Riding the Wave: Finding Joy and Practicing Gratitude in Turbulent Times

Let’s be honest—things feel intense right now.

The political climate is exhausting, divisive, and often downright heartbreaking. Some days, it’s hard not to feel the weight of the world pressing down on your shoulders. If you’ve been feeling frustrated, defeated, or just plain shitty, please know: you’re not alone. And you're not doing it wrong.

Feeling joy or practicing gratitude doesn’t mean you're ignoring the chaos or being spiritually bypassy. It means you're allowing yourself to still be human—full of nuance, capable of holding both anger and awe, heartbreak and beauty.

We’re living in a time where we’re constantly bombarded by fear, conflict, and uncertainty. But even amid the mess, joy and gratitude can be acts of resistance, resilience, and healing.

It’s Okay to Feel It All

Let’s start here: It’s okay to feel overwhelmed. It's okay to cry or scream f-bombs in your car, to need to unplug, to scream into a pillow, or to feel nothing at all for a moment. These responses are normal. They’re human. We live in a world that wants us to pick a side, pick a mood, pick a label—but we are meant to feel the full spectrum.

Joy and gratitude are not reserved for when everything is perfect (spoiler: that day doesn’t exist). They're tools to stay grounded, to reconnect with our wholeness, and to remind ourselves what we’re fighting for. Your soul knows joy! 

So… How Do We Begin?

Here are a few simple, doable ways to invite in joy and practice gratitude—no spiritual bypassing required.

1. Name One Beautiful Thing

At the end of the day, ask yourself: What’s one beautiful thing I noticed today? It can be small: a flower, a bird on the windowsill – one of my favs, a kind smile from a stranger, the way your tea or coffee felt in your hands.

That one moment is a thread. Hold it.

2. Let Joy Be Fleeting—and That’s Okay

Joy doesn’t have to last forever to be real. Let it show up and pass through you like a breeze. A song that makes you dance. A laugh you didn’t see coming. A photo that brings warmth. Take it in, even if it’s brief.

3. Practice “Micro-Gratitude”

You don’t need a journal (though you can totally have one). Just take 30 seconds—yes, even in the car or in line—to mentally note something you’re grateful for in that moment. A deep breath. Clean socks. A person who gets you.

4. Be in Your Body

Joy and gratitude live in the body, not just the brain. Stretch. Touch your heart and the place where you feel your soul resides in your body. Walk barefoot. Dance for 30 seconds. Let your body remember what it feels like to be alive and in the present.

5. Say It Out Loud

Tell someone you love them. Thank someone for something small. Even just saying “I’m grateful for this moment” out loud can shift your energy in surprising ways.

You Can Be Both

You can be heartbroken and hopeful. You can grieve the state of the world and still laugh at a meme. You can protest and rest. You can rage and give thanks. You can feel like everything is fucked up and still catch a glimpse of the sky and whisper, Wow.

That’s the wave. That’s being alive.

So if you’re struggling to feel light these days, be gentle with yourself. Joy and gratitude are not about pretending, they are about choosing to still notice what’s real and beautiful, even in the dark.

You’re not broken. You’re a human soul. And there’s still magic here, waiting to be seen.

P.S. When you can’t find that joy and gratitude reach out, schedule an appointment. We’ll work together to help you remember and reconnect! I got you!