Life in Jeneral: When life gets overwhelming, and you feel like everything is outside of your control, this Instagram account can work wonders. It documents the work of an organisational company who come to (very lucky) peoples’ houses and turn them into pure heaven. Their Instagram stories of ‘before’ and ‘after’ shots make my mind feel less cluttered and chaotic: think beautifully ordered, (sometimes even colour-coordinated!) wardrobes and food cupboards. @lifeinjeneral
Jonathan Van Ness: Van Ness, of Queer Eye fame, is perfect for any situation, but particularly when you need an injection of sunlight into your life. His positive and self-confident posts are inspiring for obvious reasons, but for me, his yoga flow videos, set to spine-tingling songs by the likes of Ariana Grande and Florence & the Machine, are the stand-out winners here. His grace and strength coupled with his knack for not taking himself too seriously make for a powerful and uplifting scroll. @jvn
Pasta Grannies: Food fans might appreciate this ode to Italian cooking. Pasta grannies does exactly what it says on the tin. Soothing videos featuring Italian grandmas handmaking fresh pasta. The steady kneading of the dough, the churning out of spaghetti, and the talented crafting into delicate shapes are all a sight to behold for the pasta lover in all of us. Disclaimer: could cause immediate onset of hunger. @pastagrannies
Thrive: This is one for boosting motivation. We all lack motivation sometimes and it can be hard to get our minds out of a productivity slump. This Instagram collates quotes from inspirational women (and some men!) to help its followers thrive in life and foster a community of raising each other up. My current favourite? “It’s ok if not everybody likes you” – Emma Stone. Important to remember, especially if you are prone to a spot of people-pleasing! @thrive
Accidentally Wes Anderson: This Instagram is tailor-made for the aesthetes amongst us. Almost painfully good to look at, this account pays homage to the cinematic style of Wes Anderson. Featuring photographs of achingly perfect symmetry: gorgeous interiors and facades of buildings, from all over the world, you will wish you could lift the colour-palette from your screen and paint it all over the often-grey Edinburgh skies. @accidentallywesanderson
By Mari Andrew: This NYC-based artist produces beautiful, introspective illustrations. A proponent of self-love and healing, Mari’s (pronounced like starry!) charming drawings are accompanied by captions that never fail to connect us all through universal, shared feelings. Be it great joy or bitter disappointment, Mari’s wise perspective shows how everything can be a lesson in growth and transformation. @bymariandrew
Overheard L.A: Finally, for a good old-fashioned laugh, check out this account chronicling humorous quotes that are stereotypical of Los Angeleans. All done in jest, this week’s gems include ‘if only Marie Kondo was invited to Fyre Festival’ and ‘can you tag me as the red pepper flake in your avocado toast?’ Seems like satire, but happily, it’s not! NYC and London editions also available. @overheardla
Image: StockSnap via Pixabay