Don't let them steal your joy

This past week my phone has been ringing nonstop. Friends calling in, stressed to the max, voices tight with panic over the latest headline. And I get it — there’s plenty to be concerned about.

But recently, I stopped reacting the same way.

It wasn’t always like this. For the first eight months of this reign of terror, I was furious. I woke up angry. I went to bed angry. I carried that rage with me everywhere, even in my sleep. Anger was eating me alive.

And then one day I realized: I refuse to live like that anymore.

Now, instead of letting outrage rule me, I step back and look at history. Because nothing we’re facing is new. Every attempt to dismantle democracy, every power grab, every authoritarian tactic — it’s all been tried before. And history shows us again and again: they fail. Courts undo their overreach. People rise up. Administrations collapse under the weight of their own chaos.

That’s not to say we shouldn’t stay informed. We must. But living in constant outrage helps no one. When we’re stuck in anger, we’re easier to manipulate, easier to exhaust. But when we’re calm, we can think clearly. We can show up for our communities. We can call our representatives with reasoned arguments. We can stand up to atrocities with steady voices instead of reactive ones.

Because here’s the truth: letting them steal your joy, your hope, and your love is the goal. They want you hopeless. They want you too exhausted to care. They want you to comply in advance.

But that’s not how we win.

We win by persisting anyway. By refusing to hand over our joy. By making art, planting gardens, raising our voices, caring for each other, and living in defiance of despair.

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So how do we stay grounded when everything feels chaotic?

Here are a few practices that help me — and might help you too:

🌿 Limit the scroll. Notice how your body feels after ten minutes on social media. If you’re tense and heavy, step away. The world doesn’t need you doom-scrolling; it needs you rooted and steady.

🌿 Breathe before you react. When a headline spikes your anxiety, pause for three deep breaths before responding. It sounds simple, but it gives your nervous system a chance to settle.

🌿 Choose an anchor ritual. Light a candle, write one messy journal line, or walk around the block. Let that be your reset button — a reminder you’re not powerless, you’re present.

🌿 Connect locally. Talk to neighbors. Share food. Write a letter to your representative. Small, grounded action will always matter more than spiraling in despair.

🌿 Make room for joy. Play music, paint something silly, plant bulbs for spring. Joy is not a distraction — it’s a weapon against hopelessness.

They may be loud, but so is history. And history tells me this: the walls may shake, but they don’t stand forever.

So this week, when the gloom tries to creep in, remember — you don’t owe your outrage to anyone. Hold onto your joy like the act of rebellion it is. Persist in softness. Persist in wonder. Persist in love. Because eventually, that’s what will outlast them.