Joy in uncertain times.
Let’s talk about joy. Not the big, fireworks-in-the-sky kind (though those are great too), but the smaller, quieter kind that can sneak up on you—if you’re paying attention.
First, let’s name something that doesn’t get said enough: joy is an emotion, not a permanent state of being. Like sadness, anger, or calm, it comes and goes. It’s not a character trait or a moral achievement. It’s fleeting, and that’s what makes it so precious. Especially now—when the world feels uncertain, heavy, and often overwhelming—joy can feel far away, like a radio station that’s just out of tune. But it’s still there. We just might have to work a little harder to notice it.
Joy doesn’t require everything to be okay. In fact, it often shows up in the middle of the mess. It’s hearing your favorite song when you didn’t even realize you needed it. It’s the way your dog flops on their back like they don’t have a single care in the world. It’s the smell of coffee in the morning, the sun hitting your face for a minute, or laughing so hard you forget why you were stressed in the first place.
If you’re wondering, how do I even begin to feel joy when everything feels like too much? You’re not alone. The first step is giving yourself permission to feel it. Many of us feel a strange pressure to stay serious during hard times, like joy somehow means we’re ignoring the pain in the world. But joy and grief can sit side by side. One doesn’t cancel out the other.
Some days, joy may not be available—and that’s okay. On those days, let yourself honor whatever is true. Feel your sadness. Let yourself rest. This isn’t about forcing positivity. It’s about widening your emotional lens. If we only expect life to be either joyful or painful, we miss the messy in-between, which is where most of real life happens.
If joy feels distant right now, try looking in smaller places. Tiny pleasures. Brief moments. Things that spark curiosity or calm. Watering a plant. Watching a bird outside your window. Texting someone a weird meme. You don’t have to feel joy all the time. You just have to stay open to it when it comes.
In uncertain times, joy becomes a quiet kind of resistance, a way of saying, I’m still here. I’m still human. And that matters. You matter.
