Minimalism is on the rise, not just in design and architecture, but in the way people live their lives. Having fewer things, sporting simpler styles, and enjoying the fundamental good things in life is cool now. Regular people who aren’t influencers post fewer updates to social media. The world is just so loud and chaotic, more people are getting satisfaction out of just… chilling out and existing. There’s an old joke/meme that goes something like this: “Guys literally only want one thing and it’s disgusting.” Its used to imply, obviously, that men are shallow and crude creatures. TikTok creator and simple-life advocate Nolan Reid, however, has a different idea of what men really want. Not your typical guy influencer Nolan recently made a video about “Little things in life that make men happy.” The hilarious list includes: A fridge full of beer. Drinking said beer in the garage. With your dog. And a good buddy. Finding a cool stick. Kicking a rock. Staring at water. Dropping rocks into said water. As a fellow man, I would say: Yeah. That pretty much covers it. It really doesn’t take much! Watch Nolan’s full video to see the rest, and just appreciate how much joy and satisfaction he gets from these simple things. @nolanreid7 It’s that simple #beer #mustache #muzzymade ♬ Going up the Country – Canned Heat It turns out he is not alone People loved Nolan’s list, so much so that they began adding their own ideas of “simple things men love.” The video racked up hundreds of thousands of views across TikTok and Instagram. One commenter wrote, “He just described my whole personality.” Another added, “This guy gets it.” Others chimed in with their own additions to the list, like staring at a fire for hours or just peace and quiet. But most of the nearly 200 comments were just people chiming in to say one thing: “Hell yeah.” Finally, someone who understands us! The video was such a hit that Reid put out two sequels where he added things like skipping rocks, throwing a thumbs up in a photo, or making something from scratch. “A dog” seems to make an appearance in every single video, and for good reason: Dogs make guys happy! Nolan’s ultra-relaxed vision of “masculinity” is honestly so refreshing. A refreshing break from toxic masculinity Men on social media are usually bombarded with the Andrew Tates and Jordan Petersons of the world: influencers who constantly berate us to make more money, lose weight and add muscle, sleep with more women, take charge, and relentlessly self-improve. I like Nolan’s much chiller idea of masculinity. It reminds me of being a kid: taking pleasure in the simple things, not racing to be anywhere, not trying to impress anyone or prove anything. And I love that all the things listed are timeless. They were enjoyed by men, and all people, in the 50s, in the 90s, and they’ll be enjoyed by people 50 years from now, too. Nolan’s entire account is a breath of fresh air, an antidote to hustle culture. His videos find joy in: Breaking down cardboard boxes Driving at sunset Going fishing Throwing a frisbee Wearing t-shirts A daily visit to his page is almost like a meditation. I highly recommend giving him a follow to add a little counterprogramming to your social media feed. Why he started making these videos Nolan says in another recent video that he started making TikToks and Instagram reels just for fun, but discovered along the way that he was really passionate about the message. @nolanreid7 And many more #littlethings #men #happy #muzzymade ♬ It Ain’t Over ‘Til It’s Over – Lenny Kravitz “I never thought that my simple living and love for little things would resonate with so many of you.” He said he hopes to inspire people to “take a step back and enjoy the good simple things in life.” And now, I suddenly have the urge to go chuck a rock into a river, so I would say: Mission Accomplished! This article originally appeared last year. It has been updated. The post A guy revealed the 12 simple things that make men happy and it’s 100% accurate appeared first on Upworthy.

The Great Depression, which lasted from 1929-1939, caused economic turmoil worldwide. Families struggled to feed themselves, and went to extreme lengths to stretch food and utilize all available ingredients. Known as the Greatest Generation (those born between 1901 and 1927), their resourcefulness resulted in a number of creative (and delicious) recipes that remain relevant today. Home chefs and bakers shared their Great Depression recipes on Reddit that have been passed down and are still enjoyed today to help others get inventive and save money. From soups and stews to cakes, these are 17 Great Depression recipes to try. Soups, Stews and More Beef and Noodles “My grandmas go to: Bag of egg noodles 1 can of creamed corn 1 can Campbells chicken noodle soup 1 lb ground beef. Salt and pepper to taste. Brown ground beef, add all other ingredients, add enough water or light chicken stock to cover noodles if needed. Bring to boil, and reduce to a simmer for about 15 minutes, take off the heat and let it rest 10 minutes before serving with buttered white bread. I still make this to this day. My kids loved it too. Basically homemade Hamburger Helper.” – -__Doc__- Hoover Stew Ingredients 1 box noodlesA can of tomatoes1 package of hot dogs, or 1 can of sausage or meatA can of corn, peas or beans2-4 cups water Instructions “Mix all ingredients together in a pot until boiling. Then simmer for 15-20 minutes until the noodles are tender. If you have aromatics, onion and garlic would be a great addition. If not, the recipe is great as is.” – Josuaross54 Zaprezna soup “Depression soup… make a roux, add salt pepper and caraway seeds. Add water to make a thick soup texture. Use an egg or two mixed with flour and salt pepper and mix together to make dumplings.. drop into the soup to cook.. This was called zaprezna soup or depression soup. We ate it often in the 60’s after my dad abandoned us. Money was short but this soup was good.” – User Unknown Chipped Beef On Toast Ingredients 8 oz. dried beef jerky2 tbsp butter or oil4 tbsp flour4 cups milkSalt and pepper to tasteSliced homemade bread, for serving Instructions “Add jerky and oil to a pan over medium heat. Cook until the meat softens, about 3-4 minutes. Stir in your flour and cook for 1-2 minutes. Add milk and bring to a low boil. Allow sauce to thicken for up to 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper if you have it. Serve over homemade bread, toasted if desired.” – Josuaross54 Rivel Soup “In Ohio…My mom would cook Rivel Soup when I was a kid in 80s and 90s. She still makes it. It’s milk based with flour dough balls in it. I hate it. Sometimes they would fry potatoes and put them in the soup.” – Vegetable_Record_855 Potato Soup Ingredients 4 large potatoes, peeled and sliced (or 2 cans of potatoes)2 garlic cloves, choppedOne carrot, slicedA can of meat, sausage, or hot dogs (optional)3 cups water or stock3 cups milkAny herbs you have on-handSalt to taste Instructions “Slice all your potatoes, garlic, and carrots. Add to a soup pot with the meat, water, and milk. Bring to a boil and reduce the heat, keeping the mix at a low simmer. Then, cook for 30 minutes until all veggies are tender. Add herbs and salt, if using. Serve hot.” – Josuaross54 Tuna Fish Stew “My mother’s family always made tuna fish stew. It is celery, potatoes, canned tuna fish, milk, and hard boiled eggs. Sautee the celery until half way cooked, throw in some chopped potatoes and water. Cook until the potatoes are done. Thin the stew with some milk. Throw in chopped hard boil eggs. Salt and pepper to taste Serve over stale bread. It was cheap, quick, and really filling.” – RoseNoire4 @foodwanderer Great Depression Cooking Recipe #greatdepression #recipe #cooking #frugalmeals #cookingonabudget #nostalgia #friedpotatoes #hotdogs #foodwanderer #tastetest #SplashSummerVibe ♬ CRAFT – OFEKNIV Sides Baked Beans Ingredients 1 package soaked dried beans, or 2 cans of beansOne tomato, chopped1 onion, chopped2 cloves garlic, chopped2 tbsp lardTwo tbsp molassesOne cup water Instructions“Soak your beans, if using dried, overnight and drain the liquid. Prepare your veggies by chopping. Omit any vegetable that you do not have on-hand. Add lard to a stock pot and cook your vegetables until tender. Add the beans, molasses, and water. Cook all together with a lid on for 2-3 hours or until the beans have your desired consistency. Add more water if needed.” Milk Potatoes “Milk potatoes. Fry sliced potatoes with salt, pepper and a bit of onion until almost done. Pour milk over potatoes and simmer until potatoes are cooked through.” – kms811 Ash Cakes “Ash cakes got their name because different renditions are cooked in the hot white ash of your campfire. These are only 3 ingredients but are filling and have a great texture. Ingredients ½ cup cornmeal1 cup meat stock or water2 tbsp lard or grease InstructionsMix both ingredients together in a bowl and allow to sit overnight to hydrate the cornmeal. Pat into a bread pan and refrigerate or add to your cool storage before allowing to set up. The next day, slice into 1-inch slices and fry in melted lard. Serve hot and crispy.” – Josuaross54 Sweets Potato Donuts “Potato donuts from depression era cooking with Dylan Hollis.” – BainbridgeBorn Wacky Cake “If you have interest in baking, make a wacky cake. It’s a chocolate cake that has no milk, butter, or eggs, because those items were scarce during the Depression, but it is so good! The recipe I linked has more steps, but I’ve known a lot of people to literally just dump and mix everything in the baking dish.” – gwhite81218 @bdylanhollis The cake without butter, eggs or milk #baking #vintage #cooking #cake ♬ original sound – B. Dylan Hollis Rice Pudding Ingredients 1 cup rice2 cups milk2 tbsp butter3 tbsp honey, maple syrup, or molassesPinch of cinnamon “Combine all ingredients in a small saucepan and cook over low heat, about 20 minutes, stirring frequently. Taste for doneness and cook an additional 5 minutes, tasting until desired consistency. Serve warm.” – Josuaross54 Tomato Soup Cake “Tomato soup cake.” – AxelCanin Water Pie “Water pie.” – AxelCanin Mock Apple Pie “There was a thing for ‘apple’ pie made with Ritz crackers my grandmother made some time ago (she was born 1901 so def Depression life). That recipe looks more complicated than the one grandma made, but there are a number of recipes online for it, including one made by Ritz, on the box.” – User Unknown Hard Time Pudding “Batter: 1 cup flour1/2 cup white sugar1/2 cup raisins (Optional, I hate them)3 tsp Baking powder1/2 cup waterSyrup: 1 1/2 cup Brown sugar1 TBSP. butter/marg.1 tsp vanilla1 1/2 – 2 cup water Mix together flour, sugar, raisins, Baking powder, and water. Pour into a baking dish. In a sauce pan combine brown sugar, butter, water bring to boil then add vanilla and pour over the batter. Bake at 300 º for 1/2 hour.” – MsBean18 8 Great Depression Era Recipes We Will Need Soon byu/Josuaross54 inhomestead The recipes that outlasted hard times At the end of the day, these recipes have stuck around for almost a century because they work, not because anyone’s nostalgic for economic collapse. There’s a kind of genius in a Hoover Stew or a Wacky Cake, dishes built entirely around the question “what do we actually have?” rather than a shopping list. The families who lived through the Depression didn’t have the luxury of following a recipe exactly. They had to improvise, substitute, and make do, and somehow that constraint produced food good enough to still be passed down, tweaked, and eaten decades later. Maybe that’s the real lesson buried in the potato soup and the Ash Cakes: some of the best cooking doesn’t come from abundance. It comes from figuring out how to make very little taste like something worth gathering around the table for. This article originally appeared last year. It has been updated. The post 17 Great Depression recipes people still cook today during hard times appeared first on Upworthy.

Even though Americans and British people technically speak the same language, there are some major differences in our English vernacular. For instance, if you were to give someone from the United States and someone from England this prompt: Draw a kid in a jumper eating chips, biscuits, and flapjacks while watching football. You would end up with two very different drawings. The words jumper, chips, biscuits, flapjacks, and football all have completely different meanings in American English vs. British English. Most of us know the football vs. soccer difference, but the others may be unfamiliar. Same food, totally different names Words in the same language having different meanings based on geography can be confusing for English language learners, especially when they’re learning how to order food in a restaurant. Here are some differences just with foods alone: Chips In the U.S., chips means potato chips. As in Lay’s, Ruffles, etc. In the U.K., those are called “crisps,” while chips means french fries. Hence fish and chips meaning fish and fries, not fish and Ruffles. Biscuits When Americans talk about biscuits, we’re talking about fluffy, flaky baked balls of dough smothered in butter and served with either soups or meat and mashed potatoes, generally. Buttermilk biscuits are an American staple. Not so in the U.K. where a biscuit simply means “cookie.” What we call a biscuit, they call a scone. We have scones in the U.S., too, but our definition is generally more limited to the triangular, sweet kind. British scones also cover what we think of as biscuits. Flapjacks A flapjack in the U.S. is synonymous with pancake—the breakfast staple. A flapjack in the U.K. is a baked oat bar, almost like a granola bar. Pudding If you order a sticky toffee pudding in the U.K. and expect to get a custard-like substance, you’d be disappointed. Pudding is a general term for a dessert in the U.K., whereas it specifically means a custard dessert in the U.S. There’s also the opposite issue, where we use different words for the same foods as opposed to the same words for different foods. In the U.K., a zucchini is a courgette, an eggplant is an aubergine, cilantro is coriander, a grilled cheese sandwich is a toastie, and Jell-O is jelly. Clothing gets confusing too Clothing also can be confusing for folks learning English from an American vs. a Brit. Here are some words: Jumper vs. Sweater In the U.K., a jumper is what we call a sweater. In the U.S. a jumper is kind of like a mix between overalls and a dress, a sleeveless garment generally worn over something else. Pants vs. Underpants vs. Trousers What Americans call pants, folks in the U.K. call trousers. (Americans know the word trousers, but we don’t use it much.) Vest vs. Waistcoat vs. Undershirt This one is super counterintuitive for Americans. A “vest” in the U.K. is an undershirt, like a thin t-shirt or tank top. What Americans think of as a vest, the Brits call a waistcoat. Braces vs. Suspenders This one is also counterintuitive for Americans. For us, braces are either the orthodontia that straightens our teeth or a supportive apparatus that stabilizes a body part (a leg brace, wrist brace, etc.). But braces in the U.K. has another meaning, which is what we call suspenders. In the U.K., suspenders don’t hold up pants, those are braces, but they do hold up stockings, which isn’t the way we use that word. Bonnet and Boot A bonnet is a head covering in both the U.S. and the U.K., but the Brits also use the word for the hood of a car. Boots are shoes that go above the ankle in both countries, but a boot is also the trunk of a car in the U.K. The takeaway for language learners That’s not the end of the list of words that differ between American English and British English, but it’s a good start. For folks learning English as a second language, it’s at least good to know that some things you learn will really depend on where your teacher is from so you don’t end up disappointed when you order pudding or biscuits at a restaurant and get something totally different. This article originally appeared last year. It has been updated. The post 14 English words students learn differently if their teacher is American vs. British appeared first on Upworthy.

Millions of Americans seek the help of therapists for mental health struggles, and many more could use some psychological care but aren’t getting it due to affordability, lack of access, or other barriers. One of the positives to come out of the social media era is professionals sharing thoughts, opinions, approaches, and tools that the public might find helpful. While “TikTok therapy” is certainly not a replacement for actual therapy, you can sometimes find some useful nuggets. For instance, clinical therapist Hattie Awe, LPC, shared a video laying out three things she tells her patients all the time, and judging by the four million views and 124,000+ saves of the video, people are finding it helpful. @miss.mad.hatter Therapist rant ♬ original sound – Hottytot “I am a therapist in higher level of care, and these are the three quotes that I use almost daily with the patients that I work with,” Awe begins. “It’s more of a fact, the first one, but your brain has never existed and will never exist to be happy. Your brain has no rationale of what that means, and your brain strictly operates off of safety and knowing, which doesn’t always align with what we want out of life.” Why your brain works this way Neuroscience backs this up. Evolutionary psychologists say our brain’s primary goal is survival, not happiness. That doesn’t mean we don’t want to be happy, of course we do. It means our brain isn’t hardwired for that. It’s wired to keep us safe and secure, which means it’s naturally prone to focus more on the negative than the positive. Awe says that idea connects to the second quote that she probably uses more than any other: “Your nervous system will choose a familiar hell over an unfamiliar heaven every day of the week,” she says. “Your nervous system will gravitate towards the things that we know, the things that we see, the things that we’ve done over and over and over again because to the brain that’s safety. It doesn’t matter if the outcome is something that we don’t want, as long as our brain knows what’s coming, as long as we know what this is, as long as this is familiar, there’s a safety in that, which is why we might find ourselves doing the same shit, engaging in the same toxic relationships, engaging in the same behaviors over and over and over again, not knowing why we keep doing it, because it’s safe to the brain.” Why we resist change, even good change Somatic therapist Sarah Alpern used a similar phrase, “Your nervous system will always choose a familiar hell over an unfamiliar heaven” to explain why we might resist change even when it’s good for us and why we tend to gravitate toward the same patterns, behaviors, and situations even though they may be harming us. Predictability feels safer than change. “Change for the better represents uncertainty, and our brains perceive uncertainty as a potential threat,” Alpern writes. “It disrupts the familiar patterns and forces our nervous system to adapt to new circumstances, which can be scary and uncomfortable.” Understanding this can help us recognize when our instinctual brain functions are fighting us and why. “That leaves me to my third favorite little tidbit, little quote, which is you literally cannot hate yourself in the loving yourself,” says Awe. “There is no criticizing your way to confidence. There’s no shitting on yourself into a version of yourself that you enjoy. It doesn’t exist, and you’ve probably learned all of the lessons of life that you need by hating yourself. You might as well get to the fun part of life where you learn all the lessons of life by loving yourself.” “So validate the past versions of yourself,” she continues. “Validate the functions of the brain and the fact that it’s never really cared if you were happy. Validate how easy it is to fall in the habits of cyclical behavior, given the fact that our nervous system and brain is drawn to it. Have acceptance for that and be able to move forward. But we can’t act like the person before us doesn’t exist. And we can’t hate her for existing.” Therapy can help people better understand how their brain works. Photo credit: Canva Viewers found this genuinely helpful People in the comments of her video shared how helpful they found Awe’s concise breakdown of these concepts. “There is no criticizing yourself into confidence HITS.” “u just linked up like 12 different concepts in my brain thank u.” “This was gold! How much do I owe you?” “I just listened to this three times through to let it sink in. I’m in a transition phase and finding it hard and I needed to hear this. Thanks!” “I love that by being happy, you’re basically being a rebel against your own brain and nervous system.” Other therapists chimed in too Other therapists weighed in on her video as well, some with quotes they frequently share with their clients: “As a fellow staff with youth in higher level of care, I can confirm that this way of thinking is their only way to get through everyday. It’s so black and white and everyday is such a struggle trying to get them back to baseline.” “Along with your third quote, something I’ve said to clients is something to the effect of ‘if talking to yourself that way/thinking that way worked, it would’ve worked by now.'” “I’m a therapist, and a quote I use frequently is ‘you can be comfortable or you can grow, but you can’t do both.'” “Psychiatrist here…. ‘Acceptance does not require approval’ is one of my favorites. I feel like acceptance is such a huge part of life but it’s such a struggle for so many people.” A two-minute video definitely won’t cure anyone’s mental health issues, but even short tidbits like this can sometimes help shift our perspective and allow us to see the workings of our brains in a new and helpful light. You can follow Awe at @miss.mad.hatter on TikTok for more. This article originally appeared last year. It has been updated. The post Therapist shares 3 life-changing quotes she uses ‘almost daily’ with her patients appeared first on Upworthy.

Back in 2017, Artist Tom Ward used his incredible illustration techniques to give new perspective on modern life through popular Disney characters. He told The Metro. “Disney characters are so iconic that I thought transporting them to our modern world could help us see it through new eyes.” Wanting to bring to life “the times we live in and communicate topical issues in a relatable way,” Tom created his “Alt Disney” series, His approach resonated then and it continues to resonate now. Since the release of his “Alt Disney” series, conversations about smartphone addiction, environmental harm, animal welfare and digital distraction have only intensified. What initially felt like playful exaggerations now arguably read as predicted realities in a culture shaped by constant online engagement and ongoing environmental concern. Prince Charming and Pinocchio are absorbed by their phones. Ariel is surrounded by pollution, and Simba and Baloo have been mistreated by humans. View this post on Instagram View this post on Instagram View this post on Instagram View this post on Instagram View this post on Instagram View this post on Instagram View this post on Instagram Not every image was so bleak Still, there were a few bright spots, such as LeFou from “Beauty and the Beast” finally coming out and his crush, Gaston, appearing to be pretty accepting of the revelation.   View this post on Instagram Ward believed that his illustration of Arthur from “The Sword in the Stone” made a particularly strong point. “I also think the message of Arthur from The Sword in the Stone sitting on his phone has some resonance today,” he said. “He’s too engrossed in his phone to experience other opportunities and realize his true potential in life.” Today this image feels even more relevant as conversations around digital wellness and overstimulation have moved into the mainstream.   View this post on Instagram Disney has changed since then too Since 2017 Disney itself has undergone notable shifts in the way it engages with modern audiences. The company has introduced more diverse storytelling and has begun addressing themes that reflect changing cultural values. In this context Ward’s series functions almost like an early artistic commentary on the directions the studio would later begin to explore. His work also fits within a broader trend of remix culture in which artists use iconic imagery to examine contemporary life. For more than a decade creators have reimagined nostalgic characters in order to comment on climate anxiety, technology, identity and social responsibility. Ward’s pieces stand out because nearly everyone recognizes Disney characters, which makes the commentary instantly accessible. Looking back on it years later Revisiting these illustrations today offers a slightly different experience than it did eight years ago. The images now carry the weight of everything that has happened in the world since 2017. A global pandemic, increased digital dependence and rising climate awareness all shape how viewers interpret the drawings. What once felt like satire now feels closer to real life which strengthens the social critique at the center of the series. And in that way, Ward’s work remains as relevant as ever, serving both as nostalgia and as a reminder of the world we have created. You can see more of Ward’s work on Instagram. This article originally appeared eight years ago. The post Artist gives Disney’s most beloved characters a modern twist to talk about current issues appeared first on Upworthy.