The Joy Investment Spectrum: Stop Wasting Energy on Performative Self-Care
- Megan Holloway
- 3 days ago
- 2 min read
Let’s talk about something no one’s calling out loud enough: joy cosplay.
You know what I mean, the endless bottomless brunches, the “perfect” morning routines, the next productivity hack you’re convinced will finally unlock your best self. It all looks good… but it doesn’t feel good. Why? Because it’s performative. It's joy that looks like joy, but doesn’t act like it. Shiny. Trendy. Draining as hell.
Here’s the truth: most of us are investing our energy into joy that doesn’t give good returns. You’re showing up, paying in time, money, headspace and walking away just as flat as before.
So instead of throwing more energy at aesthetics that perform happiness, I want you to look at what actually produces it. And that’s where the Joy Investment Spectrum comes in.
🔍 What Is the Joy Investment Spectrum?
The Joy Investment Spectrum is a tool I created to help you audit where your energy is going, and what it’s really giving back. Think of it like checking the ROI on your joy, not just what looks cute on Instagram.
It’s broken down into four key areas:
🧍♀️ People
Not everyone is a joy-giver. Some people are energy black holes. Who are the expanders in your life? Who leaves you more drained than a dead iPhone?
📅 Plans
Are your plans truly lighting you up or are you overcommitting to things that “should” be fun but leave you exhausted?
🧠 Practices
That 5am cold plunge and 90-minute journaling sesh you think you should be doing, are they working? Or are you stuck in productivity cosplay?
💫 Pleasures
Are you actually allowing yourself the right now kind of joy? Or are you saving pleasure for some magical “when life calms down” moment?
Each of these is an energy faucet. Some pour joy back in. Some are running you dry.
🔄 From Cosplay to Real Joy
When you start shifting your time and energy into high-return joy instead of the performative kind, everything changes.
You stop overthinking every damn thing. You feel lighter, calmer, more you. You actually get sh*t done. You become someone who lives their life, not just curates it.
It’s not about quitting everything and living in a yurt (unless that’s your jam). It’s about making smarter, simpler decisions that feel good in your gut, not just good on paper.
💥 Ready to Try It?
Ask yourself: where am I investing energy but getting nothing back?
Start there. Be honest. No shame, no shade, just information. Because you can’t build a joyful life if you don’t know where your joy’s leaking.
This isn’t about fixing you. You’re not broken. But you might be misaligned with what’s actually giving you life.
💛 Want help building real joy (not just the shiny version)?
This is exactly the kind of stuff we dive into inside The Joy Project Toolkit. Tools, prompts, strategies, and zero fluff. Just real talk, real action, and joy that sticks.
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