Do you know that moment when you open Instagram almost automatically?
Not because you’re bored.
Not because you’re looking for something specific.
Just because your hand reaches for the phone and starts scrolling before your brain even notices.
I’ve been doing that a lot this week.
And every time I open the app, I notice the same strange thing.
My feed doesn’t look like a war.
It looks… normal.
Almost confusingly normal.
One video shows someone baking a cake.
The next one shows rockets being intercepted over Tel Aviv.
Then someone is trying on a dress in front of a mirror.
Then a military update.
Food.
Fashion.
War.
All living together on the same screen.
And for a moment I always pause.
Because my brain doesn’t quite know how to process both realities at the same time.
The Jokes That Everyone Immediately Understands
Some of the videos that appear on my feed are so specific that every Israeli seems to understand them instantly.
There’s one joke that keeps coming back.
It’s the idea that the Iranians must somehow be watching us.
Because the sirens always start at the worst possible moment.
Right when you decide to take a shower.
Right when you finally start cooking something that actually takes effort.
Right when you fall asleep after a long day.
And suddenly, the alarm goes off.
In the videos, someone always looks straight into the camera and says something like:
“They’re watching us.”
And everyone laughs.
Because somehow it really does feel like that.
It’s such a small, ridiculous thought.
But when thousands of people laugh at the exact same joke, you realize something strange.
We’re all experiencing the same tiny moments inside the same big situation.
The Reels That Appeared Almost Immediately
Another thing I noticed this week was how fast some videos appeared.
Some reels were posted literally minutes after the war started.
Which made me stop and think for a second.
Were people somehow prepared for this?
Did Israeli bloggers already have a “just in case” video waiting in their drafts?
It almost looked like they did.
As if somewhere in everyone’s phone there was already a small piece of humor ready to be uploaded the moment reality became heavier than usual.
And somehow, that idea made me smile.
Because maybe that’s one of the ways we cope.
We prepare laughter for moments we know will be difficult.
What Everyone Is Posting
If you scroll through Instagram right now, you’ll notice certain patterns.
A lot of people are posting food.
Cooking videos.
Comfort meals.
Desserts.
It makes sense.
Food is one of the simplest ways people calm themselves.
You chop vegetables.
You stir something in a pot.
You taste something warm.
For a few minutes, the outside world fades away.
Cooking becomes a small ritual of normal life.
My Reaction Was Slightly Different
But interestingly, my reaction this week has been the opposite.
Instead of eating more comfort food, I’ve actually been paying more attention to my health.
Less sugar.
Less junk food.
More balanced meals.
I don’t even know if it was a conscious decision.
It just happened.
Almost like my body quietly decided that right now is a moment to stay strong.
As if somewhere inside me there’s a voice saying:
Take care of yourself.
Because the outside world feels unpredictable enough already.
Thirty Minutes That Reset My Brain
One of the things that has helped me the most this week isn’t even on Instagram.
It’s on YouTube.
Every day I’ve been doing a 30-minute Zumba workout.
Bollywood style.
There’s this YouTuber I found who posts full Zumba workouts to Indian music, and something about those songs makes it impossible not to move.
So every day, I dance.
Thirty minutes.
Just me, loud music, and my living room.
And for those thirty minutes something interesting happens.
My brain stops replaying the news.
My body moves instead of holding tension.
My breathing slows down.
And when the music stops, I feel lighter.
Not because the situation changed.
But because my nervous system did.
The Videos That Show Something Bigger
Of course, not everything on the feed is light.
Some videos talk about the cooperation between Israel and the United States.
Others show Iranian citizens openly speaking against their regime and expressing support for Israel.
Those videos feel different.
They remind you that behind politics and governments there are always people.
Real people.
Watching the same events unfold.
Feeling hope.
Feeling anger.
Wanting change.
And suddenly the conflict feels less abstract.
More human.
Bridgerton in the Middle of All This
And then there are the videos that exist purely to distract us.
Lately my feed has been full of clips from the new season of Bridgerton.
Especially the dance scene with Hyacinth.
Apparently it’s become a whole trend.
People recreating the dance.
Breaking down the choreography.
One girl even filmed herself doing those dance steps while running to the shelter.
And somehow, that moment felt like the perfect summary of this week.
War outside.
Bridgerton dances inside.
Both realities existing at the same time.
My Feed Looks a Little Different
While many people’s feeds are full of cooking videos, mine looks a little different.
Mine is mostly fashion.
Dresses.
Shoots.
Styling ideas.
And strangely, those videos don’t feel disconnected from reality.
They feel hopeful.
Because during this war I made a quiet decision.
At the end of this month, I’m probably going to do another photoshoot.
Just like the one I did last year around International Women’s Day.
This time it will be outside.
In nature.
Something about spring.
Thinking about it gives me something small to look forward to.
Something beautiful waiting on the other side of this strange period.
Maybe This Is What Living Through a War Looks Like
When I look at my Instagram feed now, I realize something.
It doesn’t look chaotic.
It looks human.
War updates.
Memes.
Dance trends.
Workout videos.
Fashion inspiration.
All mixed together.
Maybe that’s simply how people live through moments like this.
We don’t pause life completely.
We carry life with us.
Into shelters.
Into uncertain weeks.
Into mornings where the news changes faster than our emotions can process.
Maybe that’s what social media quietly shows us.
Even during war, people keep cooking.
Keep dancing.
Keep planning photoshoots.
Keep scrolling.
Because continuing to live, even in small ways, might be the most human thing we can do.
