There's no shortage of reasons to be anxious, angry, sad, scared, and confused right now. Quite literally everywhere you look, you can find a reason. But it doesn't have to be that way, and there's some not-so-obvious paths to finding that ever-elusive happiness amidst the chaos.
Get comfortable. This chaos isn't slowing down any time soon, so turn the situation on its head and ask yourself how you can be happy in this life, the one in front of you. Map out new walking routes in your area. Forgot about your traditional fitness routine (or lack of) and find fun ways to move at home. Cook the hard recipes. Do wine or beer flights at home with some Bottle Shock on in the background. Write in a notebook. Lay in a hammock. Call people. The moment we accept reality instead of fight it is the moment the tension goes away.
Time travel. Go back to 2005. Get off of social media. If you can't come to deleting your accounts, at least delete the apps. Read people's blogs. I promise they're still out there and it's a good well to drink from. Play solitaire with real cards. Go to the library and find the perfect book and the perfect throwback DVD. Make it a weekly routine. Ride a bike. Buy a skateboard. Less noise. More joy.
Tip the scales. There are things that depress us and things that give us joy, and these two are continuously being weighed against each other. Put your finger on the side of the good stuff just a bit more, and the scale tips quickly. Spend more nights sober than you do with a drink in hand. Go on walks more than you sit on the couch. Get into smoothies. Play more music (preferably Bob Marley). Keep the doors open. Invest in a hammock (important enough to mention twice). Ignore politics - you have all the information you need to vote in November. Check the news to make sure an asteroid isn't about to hit earth, but ignore it beyond that.
Get comfortable. Time travel. And tip the scales. Chaos can't win if you don't play the game in the first place.
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