2026: the year of uncomplicated joy

THE new year always brings a quiet pause.

- GAISHRIE SHARON SINGH

For a moment, the world feels still enough for us to look at our lives with fresh eyes. We think about what we want more of, what we want to release, and how we hope the next 12 months will feel. But instead of the usual pressure to change everything at once, this year invites a softer, more human approach to living: the choice of living with uncomplicated joy.Uncomplicated joy is not loud or dramatic. It does not demand that we become new people or rebuild our lives from the ground up. It is the kind of joy that grows when we give ourselves permission to simplify, to breathe, and to allow life to be gentler than the world often insists it must be. It is accessible to all of us, no matter our background, circumstances, age or story.

In a world filled with noise, expectations, digital comparisons and constant motion, uncomplicated joy is a deliberate act. It is the understanding that we do not always need more to be happy; sometimes we simply need less. Less pressure. Less chaos. Less emotional clutter. Less performing for the world. Instead, joy becomes easier when we choose more of what nourishes us, moments that restore our minds, steady our hearts, and remind us of our own humanity.