Sometimes joy isn’t about seeking out happiness but recognizing the bizarre beauty of everyday life. Take President Donald Trump’s (now repeated) attempt to buy Greenland. Is it a serious geopolitical move? A real-life Monopoly flex? The plot of a rejected James Bond film? Who knows? The point is, it was hilarious the first time and is still hilarious. The lesson? Learn to revel in the unexpected.

Start a ridiculous hobby just for the fun of it. Competitive worm charming? Extreme ironing? Recreational duck herding? The world is weird—lean in. Satire is a lens that helps us find comedy in the chaos, and when you start looking for it, the whole world becomes a comedy sketch.

Rituals don’t have to be solemn or serious. Some of the most joyful people have little personal traditions that make life more fun. Sing a dramatic Broadway number every time you enter your kitchen. High-five yourself in the mirror before leaving the house. Invent a secret handshake with your dog. Create your own holiday (Here’s an idea: National Breakfast for Dinner Day).

Joy thrives in the rituals we create for no reason other than to make ourselves smile. And if someone questions your commitment to celebrating “International Pretend You’re in a Sitcom Day,” just hit them with a dramatic pause, as if there’s a laugh track in the background.

Ever notice how putting on a certain outfit changes how you feel? There’s science behind it, but let’s not get bogged down in research when the takeaway is this: Dress like the person who gets free desserts at restaurants just by being charming. Whether it’s “Mysterious Artist in a Café” or “1990s Sitcom Icon,” your clothes are an untapped wellspring of joy.

Bonus points for you if your new alter ego has a catchphrase, and extra bonus points if you deliver your catchphrase with the comedic timing of a late-night host setting up a punchline.

Not every goal has to be productive or life-changing. Some should be just plain fun. Decide to master the art of yodeling. Write a novel entirely in limericks. Train yourself to identify every Nicolas Cage movie by a single screenshot. Make a vision board for your goal, set deadlines, and celebrate progress.

It doesn’t matter that it’s silly. Sometimes, the sheer act of pursuing something joyfully impractical is the point. And if anyone questions your life choices, quote a philosopher who may or may not exist: “In the grand theater of life, the comedic roles are the ones worth playing.”

You know that moment when you witness something completely unhinged but delightful, like a grandma breakdancing at a wedding? That’s chaotic good energy. And you, too, can wield this power. Here are some ways to embrace it:

• Leave absurdly specific Yelp reviews (“The garlic bread here made me believe in love again”).
• Pay for a stranger’s coffee with an encouraging note like “You are the chosen one.”
• Walk with dramatic purpose, as if on an important spy mission.

Unpredictable joy is the best kind of joy, and a little bit of satire in how you approach life makes every moment a punchline waiting to happen.

Not everything is funny, but a lot of things are, especially in hindsight. Remember the time you confidently tried to open a push door by pulling with all your might? Or remember the Zoom meeting where you were on mute with your video on, passionately presenting to no one? Life’s most embarrassing moments are comedic gold. Keep a “Hall of Fame of Embarrassments” journal and revisit it when you need a laugh.

Satire thrives on exaggeration, so turn your misfortunes into over-the-top comedy routines. Tell your tragic stories like a stand-up comedian, and suddenly, your worst moments become crowd-pleasers.

Happiness isn’t just in big moments; it’s in tiny, seemingly pointless joys. Here are some surefire mood boosters:

• Peeling an orange in one perfect spiral.
• Perfectly timing your entrance into a room to the beat drop of a song.
• Using a fancy quill pen to sign unimportant documents (or grocery lists).
• Whispering, “Ah, yes, my nemesis…” when spotting a pigeon in the park.

Pretend you’re the protagonist of an indie movie. Walk to the store with a cinematic soundtrack playing in your headphones. Narrate your daily life like a nature documentary (“And here, we see the elusive work-from-home employee in their natural habitat: the pajama pants”).

By shifting your perspective, even the most mundane tasks become a little more magical, and much funnier.

Find a low-stakes rivalry and commit to it. Maybe it’s you versus the neighborhood squirrel who keeps taunting you. Maybe you pick an imaginary feud with a fictional character. The goal isn’t negativity; it’s the delight of playful pettiness.

Seriousness is overrated. If you want true joy, embrace looking a little foolish. Dance when there’s no music. Wear socks with capes. Attempt to parallel park with unearned confidence.

Some of life’s best moments happen when you stop caring what other people think. And if anyone laughs at you? Well, congratulations, you just became someone else’s source of joy.

In a world that often feels overwhelming, choosing joy is an act of defiance. It’s easy to get caught up in stress, doomscrolling, and existential dread, but joy is always an option—sometimes, you just have to manufacture it yourself. And what better way to do that than through humor, satire, and a refusal to take life too seriously?

So go forth, embrace the absurd, and find delight in the ridiculous. 2025 is going to be a strange ride—but at least we can make it a fun one.