Things to do (from home) this week: How to feel less alone

Here are the best online events and streams this week, including the #Versuz showdown of Babyface vs. Teddy Riley, NPR’s Tiny Desk Concerts’ at-home version, a virtual comics convention, a cult movie fest, and, of course, Lady Gaga and Paul McCartney’s One World: Together at Home extravaganza.

This week in going outside. Here’s a good activity, if you have a garden: You can plant a garden that will help support bees. Want to go further afield? Gary Thompson breaks down how to hike safely right now as the trails get more crowded.

Warm up. Being touched feels good to us because we are responding to the warmth of another body, and that toasty feeling can elicit the same biological responses as touch, says Melissa Hunt, a clinical psychologist and associate director in the department of psychology at the University of Pennsylvania. Warm tea, a cozy blanket, a heating pad or a hot show or bath will all help.

Massage yourself. Not only can rubbing yourself down help with stiffness, it also activates our parasympathetic nervous system and can help us calm down.

Snuggle something. Kids find stuffed animals soothing for a reason. Break out your old teddy bear or snuggle a pillow, especially as you fall asleep, says Philadelphia-based psychologist Marquita Williams. “Having something to hold will calm down your nighttime anxiety,” she said. “It’s what I do.” It may seem weird, she says, but it works.

Miso (Greg Vernick, chef-owner of Vernick restaurants) Try it: Vernick says miso’s really good for marinades and braises, and you can mix it with rice vinegar, oil and salt for a nice salad dressing. Or use it to fancy up your lunch: “I’ll mix a half teaspoon of yellow miso with three tablespoons of mayo, a couple drops of hot sauce, and a squeeze of lemon or lime, and spread that on any kind of sandwich.”

Pesto (Nick Elmi, chef-owner of Laurel, ITV, and Royal Boucherie) Try it: “Pesto packs a tremendous amount of flavor in a small package,” says Elmi. Try it in simple pastas or grilled fish, or as a dip. “My wife likes it on eggs in the morning, too."

Fish sauce (Chutatip “Nok” Suntaranon, chef-owner of Kalaya) Try it: From Suntaranon: “Fish sauce can enhance any kind of flavor” and you can also use it to replace salt. Try a marinade of fish sauce, brown sugar, pepper flakes, black pepper, and oil, or use it to season seafood pasta, or in a salad dressing.

Nutritional yeast, aka “nooch” (Rich Landau, chef-owner of Vedge and V-Street) Try it: From Landau: “I use nutritional yeast less as a seasoning and more as a way to add umami and body when cooking. You can use it to get this sharp cheddar flavor into things if you don’t want cheese.” Try it in pasta sauce, hummus and refried beans.