I very much like the background sounds built into IOS and now also Macos. Being able to fill my headphones with the gentle sound of rain at any time is great for my mind in so many ways.
(It is sometimes a little jarring as well, trying to chill with rain while on the train through a beautiful winter landscape just did not work.)
But this is not the first time I have enjoyed background noise. Someone, for some reason, probably on Mastodon, linked to and reminded me of the fantastic site Mynoise. They have a ton of noise generators, of types I would never have thought of. Forests and rain and oceans, of course. But also offices, restaurants, and gardens. Speaking of oceans, we have a generator of a pebble beach if you want it. How about a B-17 flying fortress?
Even the full list page does not actually list all the options at once.
But the generator which caught me, and now brought me back, was the classic fireplace. It is so good it not only relaxes me, it makes my cheeks feel warm too. Leaning back, eyes half closed, I suddenly recalled: Did they not have a IOS app? And did I not buy a set of generators in it? Is that app still alive? Are my purchases still valid?
The answers to all those questions turned out to be yes. And as a cherry on top, the IOS app works perfectly on M1 Macs as well. I have the fireplace in my ears, leaning back on the couch, feet up, dog curled up beside me.
I will try the other generators - definitely including that B-17 - at some point.
But right now I simply can not find any motivation to do anything but enjoy the fireplace.