Stay-home guide: 3 Things to make you smile

The NPR Joy Generator is a free resource created for those times when the world weighs heavy on you.

Published online in late June by the American independent media organisation NPR, the Joy Generator offers a choice of activities that spark "small doses of daily delight" to shift focus away from your worries.

The Web-based app can be used on laptops and smartphones, and is optimised for older children and adults.

Users can create poetry or visual art; experience nostalgia through soundscapes; or spend hours gazing at cute animal cams.

Every activity comes with introductions to the science behind why the activity makes you feel good. Check it out at apps.npr.org/joy-generator

Whether or not you feel the tingles of ASMR (autonomous sensory meridian response) on hearing whispers or crunching sounds, you will marvel at the cinematic ASMR experiences some YouTubers are offering for free online.

French YouTuber Diane, who goes only by the single name, runs the Moonlight Cottage ASMR channel, where she uploads history-themed ASMR videos.

Sometimes, she dresses as an apothecary or old-time pharmacist blending medicines; in others, she is an aristocratic lady dressing for a ball. Watch her work here: str.sg/3Uat

The YouTuber known as Atmosphere is another hit among fans of ASMR cinematic videos. Her adventures feature a blend of computer-generated imagery and human actors, and recreate the atmosphere of a haunted cabin or mysterious manor. Watch her work at str.sg/3Uav

We would also like to hear from you, our readers, on how you are coping and keeping busy while at home. Please send us videos, pictures, stories, poems or other contributions at stlife@sph.com.sg or on ST's Facebook and Instagram accounts. We will curate and showcase some of these, including at str.sg/stayhomeST

Games For Change supports the development of games for social impact. The free and paid games featured on the site run the gamut from trivia quizzes, where a correct answer ensures a donation to poorer communities; to immersive role-playing games meant to foster empathy for refugees or youth facing social challenges.

You can search for games by age-appropriateness, or by themes such as "empathy", "gender and social equality" or "technology".

My current favourite is Sky: Children Of Light, an immersive game for all ages created by thatgamecompany (the starter app is free). Players work together to uncover mysteries and save a fairy-tale-like world. In the process, they learn about conflict, healing and empathy.

Check out Sky: Children Of Light and other games at www.gamesforchange.org