Everything Sucks, Now What? A Merriment Method for a Messy World.

If you’ve ever felt frustrated by people shouting “Just start!” like that’s helpful (spoiler: it isn’t), this episode is your permission slip to try something different.

We’re tossing out the rulebook and running our own experiments in joy — with curiosity, wonder, and a whole lot of permission to play. In this episode, I’ll teach you my S.P.A.R.K.L.E. system: a playful, step-by-step method to tap back into your inner knowing and figure out what actually works for you.

Whether you’re feeling stuck in perfectionism, procrastination, or plain old autopilot, this episode will help you gently experiment your way back to feeling good — no rigid rules required.

Plus, I’m sharing some wonderfully weird experiments you can try today (think: snack rituals, talking to your mug, and doing things backward on purpose). Because joy is not supposed to be serious.

🎉 Ready to run your own experiments? Join the 1-Minute Joy Challenge inside Positive Pulse and play along with us: Uncustomary.org/Positive-Pulse

You have to feel good to do good. Let’s go sparkle. ✨

What if success didn’t require burnout, self-denial, or endless hustle? What if joy was actually the most sustainable fuel for growth, healing, and motivation?

In this episode, Mary England kicks off April’s theme—making joy easy—by dismantling hustle culture myths and offering a gentler path to success: one built on delight, discipline, and a touch of weirdness. We’ll explore the difference between willpower and discipline, how happiness boosts physical energy and motivation (yes, there’s science!), and why your joy might be activating other people’s jealousy.

You’ll hear reflections on martyrdom vs. trickster energy, playful habits that actually work, and how being your fullest self becomes a permission slip for others to do the same.

🧠 Featuring wisdom from Liz Gilbert, Dana Carvey, and a poetic riff on why more things rhyme with bliss than suffering.

🆓 Join the free community where we’re making joy a habit together: uncustomary.org/positive-pulse

You don’t have to suffer to succeed. You just have to feel good to do good.

You don’t have to be fully healed to feel joy. You don’t have to wait until you “figure things out” to take action. And no—you’re not broken. You might just be bored. Overstimulated by junk, undernourished by joy, and caught in a loop that’s keeping you small.

This episode is your sacred disruption. It’s your reminder that motion creates momentum. That you don’t have to wait to feel better to start feeling alive. And that maybe—just maybe—you’ve been stuck in victim mode longer than you needed to be.

Let’s wake up. Let’s move. Let’s disrupt.

Positive Pulse launches next week. Let’s go.

Uncustomary.org/Positive-Pulse

Ever feel like you’ll never bounce back from a setback? That the bad stuff lingers longer than it should? Good news: your brain is built to help you recover, adapt, and even find happiness again—faster than you think.

In this episode, we’re diving into the science of the psychological immune system—the brain’s built-in defense mechanism that helps us process challenges, reframe setbacks, and regain our joy. You’ll learn:

🪗 Why we overestimate how long we’ll feel bad (and what that means for your daily life)
🛠 How to strengthen your mental resilience with simple, actionable shifts
🧠 Why ‘synthetic happiness’ is just as real as ‘natural happiness’—and how to create more of it
🦹‍♀️ How to stop second-guessing your choices and feel more satisfied with where you are

Your brain is already working to protect your joy. Let’s give it a boost!

🌼🌼🌼 BONUS: Ready for a full reset? Join my free live seminar, Refresh + Recenter, happening Sunday, March 23rd! We’ll dive deeper into mindset shifts, daily habits, and practical ways to feel lighter this spring. Sign up now at Uncustomary.org/Refresh!

🔄 If this episode resonates, share it with a friend who needs a reminder that they’re more resilient than they realize! 💛

Have you ever felt like the world could use way more joy—but wondered if one person (aka you!) could really make a difference? Spoiler alert: you can. And today, I’m showing you exactly how.

 

In this episode, we’re diving into why joy is an act of rebellion, how small acts of kindness create real change, and practical ways to spread joy in your everyday life. You’ll learn:

 

💛 Why small acts of joy actually matter more than you think
🎨 Three simple ways to start spreading joy today (no extra time, money, or skills needed!)
🌟 How to become a Merriment Maker—a person who refuses to let joy be optional
🎭 How you can join me in-person or online to make an impact together

 

✨ Join me for Operation Merriment! ✨
If you're in Baltimore, I’d love for you to come to Operation Merriment—a monthly in-person event where we gather, create guerrilla art, and spread unexpected joy into the world. No art skills needed—just a willingness to play, connect, and make someone’s day.

📍 Next event: March 29th @ Enoch Pratt Library
🎟 Sign up here → uncustomary.org/operation-merriment-event

✨ Not local? You can still spread joy! ✨
Join The Merriment Makers, my online community filled with resources, missions, and a like-minded crew of joy-spreaders making the world brighter from wherever they are.
🌎 Become a Merriment Maker here → uncustomary.org/merriment-makers

 

💬 What’s one tiny way you can spread joy today? Tag me on Instagram @merrimentmaker and let’s make this movement grow!

 

📢 If you loved this episode, please leave a review and share it with a fellow Merriment Maker—it helps more than you know! 💛

Are you following rules you never actually agreed to? 🚫

In this episode, we’re diving into the power of micro-rebellions—tiny, mischievous acts of defiance that make life feel less suffocating. From taking a spontaneous road trip to eating sugary cereal straight out of the box for dinner, we’re talking about how breaking small, harmless rules can shake you out of autopilot and bring a much-needed jolt of joy back into your life. 🤘🌀🏴‍☠️

We’ll explore:

🔥 Why rebellion boosts dopamine and creates more vivid memories
🧠 The psychology behind why neurodivergent folks, trauma survivors, and people who feel misunderstood might get an extra thrill from rebelling
🍕 How to break habits, routines, traditions, and expectations to make life feel more fun and free
🕶️ The ultimate reminder that you can be any kind of adult you want to be—whether that means owning a house and theming your kids’ bedrooms or keeping a ball pit in your basement

👀 Want to go deeper? This episode is just the beginning! Rebellion is a major theme in my free Jumpstart Your Joy Class, available right now in Positive Pulse, my growing free community where we talk about joy, fun, and breaking out of the mold. Sign up today! ➡️ Uncustomary.org/Positive-Pulse

🎸 And if you’re ready to make rebellion, fun, and spontaneity a daily practice, The Merriment Makers has an entire module dedicated to FUN, packed with 30+ resources to help you inject more playfulness and adventure into your life. Right now, it’s never been more reasonably priced—come join us! Uncustomary.org/Merriment-Makers

📲 Tell me about your micro-rebellion! DM me, tag me on Instagram @merrimentmaker, or share it in Positive Pulse so we can celebrate your tiny act of defiance together.

🎧 Listen now and start breaking the right rules! 😈

Ever felt like self-improvement is just too much work? Like the idea of “getting better” makes you want to take a nap instead? You’re not alone. In this episode, we’re breaking down why personal growth doesn’t have to feel like an exhausting full-time job—and how tiny, effortless shifts can actually make the biggest impact.

We’ll talk about:
🩷 Why people make self-improvement harder than it needs to be
🩷 The difference between willpower and discipline (and why you need less of both than you think)
🩷 How to make progress 1% easier instead of trying to change everything at once
🩷 The sneaky feel-good habits you don’t want to admit actually work

Spoiler: Real change isn’t about suffering—it’s about setting yourself up for success. And sometimes, all it takes is one ridiculously uplifting song to turn your whole day around.

🎧 Hit play and let’s make self-improvement way less exhausting.

🎶 Listen to Happy Songs - Uncustomary.org/Mixtape

👉 Tell me: What’s a tiny thing that makes you feel better, even if you don’t want to admit it? DM me on Instagram @merrimentmaker and let’s talk about it! 💛

Have you ever called yourself lazy for not getting enough done—when really, you were just exhausted?  

Today, we're talking about the real difference between laziness and burnout. Spoiler: Being tired is not a character flaw.

In this episode, we go over:

💠 Why exhaustion can feel like laziness (but isn’t)
💠 The difference between true rest and guilt-ridden procrastination
💠 How to actually relax when you’re used to half-resting
💠 Why nature doesn’t apologize for rest—so why do we?
💠 The science behind why rest prevents burnout (instead of being a ‘waste of time’)

💛  Plus, I’ve put together a Do Less, Feel Less Bad checklist to help you rest without the shame spiral.

 

🎁 Grab your free checklist here: Uncustomary.org/DoLess

 

If this episode resonated with you, share it with someone who needs this reminder. And as always, remember: You have to feel good to do good. 💛

 

Feeling burned out? This episode dives into the science of burnout, why it happens, and how to reverse it with simple, 5-minute practices. Reclaim your energy, restore balance, and remember—you are enough just as you are.

Program mentioned: Merriment Reset.

See video version on YouTube.com/MaryEngland.

In this deeply personal and unfiltered episode, I sit down—no script, no makeup, no edits—to talk about the messy, real-life struggles I’ve been navigating lately. From family crises and chronic illness to the exhausting tightrope of running a joy-centered business in a world that often feels overwhelming, I open up about the internal battle between my personal identity (Mary) and my public-facing brand (Uncustomary).

How much is too much to share? Where’s the balance between being authentic and maintaining boundaries? And how do we keep showing up for ourselves and others when everything feels like it’s falling apart?

I also explore:
🌀 The psychology of oversharing and why I struggle with it
💡 The impact of transparency on credibility (and why it shouldn’t matter—but does)
🔥 The emotional weight of chronic pain, trauma, and burnout
🎭 How we can live alongside our grief, struggles, and setbacks—without losing ourselves

This is an episode about honesty, resilience, and figuring it out as we go. If you’ve ever felt torn between who you are and who the world expects you to be, I see you. And you’re not alone.

👉 Stay connected: uncustomary.org
📅 Join me for Merriment Mondays Live on YouTube every other Monday
🎙️ New podcast episodes every Wednesday

You have to feel good to do good. 💛