The Hack to Happiness in a World That No Longer Makes Sense
I’m calling it: Things are rough out here.
And the heaviness? We can all feel it.
Unless, of course, you’re a sociopath untouched by right or wrong, unfazed by suffering, and fully capable of ignoring the rights and feelings of others.
Genocides. Pandemics. Wars. Racism. Climate anxiety. Financial freefall. Political chaos. Social media hellscapes. Apathy.
This has been our collective reality for far too long.
And isn’t it strange...almost sinister...how some people seem to thrive in the chaos? How some countries carry on untouched, how corporations keep churning out “business as usual” like nothing’s burning?
If happiness feels elusive to you, you’re not wrong.
If it feels selfish or naive to even say the word while so many are suffering, you’re only human.
People are out here struggling. Grieving. Burning out. Numbing out. Trying to hold it together while the world feels like it’s coming apart at the seams.
And then there’s the personal layer: job instability, health scares, loneliness, fractured relationships. Sometimes it’s just too much.
Even small letdown...a friend who forgets to check in, a partner who misses the mark, the absence of your loved ones, can feel like a sucker punch. Suddenly, you’re walking around undone, unkempt, disillusioned.
Your immune system is shot.
Your sleep is wrecked.
You’re pulling out your hair...
So when someone dares to bring up happiness?
It can sound tone-deaf. Or laughable. Or like a luxury you can’t afford.
But hear me out.
This isn’t about pretending everything’s fine. It’s not about bypassing pain or manufacturing joy.
It’s about finding something real, rooted, and durable in the middle of the mess.
For your sanity.
For your spirit.
For your basic wellbeing.
And yes...what a mess it is.
Happiness has almost become a dirty word, like even wanting it is greedy or out of touch. Like maybe we should all just settle for contentment and call it a win.
So am I a fool for even asking whatever happened to happiness?
Maybe.
But maybe it’s not foolish at all.
Maybe it’s necessary.
Maybe asking how to find happiness right now is the most radical, human thing we can do.
And if there’s a “hack,” it’s not a spa day (though let’s not knock that), or a perfectly curated vision board, or a five-step morning routine you’ll abandon by Thursday.
It’s this:
Presence. Connection. Purpose. Gratitude. Joy.
Not flashy. Not new. But deeply needed. Especially now.
1. Presence
We are not going back to “normal” because let’s be honest, normal wasn’t working even before COVID.
Trying to control everything only feeds your anxiety. That’s how you end up doom-scrolling at 2 a.m. and waking up with your jaw clenched. OUCH.
But presence? Presence is real. And available.
Small acts of presence like feeling the sun on your skin, tasting your tea instead of gulping it, listening without multitasking can re-regulate your nervous system. They anchor you in the only moment that actually exists: now.
And presence isn’t just stillness. It’s also movement.
As Zarina believes:
“Really living in the moment, that’s my dancing. It’s the best therapy ever, even if you do it alone in your room. Music and movement reconnect me to the now.”
Hack it: Take five slow breaths before checking your phone in the morning. That’s it. Start there.
Or better yet, let the music take hold of you and sway!
2. Connection
The more chaotic life feels, the more we try to control it. We ghost. We isolate. We pull away.
But loneliness is its own kind of pandemic. Healing doesn’t happen in isolation.
We need each other.
We need soft landings and brave conversations.
We need friends who remember our laugh and check in when we’ve gone quiet.
Connection can be quiet or electric.
Zarina says:
“My dancing has always been about expression without words. Dancing salsa, Kizomba, Semba...it’s a shared energy, a connection that becomes one. You don’t think about anything else but that moment of joy, rhythm, flow. It’s the best feeling in the world.”
Hack it: Send a “thinking of you” text. Compliment a stranger. Ask better questions than “How are you?”
And really lock eyes with someone, whether in conversation or in dance. Let people see you. And let yourself be seen.
The fastest way to feel whole is to help someone else feel seen.
3. Purpose
If you measure your worth by productivity, you’ll never feel like enough. Hustle culture is a trap. So is toxic positivity.
Purpose doesn’t need to be grand. It is deeply personal.
Your purpose might be:
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Protecting your peace.
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Raising kind humans.
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Making art no one sees but you.
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Showing up for someone who needs you.
Or your bedtime at 9pm sharp...every night!
Hack it: At the end of the day, ask yourself:
“Did I move in kindness and love today?”
That’s purpose.
4. Gratitude
Gratitude isn’t about ignoring what’s wrong. It’s about noticing what’s still right.
It anchors you. It interrupts the spiral. It brings your focus back to the life in front of you.
Even in grief, there can be a moment of relief.
Even in loss, a moment of remembering and feeling joy.
Hack it: Every night, name three things that didn’t suck today.
No pressure to be deep or poetic. Just be honest.
5. Joy Is Resistance
In a world that profits from your fear and distraction, choosing joy is not denial, it’s defiance.
It’s saying:
“You don’t get to take my light, too.”
Lighting a candle when the news is unbearable.
Laughing with your people, on purpose.
That whatsapp video call because you miss his face.
Joy isn’t weak. It’s a protest. A balm. A reclaiming of your soul.
Hack it: Make room for joy that isn’t earned or logical. Just because you’re here. And that’s enough.
So, Is There a Hack?
Kind of. But not the one you might expect.
As Soraya shared:
“When we’re young, we chase happiness. But if you live long enough, if you’ve lost a child, if you’ve faced terminal illness, happiness shifts. It’s no longer the goal. It becomes something quieter, something wiser. A different kind of peace.”
Maybe it’s not about fixing your life.
Maybe it’s about feeling your life.
Living it...messy, magnificent, unbearable, beautiful.
Presence. Connection. Purpose. Gratitude. Joy.
That’s not just a hack.
That’s a lifeline.
And you don’t need a perfect world to reach for it, just a willing heart.
Good read❤️
ReplyDeleteThank you so much xoxo
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