Look at this instead of doomscrolling: Meditative views from the Chronicle’s multimedia team

By Camilla Forte, Director of Photography|January 22, 2021

A deserted playground on Wagner’s Vineyard Trail in Sun Prairie, Wisconsin, is blanketed in snow on Jan. 16. Kaylie Slack

Between an attack on the Capitol by pro-Trump insurrectionists, new strains of the coronavirus being discovered around the world and an uncertain economic climate, 2021 is hardly a fresh slate.

While the start of a new year can often feel promising, the effects of a particularly chaotic 2020 did not magically vanish when the clock struck midnight on Jan.1.

We’ve gone through a lot in the past year, but doomscrolling your way into the new one is hardly good for your mental health.

To combat the news blues many of us are already feeling, the Chronicle’s multimedia team has created a mental health checkpoint of relaxing images for you to browse before you click on the next breaking news notification.

Take a moment to relax, recharge and picture yourself somewhere calmer.

A Delta Canadair regional jet flies over Chicago’s Tri-Taylor neighborhood on Jan. 15. Valentina Pucarelli
Surf breaks — when a wave loses its momentum near the shore — at sunset on San Buenaventura State Beach, 901 San Pedro St., in downtown Ventura, California. Sofia Felino
Apartment tenants begin to turn on their lights as the sun sets behind one of the Marina Towers, 300 N. State St., in Chicago’s River North neighborhood. Camilla Forte
Java, an 11-year-old goldendoodle, barks at ongoing construction outside of her home in Sun Prairie, Wisconsin. Kaylie Slack
The sun dips behind a cloud over Chicago’s Edgewater neighborhood late in the afternoon on Jan. 15. Camilla Forte
Graffiti tagged on a wall in Chicago’s Old Town neighborhood reminds readers that “no one cares.” K’Von Jackson
Colorful stairs provide an artistic splash in downtown Mount Clemens, Michigan. Shane Verkest
Bright stars illuminate the night sky around 11 p.m. on Jan. 15 in Omaha, Nebraska. The stars can be seen in the area nearly every cloudless night due to the minimal light pollution produced. Abby McFarland
A raft of mallards — a species of waterfowl commonly found in city parks — floats through Walker Lake in Kirkwood, Missouri. Zachary Clingenpeel
The Willis Tower, 233 S. Wacker Drive, reflects the colors of the sunrise in the early morning hours of Tuesday, Jan. 18. Abby McFarland
Residents of Ventura, California, gather on the beach to enjoy the warm weather on the evening of Jan. 16. Sofia Felino