How to Make Your Life Feel More Like a Studio Ghibli Film

A little whimsy goes a long way

Whenever life starts to feel like one long to-do list and I’m two skipped meals away from a full-blown existential spiral, I open Red Note. Yes, I was one of those TikTok refugees who bolted to Red Note during that brief, shining moment when TikTok was banned in the US. I’m Australian. I had no horse in the race. But FOMO is a powerful force, and honestly? It paid off. What I found was a pocket-sized village of calm, a place where people were posting about Ghilbi-esque scenery, soup and sunsets instead of hot takes and hustle culture.

Red Note reminds me of a Studio Ghibli film. It’s warm. It’s calm. And it’s the visual equivalent of a deep breath in a sun-drenched field with a cat who may or may not talk*. When the world outside is spiralling, it brings me back to the kind of life I actually want. The kind where food is sacred, chores are meditative, and your main goal is to pick herbs before it rains.

We all know the feeling of watching a Ghibli film and thinking, “Why doesn’t real life feel like that?” And the thing is, it can. Maybe not every second, and no, your bread won’t levitate as it bakes, but you can invite that feeling in. You can make life feel a little slower, a little softer, a little more alive. So if you’re ready to swap burnout for wonder, let’s Ghibli-fy your daily life, one chaotic goblin step at a time.

*I once had a very vivid dream that Lulu could talk. When, in the dream, I called him out on it, he insisted that although yes he can in fact talk, I was also very much imagining the whole thing and please go back to sleep now, thank you. Miaow. 

Romanticise the ordinary (yes, even the dishes)

In Ghibli films, there’s something so tender about how the everyday is portrayed. A character hangs washing in the sun. They sweep the floor while chatting with a spirit. Someone makes a simple soup and we get ten full minutes of lovingly animated vegetables. It’s not boring. It’s beautiful. And if you let yourself, you can start to see your own routines like that too.

I’m not saying you need to cook stew every day in a rustic cottage while a forest god watches from the window. But what if making your bed became a little ritual? What if folding laundry wasn’t just something to rush through, but a moment to put on a favourite playlist, light some incense, and let yourself be fully present? The ordinary can be magical if you meet it with softness instead of speed.

Try narrating your chores in your head like you’re the main character in a slow, wholesome animation. Pouring tea? A sacred ceremony. Washing your face? Preparing for battle. Feeding your cat? A daily offering to the house spirit (which, let’s be honest, Lulu absolutely believes he is). The secret is not in what you do, but how you choose to see it.

Find beauty in nature, not just aesthetics

Ghibli films don’t shy away from the wild. There’s wind, rain, mud, and forests that breathe. There are bugs and moss and mushrooms (okay, not in my house, I’m allergic, but you get the vibe). They remind us that nature isn’t just a backdrop for cute outfits. It’s alive. It’s sacred. And it’s meant to be experienced, not just looked at through a screen.

It doesn’t have to mean camping or hiking or moving to a remote farm. For me, it’s watering my plants slowly instead of just chucking water at them on the way out the door. It’s sitting with my cup of green tea near a sunny window and watching the leaves outside twitch in the breeze. It’s noticing the change in air pressure when a storm rolls in and letting it make me feel a little wild too.

If you live in a flat or a city, bring the forest inside. Keep fresh herbs on the windowsill. Propagate cuttings in old jars. Put pebbles and shells in a bowl. Even ten minutes in the sun can shift your whole mood. Nature isn’t a location, it’s a way of being. It’s slowness. It’s noticing. And it’s not needing to take a photo for proof. Just being there, as you are.

Let food be sacred, not stressful

No one does food quite like Ghibli. Whether it’s a steaming bowl of noodles, a thick slice of toast, or a mountain of dumplings, the food is always given time, care, and reverence. There’s no calorie-counting or moralising. Just nourishment and joy. That’s the energy I want in my kitchen.

I used to eat standing up at the sink. Or on the sofa, watching TV. Or at 11pm because damn, late night jaffles are a vibe. But these days, I try to sit with my meals. Even if it’s just Girl Dinner. I plate it like it matters, because it does. I sprinkle things, I garnish, I might even light a candle. And yes, sometimes I take a photo for perpetuity, but only after the first bite.

You don’t need a rustic stew bubbling away on the stove. Even a bowl of instant ramen can feel sacred if you eat it slowly, sprinkle in a little chilli, and hum to yourself like a forest witch. Food is not just fuel. It’s a love letter to your body. And in true Ghibli fashion, it deserves attention, slowness, and a little bit of sparkle.

Become delightfully unfazed by chaos

There’s a moment in every Studio Ghibli film where all hell breaks loose. Spirits wreak havoc, someone turns into a pig, the house is on fire, and the main character just blinks twice and adapts. There’s no screaming. No panic. Just a deep breath and a pivot. That’s the vibe we’re going for.

I used to think being calm meant being in control. But actually, being calm means being OK with not knowing what happens next. Life is going to chuck curveballs. You’ll spill something. You’ll forget the meeting. Lulu will wee on your new jumper. And it’ll be fine. Channel your inner Chihiro. You’re allowed to feel the feelings, but don’t let them eat you whole.

Chaos doesn’t mean you’re doing life wrong. It means you’re living. You can be the mess and the magic. You can cry in the bathroom and then laugh at your own reflection because your eyeliner’s smudged and you now look like a raccoon. The goal is not perfection. It’s peace. And sometimes, peace looks like dancing in the kitchen, barefoot, while the rice overcooks and the kettle sings softly in the background.

Live like the kettle is always on, the breeze is always warm, and your cat might start speaking at any moment.

Just like Ghibli, choose softness, always

Ghibli characters are rarely harsh. Even when they’re angry, they’re gentle. Their power doesn’t come from force. It comes from integrity, kindness, and a quiet sort of bravery. They help others,they speak softly, and they listen. And I think that’s the biggest lesson of all.

You don’t have to hustle harder or toughen up. You’re not failing because you need naps, or you get overwhelmed in crowds, or you need to cry after watching a shampoo advert. Softness is not weakness. It’s your strength. It’s how you stay human in a world that’s constantly trying to make you a machine.

So let yourself be soft. Be tender, a walking contradiction. Be strong and sensitive, chaotic and kind. And be the main character in your own slow, weird, beautiful story. And when the world feels a bit much, make tea, open Red Note, and remember: you’re not behind. You’re in a Ghibli film. And right now, you’re just in the sweeping montage scene where the light changes, and nothing is quite the same, but in a good way.

You Are Not Entitled to an Answer – Chaos, Crumbs and Clarity

In this episode of Chaos, Crumbs and Clarity, we're unpacking why you are not entitled to an answer. Specifically, we're talking about the strange little corner of modern dating where a few days of app chat somehow becomes an emotional contract, and suddenly a man you've never met believes your silence requires a formal explanation, a debrief, and possibly a follow-up meeting with management.I have two stories for you. One man who talked almost exclusively about himself, ignored the fact that I was sick, and then followed up a week later asking whether I'd reconsidered his "request for clarification". And another who became offended because I didn't respond to his selfie within two hours while I was lying in a dark room with a migraine. Sir. Please be serious.Because here's the thing. Before you've met someone, you do not owe them unlimited access to your time, attention, reassurance, or emotional labour. You don't have to justify why the vibes changed. You don't need a reason they'll consider reasonable. You are allowed to disengage because something felt off, because you changed your mind, because you met someone else, or because you're in your luteal phase and frankly the entire world can wait.Today we're talking about the difference between ghosting and simply disengaging, why demanding closure can become a boundary violation, the exhausting expectation that women should manage men's feelings for them, and why you do not need to JADE, justify, argue, defend, or explain, when you've already decided you're done. Let's get into it.Key Takeaways:A few days of chatting does not create a debt. Matching on an app, exchanging messages, or talking on the phone does not give someone a claim on your attention. Until you've actually built a connection, you are allowed to walk away without submitting supporting documentation.Closure is not something another person can demand from you. Asking once is one thing. Continuing to push after someone has clearly disengaged is not persistence or emotional maturity. It's refusing to accept the answer you've already been given.You do not need to JADE. You don't have to justify, argue, defend, or explain why you're no longer interested. The reason doesn't have to be good enough for him. It just has to be yours.Pre-date silence and post-date silence are not the same thing. If you've never met, disengaging is part of app dating. Once you've shared an actual date or developed a genuine connection, a simple goodbye becomes basic courtesy. Nobody needs a dissertation, but acknowledging another human being matters.Sometimes they don't miss you. They miss the audience. Someone can seem interested while actually being interested in having your attention. Real connection requires curiosity about you. If the only time they become deeply engaged is when you're leaving, pay attention to that.For more visit  ⁠BryJaimea.com⁠ or follow over on IG  ⁠@BryJaimea

1. You Are Not Entitled to an Answer 14:41
2. We Need to Stop Clapping for Basic Decency 11:56
3. The Wine Aunt Manifesto 16:21
4. Who Said Anything About a Crisis? 13:07

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