North Texas Daily

I should expect the unexpected at this point, but letting a pug on TikTok decide my workload for the day was definitely not on my 2021 bingo card.

For those not in the know, Jonathan Graziano (@jongraz on TikTok) and his 13-year-old pug Noodle have taken the world by storm. Every morning, millions wake up to see if Noodle will stand on his own, or slump back into his bed after his owner picks him up. If Noodle stands on his own, it is a “bones” day meaning it is a day to be productive. If Noodle decides to plop back comfortably into his bed, it is a “no-bones” day meaning it is a day of self-care. Cuteness aside, this trend has had an incredibly positive impact, bringing mental health awareness to those who may work themselves a little too hard.

Should we actually be taking the advice of an animal? Probably not, but when the importance of mental health is front and center, I don’t see a reason why we shouldn’t.

With some of the trends we have seen in the past, like people licking ice cream and putting it back on the shelf or trying to walk across a tower of crates, this trend feels like one with no negative impact. Most trends go stale after a while, especially if the creator is obviously trying to carry on the trend for financial gain, but Graziano and Noodle look to use this trend for creating a positive impact for those struggling with things like burning out and self-care.

As college students, we want to balance our time evenly, which normally results in us balancing our time as unevenly as possible. I have fallen victim to pushing all my school work back to the last day of the week, creating an abysmal end to the week. Productivity habits do not really get as much attention when talking about things like self-care and mental health, but a trend like this certainly makes people realize it a little bit more.

I have some assignments due at the end of the week, so I have some free time to do whatever I choose. If it was a “bones” day, why not knock a couple of those assignments out? Should it be a “no-bones” day, instead of doing any work, I could throw on some soft clothes and watch a comfort movie, or finally start on that one series I have been putting off for years.

Trends like this one can open everyone’s eyes a little more, and it may even help some people realize they have some self-care issues of their own. Sure, a pug helping people decide how their day is going to go is ridiculous, but even if this trend passes and becomes outdated, someone may value themself or their mental health a little more because of the impact this trend had.

If it’s a “no-bones” day, don’t worry about going to your lecture later on in the day. Just stay in and do something you haven’t been able to because of your workload. Don’t look at it as a day to be lazy, look at it as a day to love yourself. Just like a “bones” day is not a day to work yourself to exhaustion, but instead one to be productive and keep yourself as the number one priority.

The main message here is no matter what day it is, you should always care for yourself first. Self-care and cherishing mental health are extremely important, and thanks to Noodle, the importance of it is being spread worldwide.

Featured Illustration by Miranda Thomas