Generally speaking, humans want to be happy. At the very least, we want to live with a certain baseline of happiness, even knowing life comes with inevitable ups and downs. An entire self-help industry exists because of this desire, and there’s no shortage of advice on how to be happier.

But what if the key to happiness was actually knowing how to make yourself unhappy? That’s the idea behind CGP Grey’s video explaining “7 Tactics to Maximize Misery” (an adaptation of How to Be Miserable by Dr. Randy J. Paterson).

By detailing the habits that make us unhappy, it becomes quite clear why we might be struggling with happiness and what we might want to change. The main video includes a video footnote, in case it’s not abundantly clear that the tactics for misery are not meant to be taken as literal advice, but quite the opposite:

“You, like me, might find the advice on happiness kind of tiresome,” Grey says. “Almost irritating. So it might be more useful to think about how to achieve the opposite, and thus, to see how the actions we might take work against us…My dear viewers, do not take the main video as literal advice.”

Now that that’s out of the way, let’s get into the seven ways we can make ourselves miserable:

“Remain indoors as much as possible, preferably in the same room,” Grey suggests. “Be the human equivalent of a pile of laundry…Don’t let a beautiful day tempt you for a walk. Avoid anything even vaguely exercisial.”

He explains that stillness will keep reward chemicals out of your brain and lead to health problems, which will help you stay in the cycle of stillness and misery. And to be even more miserable, make your bedroom your “all room,” doing all of your not-doing-anything-physical in one small space.

2. Screw with your sleep

“A regular sleep cycle is a fragile thing and takes at least three days to establish,” says Grey. “Be sure then to vary your bedtime by several hours twice a week, at least. Even better: vary your wake time. Sleep in late, preferably very late, some but not all days. And tell yourself you are making up for sleep to feel like you’re doing something healthy, even though you feel terrible when you wake up early and when you wake up late.”

Basically, you want to make sure you befriend irregular sleep and insomnia, never waking up or going to bed at the same time.

You should try to go to bed at the same time every night, even on the days when you do not have to work. Your body loves to have a routine so it knows when to rest and when to be active. When you sleep well, you wake up with a lot of energy to chase your dreams. A tired mind…— Dave (@thought_harbor) April 16, 2026

You should try to go to bed at the same time every night, even on the days when you do not have to work. Your body loves to have a routine so it knows when to rest and when to be active. When you sleep well, you wake up with a lot of energy to chase your dreams. A tired mind…— Dave (@thought_harbor) April 16, 2026

3. Maximize screen time

“Boredom could drive you to motion, so let the screen entertain you,” suggests Grey. “Tiredness can push you to sleep, so let the screen keep you awake, sort of, as long as possible. Always fall asleep with a screen in your hand and put your eyes back on it as soon as you wake.”

Grey explains that you have allies on this front:

“Behind the screen are teams of the smartest people and brightest bots competing to hold your attention on them as long as possible. Let them reach you to pull you back if you turn away.”

4. Use your screen to stoke your negative emotions

Grey suggests using your feed to fuel your “anger or anxiety about things over which you have no control or influence.”

By focusing on the bad and only contributing in meaningless, token ways, especially about things we actually care about, we can further fuel our resentment and despair, says Grey.

To sum up: “Be well informed while doing nothing.”

Social Media is Making Me Angry byu/CharbonPiscesChienne inDecidingToBeBetter

Many of us are familiar with the concept of SMART goals—Specific, Measurable, Actionable, Responsible (or Realistic), and Time-Bounded. Grey suggests setting VAPID goals instead: Vague, Amorphous, Pie-in-the-Sky, Irrelevant, and Delayed.

“Make the target unclear and the path unclear,” he says. “If motivation strikes, aim ridiculously high to guarantee failure. ‘I will clean the whole house today’ is much better than ‘I will do the laundry in this pile.’ Cleaning a whole house is impossible. There’s always more to do, so you will always fail.”

Definitely focus on a goal that comes after your current goal.

“With VAPID goals, you will turn the productive part of your brain from a dangerous source of self-improvement that rewards every small step into a consistent nag that berates you for your failure to have already accomplished your goal every step of the way,” Grey says.

6. Pursue happiness directly

“Imagine happiness as a place where happy people are happy all the time,” Grey says. “This turns happiness into an unreachable feeling of constant bliss that no one has.”

Grey explains that happiness is like a bird that you can’t catch but will land on your ship if you’re not looking. So your best bet is to focus on improving your ship to get it to warmer waters, where the bird will most likely be.

“So be sure never to do that,” he advises. “Aim toward the mirage of happiness rather than improving the ship upon which you sail.”

Is Your Pursuit of Happiness Making You Sad? | John Tsilimparis MFT, Psychology TodayHere’s how the “bliss trap” can hold you back.Key points– We live in a culture that treats "joy" as a moral obligation.– Happiness is, by its very nature, a flicker—it is radiant, but it… pic.twitter.com/4GTlf9sZ8L— Owen Gregorian (@OwenGregorian) April 14, 2026

Is Your Pursuit of Happiness Making You Sad? | John Tsilimparis MFT, Psychology TodayHere’s how the “bliss trap” can hold you back.Key points– We live in a culture that treats "joy" as a moral obligation.– Happiness is, by its very nature, a flicker—it is radiant, but it… pic.twitter.com/4GTlf9sZ8L— Owen Gregorian (@OwenGregorian) April 14, 2026

 7. Follow your instincts

“Navigation deeper into the sea of sadness is quite easy, for there is a dark magnetic field that points the compass of your impulses in the right direction once you get started,” Grey says. “You will want to stay indoors, you will want to not exercise. You will want to sleep in, you will want to do what you know will make you sadder after you’ve done it.”

Following your feelings and impulses instead of focusing on the long term is a surefire way to increase unhappiness.

If you felt personally attacked by this video, you’re not alone. As one commenter wrote, “My dude literally explained my life without missing the tiniest detail.” That was the point, but not the whole point. It wasn’t meant to just be a mirror, but to help people realize that happiness isn’t just a to-do list. It’s also a don’t-do list that many of us are very much doing.

This satirical approach to self-help may not be everyone’s cup of tea, of course. But some commenters found it much more effective than traditional “how to be happy” content:

“This was the hardest hitting wake up call in my life. Thank you.”

“I watch this frequently. The reverse psychology works a lot better for me than some random guy saying ‘You can do it.’”

“I’m dealing with depression, and this video both made me laugh, and helped a lot. Sincerely, thank you.”

“This is a perfect what-not-to-do tutorial that actually helps so much more than all the other ones telling you how to achieve happiness.”

“Why this video is so helpful: Instead of being one of those sappy, cheesy, motivational videos, this one shows you exactly what you’re doing wrong and sends an ‘Unless you want to amplify it, do the opposite’ message.”“This video is just brilliant. He absconded good morals with playful satire, and once you are lured into the video expecting a laugh or two; you realize the flaw of such actions, and how easy it can be to break the cycle of misery. This video was more motivational for me than any video that puts forth a clear label of life-changing tips. I started the video laughing, and finished realizing how essential and simple it can be to take short strides towards fulfillment. Thank you so much for this, CGP Grey.”

A single door can open up a world of endless possibilities. For homeowners, the front door of their house is a  gateway to financial stability, job security, and better health. Yet for many, that door remains closed. Due to the rising costs of housing, 1 in 3 people around the world wake up without the security of safe, affordable housing. 

Since 1976, Habitat for Humanity has made it their mission to unlock and open the door to opportunity for families everywhere, and their efforts have paid off in a big way. Through their work over the past 50 years, more than 65 million people have gained access to new or improved housing, and the movement continues to gain momentum. Since 2011 alone, Habitat for Humanity has expanded access to affordable housing by a hundredfold. 

A world where everyone has access to a decent home is becoming a reality, but there’s still much to do. As they celebrate 50 years of building, Habitat for Humanity is inviting people of all backgrounds and talents to be part of what comes next through Let’s Open the Door, a global campaign that builds on this momentum and encourages people everywhere to help expand access to safe, affordable housing for those who need it most. Here’s how the foundation to a better world starts with housing, and how everyone can pitch in to make it happen. 

Globally, almost 3 billion people, including 1 in 6 U.S. families, struggle with high costs and other challenges related to housing. A crisis in itself, this also creates larger problems that affect families and communities in unexpected ways. People who lack affordable, stable housing are also more likely to experience financial hardship in other areas of their lives, since a larger share of their income often goes toward rent, utilities, and frequent moves. They are also more likely to experience health problems due to chronic stress or environmental factors, such as mold. Housing insecurity also goes hand-in-hand with unstable employment, since people may need to move further from their jobs or switch jobs altogether to offset the cost of housing. 

Affordable homeownership creates a stable foundation for families to thrive, reducing stress and increasing the likelihood for good health and stable employment. Habitat for Humanity builds and repairs homes with individual families, but it also strengthens entire communities as well. The MicroBuild® Initiative, for example, strengthens communities by increasing access to  loans for low-income families seeking to build or repair their homes. Habitat ReStore locations provide affordable appliances and building materials to local communities, in addition to creating job and volunteer opportunities that support neighborhood growth. 

Everyone can play a part in the fight for housing equity and the pursuit of a better world. Over the past 50 years, Habitat for Humanity has become a leader in global housing thanks to an engaged network of volunteers—but you don’t need to be skilled with a hammer to make a meaningful impact. Building an equitable future means calling on a wide range of people and talents.Here’s how you can get involved in the global housing movement:

Speaking up on social media about the growing housing crisis 

Volunteering on a Habitat for Humanity build in your local community

Travel and build with Habitat in the U.S. or  in one of 60   countries where we work around the globe

Join the Let’s Open the Door movement and, when you donate, you can create your own personalized door 

Shop or donate at your local Habitat ReStore

Every action, big and small, drives a global movement toward a better future. A safe home unlocks opportunity for families and communities alike, but it’s volunteers and other supporters, working together with a shared vision, who can open the door for everyone. 

Visit habitat.org/open-door to learn more and get involved today. 

A survey found that about 15% of adults have no hobbies to speak of. The same survey found that people overwhelmingly agree that having hobbies is important, and also, that they wish they had more time for them.

Anecdotally, those numbers feel low. It’s rare to find someone juggling career, a household, kids, pets, family, and friends who still manages to spend time daily in the woodshop or quietly crocheting.

“MIT Monk” says hobbies matter more than ever

Hobbies still exist, of course, but we have less time for them. Another study found that time spent on socializing, hobbies, and offline activities has decreased over the last few decades while time spent on TV and phones has shot up.

That’s a trend that severely needs reversing. It’s a simple calculus. Doing real things is good for your brain. Screens are not.

“The most successful people fiercely protect their seemingly useless hobbies,” says Sandeep Swadia. “That’s their best defense against brainrot.”

Swadia goes by “MIT Monk” on YouTube, a reference to his time spent both in Himalayan monk training and receiving his MBA from one of the world’s most prestigious Ivy Leagues. He’s also a technology executive and investor, so he meets a lot of high-performing people. His unique background makes him not only an expert in “success,” but also in inner peace and happiness.

Swadia says all of smartest people he meets have at least one frivolous hobby that they make time for. And not just CEOS and billionaires, but Nobel Prize winners too.

Perhaps even more importantly, hobbies are fun. They bring us joy, satisfaction, and a sense of accomplishment that’s difficult to recreate on an app or a website. Plus, they’re great for our health.

But a lot of people simply don’t know where to start when looking to take up a new hobby, even if they’re willing to make the time and put in the effort.

The “VIBE” framework for choosing the perfect hobby

Swadia says you don’t have to just hope you have a passion for something. A hobby can actually be a way to improve your life in the very specific ways that it’s lacking.

But you have to pick the right hobby for you. And Swadia says in order to pick the right hobby, you need a framework. He calls his VIBE.

“Are you running on empty? Then pick a hobby that gets your heart rate up,” he says.

It can be fitness and exercise directly, as in implementing a workout routine at the gym or taking a group fitness class. Or you can enjoy active hobbies that have a physical side effect, like hiking.

Vitality hobbies are something fun, challenging, and non-digital to do, and they have the added benefit of improving your physical health and energy levels.

“Are you easily bored? Then pick a hobby that forces you to be a beginner again.”

Swadia suggests learning a new language, picking up chess, or taking a formal class on just about anything. Crucially, being a beginner as an adult requires courage. It requires you to fail and face your shortcomings........

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