If you have been feeling like the world is, well, a lot right now, you're not imagining it. Young adults are carrying some heavy things. Economic instability, political polarization, climate anxiety, safety concerns, student debt, attacks on LGBTQ+ rights, the removal of female reproductive autonomy, barriers to healthcare, frustration with work opportunities, information overload... It can pile up fast. It's no surprise that many people in their late teens and early twenties describe the current moment as tense, exhausting, or overwhelming.
This weight shows up differently depending on who you are. Women, queer people, disabled people, and anyone managing intersecting pressures often experience these stressors more intensely. Living in uncertainty is draining enough on its own. Living in uncertainty while also feeling unseen or unsafe can stretch you thin.
So how do you have fun when the world feels like it is lurching from one crisis to the next? How do you date, make friends, flirt, laugh, or rest when your nervous system feels like a browser with too many tabs open?
A good place to start is by dropping the idea that fun is “frivolous”. Enjoyment, silliness, curiosity, desire, and pleasure are not luxuries! They are tools that help you stay human when the world feels a bit too sharp.
There is a particular kind of fatigue that comes from feeling like you should be fine when you’re not. Part of the stress many young people carry comes from the pressure to keep performing, producing, achieving, and responding to all the things all at once. That pressure gets louder when you’re living through political tension, climate disruption, and big cultural shifts.
It is completely valid to feel tired, angry, sad, numb or scared. You are not "too sensitive". You are responding to your environment in a way that makes sense. Your stress reaction is natural, even protective. Studies continue to show that young adults are reporting rising levels of anxiety and depression linked to social conditions far beyond individuals. Economic instability, discrimination, and uncertainty weigh heavily on youth mental health.
So if joy feels difficult to access, that is not a personal failure on your part. It’s a sign that your body and mind are trying to adapt to complicated circumstances. Acknowledging that truth is not pessimistic, it’s honest.
Even during chaotic times, social connection remains one of the most consistent protective factors for mental health. The World Health Organization notes that strong social ties help reduce stress and are linked with better overall health outcomes - connection can buffer people during hardship and support long-term resilience. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention also points to social connectedness as a major factor in emotional wellbeing and reduced risk for mental health struggles. If these two big organisations are saying something, we should sit up and listen.
And connection doesn't have to be big or dramatic. It might be a group chat that makes you laugh on a terrible day. It might be a mutual aid group. It might be a friend who sends you TikToks they know are exactly your flavor of weird. It might be a casual date who understands your sense of humor and gives you a break from the seriousness of everything. The quality of connection matters more than size. One or two supportive people can steady you in ways a whole crowd cannot.
A lot of people cope by putting on a brave face. When things feel unstable, it can seem easier to say, "I'm fine, everything is fine!" through gritted teeth than to explain the complicated truth. But real connection has room for real feelings. Sharing your feelings of exhaustion or vulnerability with someone you trust can help release pressure.
You don’t need to solve everything to have a good time! You do not need to “perform” optimism in order to deserve joy. Fun and fear can exist at the same time (uncomfortable but true). Many psychologists note that people often feel relief when they stop fighting their emotions and simply allow themselves to feel what is happening. You can enjoy your life without erasing the hard parts.
Fun does not have to be loud or expensive or performative. It also does not need to be constant, because that would be exhausting too. Think about joy as something you collect rather than something you chase. Small pieces count. Here are some ways to create moments of ease without forcing yourself into a different emotional state.
Strong social ties are one of the clearest indicators of long-term wellbeing. That might mean a gaming group, a study partner, a queer support circle, or friends you met online who understand you better than your neighbors do. You do not need a huge network. You only need a few people who care.
Play activates different parts of the brain than stress does. Drawing, cooking, dance breaks, crafting, old-school games, making playlists, sending memes, storytelling, or even doing something mildly ridiculous and silly with a friend can create a temporary shift that helps your mind breathe.
Research continues to show that time outdoors can lower physiological stress responses. You do not need to hike a mountain. Sitting in a park, taking a short walk, or spending time near trees or water can help recalibrate your mood.
Community action, helping a friend, participating in a local cause, or volunteering can give you a sense of direction during chaotic times. When your energy is low, even small acts of care count, and helping others can increase feelings of belonging and improve emotional resilience.
Rest is not laziness. Rest is maintenance. Capitalism tells people that rest must be earned, while real life says your body and brain need time to recharge. Cancel a plan. Log off early. Take a quiet night. You are not disappointing anyone by taking care of yourself. And if they tell you they’re disappointed, then they don’t care about your self-care.
A good snack, a warm shower, a song that you play too loudly, your favorite hoodie, a sunny patch on the floor, your cat rubbing against your legs, a text from someone you like. These little things matter more than people admit. During overwhelming periods, they help remind you that life is not only pressure.
Dating can feel complicated when everything around you is unpredictable. Some people lean into connection, but others pull away. Both responses are understandable! If you're dating casually, give yourself the freedom to decide what you have capacity for. Maybe you want flirtation without commitment. Maybe you want slow and steady intimacy. Maybe you just want someone who brings a spark back into your week. Here are a few reminders (you might want to put these up on your bathroom mirror):
Connection can feel even more meaningful during uncertain times. That does not mean forcing a relationship into existence. It means noticing where you feel safe, where you feel curious, and where you feel seen.
You take small steps. You invite softness back into your life. You keep what matters close and let the rest drift. You allow yourself to enjoy the pieces of living that do not require perfect circumstances. It might not look like the kind of fun you imagined years ago – it might be quieter, sweeter, stranger, or simpler. It might be something you share with one trustworthy person or with a small circle that holds you up when you wobble.
Joy and pain do not cancel each other out. They can live side by side – this is the part of adulting that no one tells you and that you have to learn the hard way, especially when we’re living in hard times. What matters is that you keep finding ways to let that joy in. Fun can be a survival skill!
Read more
The HUD Love Club
Does dating feel a bit cooked right now? Here’s how to set yourself up for success
You can’t control how dating unfolds, but you can control how you enter it, and that makes a bigger difference than people admit.
