Episode 214

Ennui: What to Do When You Can't Find Joy

Published on: 9th November, 2026

Have you ever felt flat, even when life is good? The sky is blue, you got what you wanted, and you still can’t seem to feel it. That’s ennui, a listless, lost-interest kind of flatness we all move through. In this Sangha talk, I share why we go flat and what to do when you can’t find joy: stop faking it, find a yes in a sea of nos, listen for the sounds of joy that are already here, wake up your nervous system, and find the we.

Listen and Learn

  • Ennui can be a signal you’ve drifted from your values
  • Don’t fake joy; find one small yes instead
  • Wake your nervous system with breath, cold, movement and community

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Thanks to the team, Craig and Ashley Hiatt, and Benjamin Gould of Bell & Branch for your beautiful music.

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    Diana Hill

    Dr. Diana Hill, PhD is a clinical psychologist, executive consultant, and international trainer who helps leaders and teams navigate complexity without precedent. Her Wise Effort Method addresses a problem most high performers recognize immediately: the drive that got them here is now working against them. A leading voice in the evolution of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, she co-leads ACT BootCamp with ACT founder Dr. Steven Hayes, trains the trainers, and serves as an instructor for the University of California's Climate Resilience Initiative. She has led executive retreats and intensives for leadership teams including Deckers Brands, Lightfully Behavioral Health, and YPO. Diana is the author of Wise Effort: How to Focus Your Genius Energy on What Matters Most and three other books, hosts the Wise Effort podcast, and has been featured on NPR, CNN, and The Wall Street Journal. With over 20 years of yoga and meditation practice, she teaches from embodied experience rather than theory alone — her sessions are experiential and transformational.