Embrace Silly Season: It's Time To Be More Whimsical!

Stop taking yourself so seriously …

How whimsical are you? No, really. In 2026, it’s a valid question. I first saw it – rather, flitted towards it – at the beginning of the year, when TikTok creators waxed lyrical, often in lilting tones, about 2026 being “their most whimsical year yet”. Come again?

The search for whimsy is adjacent to romanticising your life, a self-aware brand of silliness rooted in nostalgic fun. Activities include: doodling, journalling (in a Louise Carmen charmed notebook, naturally) wearing patterned tights, picking flowers, embracing a fruity new hobby like needlework or watercolour painting, even if you’re terrible at it (it’s about enjoyment, not productivity), reading cosy fiction rather than doomscrolling. There are nods to altruism via daffy little pick-me-ups such as leaving a note for a stranger in a library book and plenty of bath-taking (must include bubbles). The vibe is that of a gamified manic pixie dream girl. There are pen pals but, also, self-actualisation.

Ask ChatGPT (I did) for a practical approach (read: one for those over 25), and the key is to rebrand the banal moments of your existence. Notably, it’s all in the vernacular of the every day. Your commute? It’s a pilgrimage. Can’t locate your keys? That’s a treasure hunt. It’s an aesthetic, too; whimsical room schemes are trending and mismatched crockery is in, because charm trumps cohesion. Fashion celebrates rococo frills; Madame de Pompadour was the muse for Max Mara’s SS26 collection. Acolytes gather in a corner of the internet dubbed “Whimsytok”; offline, according to Pinterest, this year’s biggest travel trend is for mystical destinations, with searches for “ethereal places” up 45 per cent. (See you at Stonehenge.)

It’s proven that novel experiences stimulate the neuroplasticity in the brain, create new pathways and trigger dopamine.

Oh, but the Gen Z of it all. As a clichéd (cranky?) millennial, I should be more open-minded. But, apart from the Draconian cutesyness the name suggests, I question the commodification of whimsy. Must the internet make everything a thing? To clamp the net over something so capricious surely misses the point entirely; so far, so synthetic. Even those versed in Pop Psychology can tell you that whimsy’s dulcet tinkle belies something deeper. Whimsy is a veritable flipping of the bird to the bleakness of life. A coping mechanism in the hellscape of chaos – war, totalitarianism, climate collapse – is to simply go rogue. Even if rogue involves using the word “silly” not as a pejorative, but a power-move, eg “I’m just back from my silly little nature walk”. There’s also a scientific argument that fostering a refreshed sense of wonder can lead to a better life. Can it?

Notably, scientists are lamenting the now-retro activity of staring out a window and daydreaming, all but obliterated due to incessant screen-time, as it’s believed allowing our minds to wander boosts problem-solving, wellbeing and relationships. It’s proven that novel experiences stimulate the neuroplasticity in the brain, create new pathways and trigger dopamine. And, equally, in a boon for fun, a recent study proposed that people who dance frequently have a 76 per cent lower risk of dementia than those who do so rarely. (Interestingly, the benefits of dance were more profound than walking or swimming.) Is whimsy the new wellness? Stranger things have cartwheeled through the wildflower meadow.

Underpinning this soft rebellion is a desire to go analogue, ditch screens and engage with wholesome, childhood experiences that fill the proverbial cup: one colleague has rejoined ballet class, on the advice of her therapist. Inner child work, you might say, without the Labubus. Life has the potential for childlike wonder, at any age. Then there are the practical “glimmers”; a ritzy coffee-maker so that your morning brew feels special, or adorning your nails with Mondrian dashes of colour in the face of corporate suiting. What if whimsy became a byword for a fizzy little brain-treat that is not strictly necessary but actually wholly necessary for your participation in the human race? With potential beyond soft rebellion, the pursuit of whimsy could be a noble one. For the record: I do think pen pals are pretty neat. @ohegartysarah

WHIMSICAL MOODBOARD