Grounding Hog Day Technique
I dunno about Phil, but I predict a long winter ahead
Hey, not sure if you’ve experienced this too—but January 2025 was actually a years long event. And if you, like me, follow the gospel of the 1993 comedy-fanstasy feature film Groundhog Day, then you already know that today, February 2nd, always carries the possibility of being forever trapped in a time loop. Considering our current timeline, this is worst case scenario.
For those of you not in the know, the premise of Groundhog Day follows an arrogant and cynical weatherman sent into the field to begrudgingly provide his news station’s annual Groundhog’s Day coverage of Punxsutawney Phi. Bill Murray’s character, also named Phil, bemoans his job assignment (relatable), despises the town, and patronizes just about every person he comes across. Despite his air of superiority, a blizzard forces Phil to stay overnight. And despite the laws of time and space, Phil wakes up to repeat the same day. Over. And over. And over again.
Now I’m sure we can glean a lot from our own life parallels. Maybe everyday feels the same or your life path is a treadmill or you’re a bit of a jackass or you would (quite literally) rather die than run into an old acquaintance or you hate your job or you’re so self-involved you forget other people exist and struggle too (I wouldn’t know anything about this). The moral of the story is the importance of coming up for air from your narcissism. It’s really an anti-Main Character Syndrome argument.
So, since January was a sort of practice round for a Groundhog Day time loop situation, I thought I’d share a few ways to pull ourselves out of the anxiety spiral. A Grounding Hog Day Technique, if you will.
5 Things You Can See:
The Empress on Netflix. It’s in German so you’re gonna have to buckle down and read. And it’s a lot of Austrian Napoleon-era history. But most importantly it’s romance and the the lead guy is super hot (even if his character is a wet rag).
The Sun. Yes, that one. The celestial body. I live in the Pacific Northwest now and it is the dead of winter so I’ve really come to appreciate that elusive guy in the sky.
Abbott Elementary on Hulu. I can’t believe I even have to tell you this. You already know.
Arcadian on Hulu. This is extremely derivative in the best possible way. It’s like The Quiet Place meets I Am Legend with a sprinkle of Babadook. Leaves more questions than answers. Primarily: why is this so clearly filmed in the UK but everyone has American accents? But: Nic Cage.
Severance on Apple TV+. I really do love my office gang (a string of words never before seen together in the same sentence). Get in on the ground floor before every HBO-A24-Criterian Collection dude you’ve ever met is forced to mansplain the show’s philosophies to you.
4 Things You Can Touch
The Last of Us Part II video game. I say “touch” because there will be much mashing of buttons. First of all, this game is
EXTREMELY GAY. I promise you it has some of the best, most emotionally devastating storytelling of any game…maybe ever? This game is a dissociative dream helping me through a very tough phase of life. Please note that there is an animal cruelty element that I really wish was not a part of the gameplay.
Vintage Stationery. Since I’ve somewhat noncommittally sworn off social media (not talking about you, Reddit), I started looking for other, more tactile ways to communicate with far away friends. Letters are the OG of sharing daily tidbits (that nobody really cares about) and also the baring of your soul. I’ve perfected my eBay, Mercari, Etsy eagle eye for vintage letter & card sets and let me tell you, there are so many beautiful things out there if you’re willing to pay the price (I’m not). The most vintage I can afford is 90s and sometimes 80s and the fact that I am saying that is vintage is hate speech directed at me.
Grass. Self-explanatory.
Wool Socks. Because bare feet need a little blanket. I am a Darn Tough loyalist, but I hear Costco has some reliable dupes.
3 Things You Can Hear
Nxdia. Specifically their song “She Likes A Boy” so you can have that engraved into your brain like I do. This is an Egyptian-English queer musician who sings in both English and Arabic.
Meditation Music for Dogs. My dog is dealing with a lot of health issues and, as a direct result, so am I. Mainly that I’m dying. A friend suggested this Spotify playlist since dogs can pick up on our emotions and both me and Charlie need to harness the power of relaxation to promote healing or whatever.
Your Dog Aggressively Licking His Paws. Speaking of dogs and the current atmosphere in which I write. Have at it, Charlie.
2 Things You Can Smell
Dedcool “01 Taunt” Travel Spray. I dunno, do you need to buy more stuff? If you want to smell like me, you do.
Myriad of Baked Goods. My sweet tooth is at an all time high, so now is the season of baking sugar cookies at 9pm on a weeknight.
1 Thing You Can Taste
Craft Beer on Tap. I will say, Oregon is a delightful place for beer selection. I’m a sour kinda gal but a saison, gose, farmhouse, or hef will do. Amber in a pinch. The more my lips pucker or the more it kinds smells like dirty socks, the better. This place has some good stuff. Say what you will about me, but at least I’m not burning out all of my taste bud on IPAs.
Hope this helps!
Sincerely,
Lane
