The happiness project
The first half of this year was so incredibly special. I got married to the love of my life on our 14th anniversary, turned 30, and I’m doing really well at work. Yet I’ve noticed I haven’t fully dropped in to feel the joy of it all, maybe because it feels like it’s all happening at once, I haven’t processed it all properly
I do look around my life and feel deeply grateful for all that I have and am creating, and don’t get me wrong, I am happy and truly wouldn’t change a thing. And I think that’s why this inner nudge is getting so loud, this nudge to feel more joy, because I know it’s all around me, but I’m just not looking up enough to actually let it in
So I’m making it my own personal project to spend the rest of the year noticing and creating as many pockets of joy as I possibly can and focusing on choosing the things that will make me the happiest, because that is what I know I deserve
I’m talking real, deep, felt joy. The kind that fills your chest, makes your shoulders soften, and reminds you you’re alive. It feels like my inner child is yelling at me, trying to remind me that life gets to be fun and that there is so much joy around me, if I just take the time to choose it
Even though there’s so much in my life that I’m grateful for, so much I once dreamed of having, I’ve noticed how often I default to stress, frustration, or just an underlying heaviness I can’t always explain. And if I’m honest, that’s not new for me
If you’ve been following my journey, you know I’ve experienced both depression and anxiety at different points in my life. It’s something I’ve spoken about openly, the low days, the numbness, the overthinking, the moments where joy feels completely out of reach. So I want to be very clear about something before I go on:
This isn’t about ignoring hard feelings. This isn’t toxic positivity. This is not about slapping a smile over sadness or pretending everything is fine when it isn’t
This is about something else entirely. Reclaiming joy as a form of healing. One that feels honest, earned, and deeply needed
I’ve realised I’ve been living in a constant state of subtle emotional tension. Even on good days, part of me is bracing for the next problem. And I don’t want to live like that anymore
So for the rest of the year, I’m committing to something I’m calling The Happiness Project, a personal journey to return to joy, to fun, to play, to child-like wonder. Not because life is always easy. But because I want to meet life with more softness. More aliveness. More colour
For the rest of the year, my focus is simple:
To find joy in small, everyday things
To intentionally add play and silliness into my days
To reconnect with my inner child and actually listen to what she needs
To notice and appreciate the good things, even when they’re quiet or small
To interrupt the patterns of overthinking, self-pressure, and constant tension
And to feel, really feel, what it means to be happy, even if only for a few moments at a time
If you’re someone who’s currently struggling with depression, anxiety, burnout, or that flatness that creeps in when life feels like it’s on autopilot, I see you. I’ve been there. Some days, I’m still there
This project is not about pretending you’re okay when you’re not. It’s about creating tiny openings where joy can sneak in. It’s about doing something silly for five minutes, even when the rest of your day feels heavy. It’s about letting yourself want to feel better, even if you’re not there yet
It’s about taking happiness off the pedestal and realising it’s not just for people who have it all figured out. It’s for us, too. Especially us.
I’ll be sharing this journey on my Instagram (@skyefellowskerr), where I’ll post honest reflections, joyful moments, and glimpses of what healing can look like when you invite fun and lightness back in
Some days it might be a dance in the living room. Other days it might be colouring in, baking cookies, or simply sitting in the sun without my phone. And some days, I might just be doing my best to notice one good thing
I’m not trying to create a “perfect life”. I’m just trying to feel present in the life I already have
You don’t need to wait until everything is fixed to feel good. You don’t need to be 100% healed to feel content. And you don’t have to be happy all the time to start choosing more joy
Sometimes the bravest thing you can do is let yourself feel better, even if just for a moment. And then another moment. And another
This is the happiness project. And if your heart feels drawn to it, I’d love for you to come along
