When the World Feels Too Loud: Finding Calm and Joy with Mindfulness and Hoopla
Breaking news, constant notifications, and endless social media feeds—sometimes it’s just too much. This nonstop digital noise can lead to emotional fatigue and digital overload, making it hard to focus or relax. When life feels “always on,” practicing mindfulness offers a powerful way to reset your mind and find calm amid the chaos.
But mindfulness alone isn’t enough—joy and laughter are essential to building resilience. That’s why Hoopla is such a valuable resource, offering both mindful content and uplifting entertainment to help you feel balanced and refreshed.
What Is Digital Fatigue?
Digital fatigue happens when constant exposure to headlines and social media drains your energy. Instead of unplugging completely, the key is to engage with digital content mindfully and intentionally. Hoopla’s curated selection makes this easy by offering tools to reduce overwhelm and support well-being.
What Is Doomscrolling and How Can Mindfulness Help?
Doomscrolling is endlessly scrolling through negative news, which increases anxiety. Mindfulness interrupts this by encouraging present-moment awareness and intentional content choices. Hoopla has curated materials to help you turn doomscrolling into joyscrolling.
Build Mindful Media Habits
Set boundaries by checking news only at certain times and fill gaps with positive Hoopla content. Notice how media affects your mood—if you feel overwhelmed, switch to mellow or comedic titles. Try digital reset rituals with deep breaths, stretching, or Hoopla’s calming instrumental and nature soundtracks. Create a mindfulness practice to reset your attention.
Here are a few titles that help support mindfulness and meditation, free with Hoopla:
Mindful BingePasses
What is a BingePass?
BingePasses give you instant access to entire collections and premium streaming services for a single borrow through your local public library. Each rental lasts for one week, and you can immediately renew your BingePass. If you want endless, fun content ranging from puzzles and games to tv shows and movies, you’ll love BingePasses. They enable you to indulge in a variety of titles that are capable of easing your stress without exhausting your borrows.
One of the best ways to avoid the doom and gloom in the news is through exercise. The Get Healthy U TV BingePass enables you to explore options like strength, cardio, kickboxing, barre, yoga, bodyweight, and low-impact sessions suited for all levels. Whether you’re a beginner or advanced, there’s a class for you. With diverse lengths and challenges, motivating trainers help you stay consistent and achieve lasting fitness results.
Another great way to avoid doomscrolling is with the puzzle and games Puzzmo offers. It offers some of the same games and puzzles you grew up with, but with clever twists —like Cross|word with hints, SpellTower’s smart wordplay, Pile-Up Poker’s solitaire-poker mix, and chaotic Really Bad Chess—plus unique originals like Flipart and Typeshift. Each game challenges your brain in a fresh way, blending strategy, creativity, and just the right amount of chaos to keep things endlessly fun.
Play a wide mix of sudoku, crossword, and word games—10 sudoku styles, five crossword types, and four word games like Guesstionary and Word Sleuth. Avoid the non-stop negative news cycle by taking on a new challenge. There are brand new challenges added daily! Whether you’re in the mood to unwind or push your puzzle-solving skills to the limit, there’s always something new to keep you hooked.
The Great Courses Video BingePass
Take your mind off of the news by learning something new, with the help of The Great Courses. Get access to hundreds of top courses with a single borrow, allowing you to explore one or many subjects at your own pace. Each course includes short, easy-to-watch video lessons covering topics from art to zoology. With The Great Courses, enjoy engaging, pressure-free learning—no homework, tests, or deadlines, just expert instruction from world-class professors.
Mindful Comics
All Are Welcome: A Cat’s Café Collection by Gwen Tarpley
The comic book equivalent of a cozy hug, guiding readers away from life’s darkness and into a world of warmth and cuteness. The collection delivers heartwarming moments, beloved characters, and familiar themes of friendship and mental health, while author Gwen Tarpley shares her authentic voice. Curl up, sip your favorite drink, and enjoy the latest adventures.
Thinking About Thinking by Grant Snider
Grant Snider’s latest collection of one- and two-page haiku-like comics delves into our inner lives with clever visual metaphors and vibrant illustrations. Exploring emotions, self-doubt, and indecision, Snider offers humor, reassurance, and insight—not solutions—inviting readers to reflect, laugh, and find comfort in the shared complexity of human feelings.
The Art of Living: Reflections on Mindfulness and the Overexamined Life by Grant Snider
The Art of Living blends humor with insight, focusing on mindfulness, empathy, gratitude, relaxation, and awareness—timeless themes that resonate today. Building on Snider’s previous works, it offers reflection, hope, and self-care, encouraging readers to approach life thoughtfully. With its engaging cartoons, this book is a perfect gift for anyone seeking inspiration, comfort, and a mindful perspective.
Mindful Music
Mindfulness Series: Echoes of Serenity
Enter a tranquil space where sound heals and music becomes meditation. More than an album, this is a thoughtfully designed sonic journey to help you achieve deep relaxation, emotional restoration, and spiritual renewal.
Disney Peaceful Piano: Self-Care Day
Soothing instrumental piano renditions of beloved Disney songs. Designed for relaxation and self-care, it provides a serene soundtrack perfect for unwinding, meditation, or quiet reflection.
A collection of 43 classical music pieces, each chosen for its beauty and its ability to calm. Performed by orchestras from around the globe.
Meditation Music & Sounds Hoopla Collection
Experience deep relaxation with the Meditation Music & Sounds collection, featuring calming nature sounds, slow tempos, and minimalist compositions for a peaceful atmosphere. Enjoy soothing instrumentals and healing frequencies to enhance mindfulness and meditation. For anytime, anywhere tranquility.
Mindful Audiobooks
The Language of Letting Go: Daily Meditations for Codependents by Melody Beattie and read by Liz Cole
Melody Beattie shares her personal experiences and recovery insights in this daily meditation book for those struggling with codependency. Each day offers a guiding thought, reminding readers to take responsibility for their own healing, practice self-care, and embrace every day as a chance for growth, renewal, and personal transformation.
Life Is a Lazy Susan of Sh*t Sandwiches by Jennifer Welch and Angie Sullivan and read by Jennifer Welch
Before creating their hit podcast I’ve Had It, Jennifer Welch and Angie “Pumps” Sullivan were two best friends navigating life’s highs and lows together. From addiction and marital struggles to self-worth challenges and brushes with fame, they supported each other with humor and resilience. In this memoir, they share personal stories and lessons on hope, connection, and finding joy amid life’s chaos.
Drink Water & Mind Your Business: A Black Woman’s Guide to Unlearning the BS and Healing Your Self-Esteem by Dr. Donna Oriowo and read by Deanna Anthony
Dr. Donna Oriowo guides readers through the foundations of self-esteem, offering practical strategies to become their most confident and empowered selves. Drawing on her research and experience as a licensed sex and relationship therapist, she helps readers set boundaries, honor their needs, recognize their worth, and cultivate a life filled with joy and fulfillment.
How Do You Define Mindfulness?
Remember, your definition of “mindfulness” can be very different from someone else’s! If you have a favorite author, song, or audiobook that helps create balance in your life, look for it on Hoopla.
Balance Calm with Joy
Mindfulness is about awareness, but joy fuels mental health. Laughter, creativity, and uplifting stories reduce stress. We call it joyscrolling!
Here are some choices from Hoopla to bring lightness and optimism to your day:
Uplifting, Entertaining BingePasses
Stream the same content that subscribers get—unlimited access to exclusive original series, reality shows, movies, and uplifting content starring your favorite Hallmark actors. Enjoy a vast collection of romantic comedies, cozy mysteries, emotional dramas, and timeless holiday favorites—all in one heartwarming destination designed to make you smile.
Enjoy seven days of unlimited access to over 100 top magazines, including Us Weekly, Good Housekeeping, Prevention, Cosmopolitan, Reader’s Digest, In Touch, Time, and many more favorites. Dive into the latest stories, tips, and trends—all in one place and ready to read anytime, anywhere.
Where uplifting stories shine. From charming romances and inspiring dramas to heartwarming holiday escapes, this extensive library offers wholesome movies and TV shows your whole family can enjoy, all aligned with values that inspire and uplift.
Uplifting, Entertaining Comics
Adulthood Is a Myth: A Sarah’s Scribbles Collection by Sarah Andersen
All the awkward, hilarious realities of young modern life—wasting weekends online, the agony of public handholding, and longing for cozy nights at home. Honest, relatable humor tackling body image, introversion, relationships, and everyday quirks, making readers laugh while seeing themselves.
Cat + Crazy Vol. 1 by Wataru Nadatani
High schooler Kensuke Fuji, a devoted cat lover, has never been able to spend time with them due to family allergies. When he meets a mysterious cat guru with extraordinary skills, Kensuke finds a kindred spirit and becomes their disciple, eager to learn the secrets of the Ultimate Cat Whisperer and the legendary Cat Fist Way!
I Left the House Today! by Cassandra Calin
Cassandra Calin captures the humor in everyday life through her relatable webcomics, earning a huge social media following. This beautifully illustrated collection explores single life, school, stress, junk food, shaving, and self-image, highlighting the funny gap between expectations and reality. A lighthearted, introspective, and visually striking collection.
Uplifting, Entertaining Music
KPop Demon Hunters (Soundtrack from the Netflix Film/Deluxe Version)
This bilingual pop album features original songs by the film’s in-universe groups HUNTR/x and Saja Boys, along with contributions from TWICE and MeloMance. The album includes energetic anthems, emotional ballads, and a deluxe edition with instrumental and a cappella versions. No wonder it topped Billboard charts and is certified Platinum!
The Wicked soundtrack captures the complete tale of the Wicked Witch of the West and Glinda, the Good Witch, across both parts of the musical. Highlighted by memorable hits like “Defying Gravity” and “Popular,” it also includes songs such as “What Is This Feeling?” and “For Good,” illustrating the characters’ evolving friendship and the dramatic events that shape the world of Oz.
Lauren Daigle’s self-titled album unveils a bold creative shift, blending pop, funk, soul, and folk to reveal a more personal sound. It captures her evolution as an artist, emphasizing authenticity, hope, and faith while exploring emotional honesty and the search for meaning in life’s challenges. Daigle was recently named artist of the year by the RIAA (Recording Industry Association of America).
Uplifting, Entertaining Audiobooks
Old Girls Behaving Badly by Kate Galley and read by Patricia Gallimore
Gina Knight anticipates a peaceful retirement with her husband, until he vanishes to Santa Fe, leaving a Dear John letter behind. Needing purpose and a place to live, she becomes companion to 89-year-old Dorothy “Dot” Reed. Sent to a grand wedding, Gina soon discovers Dot has a secret agenda: solving the mystery of a missing painting hidden in the estate.
I See You’ve Called In Dead by John Kenney and read by Sean Patrick Hopkins
Obituary writer Bud Stanley is stuck in a post-divorce slump, struggling with work, dating, and life itself. After accidentally publishing his own obituary, he faces impending job loss. To rediscover purpose and joy, Bud embarks on an unusual journey—attending the wakes and funerals of strangers—to observe life, mortality, and ultimately, how to start living again.
Heretical Fishing: A Cozy Guide to Annoying the Cults, Outsmarting the Fish, and Alienating Oneself by Haylock Jobson and read by Heath Miller
Summoned to a fantastical world and granted powers by a broken system, Fischer isn’t your typical hero. Fame, fortune, and adventure hold no appeal—he prefers forbidden fishing techniques and petting every cute creature in sight. But cosmic chaos has other plans, as cults, nobles, magical mishaps, and even his pet crab’s energy blades make life anything but peaceful.
Uplifting, Entertaining Movies
A Simple Twist of Fate (1994)
Regarded by neighbors as a withdrawn recluse with a shadowy past, cabinet maker Michael McCann (Steve Martin) lives in solitude until a winter night brings an abandoned infant, Mathilda, to his door. Her arrival transforms his life, awakening love and purpose. As their deep bond flourishes, Mathilda’s biological father, politician John Newland, resurfaces, igniting a custody battle that challenges society’s definition of family and true parenthood.
Letters to God (2010)
Eight-year-old Tyler Doherty (Tanner Maguire) faces his battle with cancer armed with unshakable faith and courage. Supported by his loving family, he writes daily letters to God, expressing hope and gratitude. When his mail reaches postal worker Brady, a man struggling to find direction, Tyler’s strength profoundly changes him. Inspired by a true story.
Corrina, Corrina (1994)
In 1959, widowed father Manny hires Corrina, a compassionate housekeeper, to care for his young daughter, Molly, who has fallen silent after her mother’s death. Through patience and kindness, Corrina helps Molly heal and rediscover her voice. As affection blossoms between Manny and Corrina, their growing love must withstand the harsh judgment of a racially divided and prejudiced society.
Be Mindful of What Makes You Happy
Different people find different things uplifting, of course. Maybe there is a specific genre that makes you happy, or a favorite movie that makes you laugh every time you watch it. Remember, Hoopla has thousands of titles.
Create a Mindful Routine with Hoopla
Start your morning with a meditation audiobook, enjoy a lighthearted comic midday, and unwind in the evening with feel-good movies. Hoopla is free, ad-free, and available anytime with your library card—making mindful media choices effortless.
You Can Choose Calm and Joy
While you can’t control the world’s chaos, you can control your response. Mindfulness slows you down, and Hoopla helps you fill that space with content that restores rather than drains. You can stay informed and stay peaceful by being intentional with what you consume. Explore Hoopla today and start curating calm in your digital life.
*Title availability may vary by library.
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