Holiday Issue(s) 2026: How to spread joy

Everything sucks.

Everyone is tired. And miserable. And lonely.

And somehow all of it keeps finding its way into you, like you’re a public museum of feelings. Free admission. No closing hours.

You’re not a sponge.

But… you kind of are 🧽

You feel people’s emotions—not just the excitement, but the anxiety, the depression, the quiet cries for help. You see people hopping from one party to another, and something in you knows they’re just searching for another escape. You watch people sharing how amazing their lives are, yet their souls whisper how badly they want to be free from opinions and expectations. You notice people are constantly busy, chasing things they can’t quite explain… but “it pays the bill.” You sense people amping themselves up to cover their nervousness, counting weekdays just to get to the weekends, secretly wishing they could step off the hamster wheel without everything falling apart. 

Wait… why does all of this feel so familiar?

Oh no.

No no no no no.

Was it… you? 🙊

Ah ha!

You keep looping back into the same thoughts, no matter how many times you promise yourself you’ve “reset.” And somewhere inside that loop, you meet something unexpected...

Joy ✨

Joy isn’t loud. It doesn’t announce itself. It doesn’t require a life that finally makes sense. It shows up quietly, through very unremarkable moments. Through presence. Through honesty. Through how you show up when there’s no audience.

Joy isn’t about pretending everything is fine. It’s about being steady enough to carry light when things are not.

It’s the little things that go a long way, and both ways. 

Sometimes it’s a smile you actually mean. A hug that lasts just long enough to say “you’re safe.” Listening without mentally drafting your reply or trying to fix someone’s entire life in your head.

Sometimes spreading joy is literally just pausing before you react the way you always do and thinking, “Okay… what would be five percent kinder right now?” Not heroic. Not saintly. Just slightly better than default settings. It could be your tone. It could be an unexpected kindness. It could be a small gesture you know they’d love but would never ask for.

And while you’re at it, tend to your own energy too.

In fact, tend to your energy first. Because you’re not just a sponge!

You’re also a source.

Joy works like a candle 🕯

It doesn’t argue with the dark. It doesn’t try to overpower the room or announce itself. It just stays lit. And guess what? The whole space is lit up, too.

Joy doesn’t need a step-by-step plan or a 10-bullet-point guide to happiness. It doesn’t need perfect skin, a calm inbox, or a life that finally “makes sense.” It’s not that once we fix enough things, heal enough things, achieve enough things, joy will finally RSVP…

Joy isn’t waiting at the finish line. It’s hanging out in the middle of real life, wondering why we keep walking past it 👀

Remember when you were young?

That girl who didn’t wait for permission to feel joy. No one told her to go find it. She didn’t overthink it.

She just did! 🙋🏻‍♀️

But don’t assume joy only comes from happy times.

There’s joy in strong emotions, too.

Joy in tears that tell you your wounded self is finally healing.

Joy in frustration that pushes you to set boundaries you once avoided.

Joy in loss that later reveals itself as freedom.

Joy in awkwardness, especially when you used to feel like the black sheep and now quietly enjoy being one.

These emotions don’t look like joy on the surface, but they spread it anyway, simply because you let yourself be instead of armoring up.

So the next time your thoughts start bubbling again, take it as a cue to step out of your head for a moment. Walk. Move. Breathe. Create something slightly unnecessary. Change the soundtrack. Do something that reminds your nervous system it’s allowed to soften.

Perspective is funny that way. Shift the angle, and suddenly the same life looks different.

Gratitude also helps. Keep practicing it, of course, but don’t just lock it inside your heart. Show it. Tell people you’re grateful you crossed paths. That their presence matters. That their love, effort, advice, support—none of that went unnoticed.

And on the flip side, remind yourself to stay open so you can receive blessings when they arrive as well.

When someone shows appreciation for you, when you feel seen or held with love, take a mental snapshot. Replay it on the days you forget that what you’re doing matters. Don’t be “selfish”, let others have the joy of giving you joy, too ;)

People often say you’re “so positive.” True—but what they often overlook is that you’re positive because you keep it real. About the good. The bad. The awkward. The “How can I get over this?” and “I can’t believe that just happened” moments. Because… well, it’s a package deal 🤷🏻‍♀️

But there’s one thing you always do.

You end things with a giggle!

Not out loud, but somewhere inside your head. And just like energy knows no bounds, that quiet giggle softens the room.

Joy is infectious not because it tries, but because it doesn’t have to. It feels like exhaling around someone who isn’t on a mission to fix you, impress you, or rush you.

It’s not something to be earned or hunted down. It already exists in your default settings, waiting for you to remember. So don’t let the world of illusion fool you into thinking being joyful is a crime when everything feels extra chaotic. Believe it or not, that’s exactly when joy is needed even more.

Because joy isn’t the absence of hardship. It’s what survives when you stop letting hardship turn you hard.

Because the goal was never to eliminate sorrow.

It was to embody joy!

Keep laughing at the absurdity of being human. Stay playful without needing a point. Let that curious child in you lead the way.

Joy doesn’t need approval to spread.

It spreads itself 🙃