeds up, we need something to slow it down. This list has wordless piano pieces, cameras that migrate with the birds, tiny worlds hidden in the grass, the calm advice of Marcus Aurelius and Monet's water lilies. Pick one, take a few deep breaths and give yourself a little time.
Films
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1 Film
Perfect Days
A modern kind of peace hidden in the small details of the day and in cassette tunes.
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2 Film
My Neighbor Totoro
A tale that wraps the heart softly, bringing back childhood curiosity and the quiet magic of nature.
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3 Film
Arrietty
Through the eyes of a tiny girl who lives under the floorboards, it shows how magical an ordinary garden can be.
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4 Film
Flow (2024)
Without a single word spoken, different animals learn to trust one another on a boat as the waters rise.
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5 Film
Winged Migration
A breathtaking, serene nature documentary that makes you feel you are crossing continents with the migrating birds.
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6 Film
Microcosmos
An awe-filled documentary that reveals the hidden world of insects in the grass through mesmerizing close-ups.
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7 Film
Oceans
A documentary that fills you with wonder and peace as it watches the graceful dance of sea creatures.
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8 Film
The Biggest Little Farm
A hopeful documentary about a couple who turn barren land into a thriving farm in harmony with nature.
Songs
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9 Song
Peace Piece
A piano improvisation as full of peace as its name, quieting the mind.
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10 Song
Near Light
A piece that conveys the calm of drawing near to the light with strings and piano.
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11 Song
An Ending (Ascent)
An endless stillness that lightens you as if you were rising into space.
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12 Song
Air on the G String
A baroque masterpiece that slows down time and fills the mind with calm.
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13 Song
Cello Suite No. 1: Prelude
A flowing, serene prelude in which a single cello puts the world in order.
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14 Song
Nuvole Bianche
A piano piece as slow and light as white clouds, clearing the mind.
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15 Song
Aqua
A piano piece as clear, simple and calming as water.
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16 Song
Moonrise
A calm journey that brings together the breath of the ney and the softness of jazz, scattering peace as the moon rises.
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17 Song
Three Little Birds
A soothing remedy that melts worries away one by one in that calm voice saying "every little thing is gonna be alright."
Books
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18 Book
Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind
Simple, warm Zen talks that teach the peace of seeing everything as if for the first time.
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19 Book
Tao Te Ching
Ancient Chinese wisdom that teaches the strength of being soft and flowing like water, and brings calm to a hurried mind.
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20 Book
Meditations
Timeless notes on calm and virtue, written by an emperor to himself.
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21 Book
Walden
A tranquil book that shows the value of simple living, nature and inner peace in a cabin by a pond.
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22 Book
The Man Who Planted Trees
The story of a shepherd who patiently plants trees and brings a barren valley back to green.
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23 Book
The Tao of Pooh
A charming book that explains the simplicity of the Tao and the art of going with the flow through the carefree ways of Winnie-the-Pooh.
Paintings
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24 Painting
Water Lilies
An Impressionist texture that clears the mind, all reflections on the water and pastel tones.
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25 Painting
The Japanese Bridge
A green bridge arching peacefully over water lilies in the garden Monet built with his own hands.
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26 Painting
Early Spring
Mountains emerging from the mist and trees waking up, telling of life stirring again after winter.
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27 Painting
Dwelling in the Fuchun Mountains
Hills unrolling slowly along the river, a scroll that calms the mind like an unhurried walk.
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28 Painting
View of Delft
A peaceful view where sunlight falling on the town between the clouds lets you take a deep breath.
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29 Painting
On Lake Attersee
Nothing but turquoise ripples, a calm moment on a lake that slows the viewer's breathing.