What does it truly mean to experience joy? Is it simply about moments of happiness or triumph, or does it involve finding peace amid struggles? We often connect joy to positive events, but its real essence goes beyond fleeting emotions. Joy is a mindset – a deep inner peace that stands firm, even in life’s toughest moments. When life becomes overwhelming, it might seem impossible to hold onto joy. Yet, the remarkable thing about joy is that it doesn’t rely on perfect circumstances.
In this article, we’ll discover 14 practical ways to choose joy, even when life feels burdensome. These ways show that joy can be nurtured no matter what you face.
Change Your Scenery
At times, a change in your surroundings is all it takes. When everything feels like too much, stepping out of your usual space can help clear your mind. Try taking a walk around your neighborhood, reorganizing your home, or even planning a quick getaway. These simple actions can provide a mental reset and rejuvenate your spirit. A change of scenery helps you break free from stress, offering you a chance to recharge and tackle your challenges with renewed energy.
Spend Time in Nature
When was the last time you stopped and smelt the flowers? Nature has a way of reminding us that life continues regardless of our challenges. In the natural world, there’s a gentle healing that soothes our worries and helps us rediscover the simple joy of being alive.
Count Your Blessings
The beauty of counting your blessings is realizing that God has always been by your side, meeting both your needs and desires. Sometimes, we tend to fixate on just the negative side of things. But if you focus on the positive, you will start to notice that there are so many things to be happy about. It transforms your perspective, allowing you to spot the good parts of your life even when times are tough.
Be Present
When was the last time you truly focused on a conversation, fully immersing yourself without glancing at your phone for notifications or thinking about an upcoming presentation? Sometimes, our minds run a hundred tabs at a time that we neglect the present moment.
Being present means paying attention to what’s going on right now instead of getting sidetracked by things that have already happened or might happen later. This simple practice allows us to find moments of joy, even in mundane activities.
Engage in Hobbies
Engaging in a hobby provides a good way to take your mind off things. It lets you focus on something fun, which helps you take a break from everyday stress. Doing something you enjoy or creating something with your hands can make you feel better and more relaxed. It’s a healthy form of distraction amid this overwhelming world.
Positive Affirmations
Negative self-talk can take the joy out of our lives, but we can reclaim it through positive affirmations. The more you speak words of encouragement and truth, the more they become a natural part of your inner dialogue. Over time, affirmations help reframe your thinking, turning negative patterns into joyful habits. With practice, these affirmations become not just words, but a belief system that can carry you through challenging times.
Maintain Balance
Burnout, whether from work, study, or even relationships, can take a toll on our mental and physical health. Maintaining balance ensures that you’re not hyperfocused on one area of life while neglecting another. You can manage stress and avoid feeling overwhelmed by creating a healthy rhythm between work, rest, and play.
Reduce Screen Time
Overexposure to social media adds unnecessary mental stress and toxicity, especially with the flood of information, news, and digital content that bombards us daily. Reducing screen time gives your mind a chance to rest and enjoy simple things in the offline world. When you step away from digital devices, you can get back in touch with yourself and your surroundings. This creates room for joy to reenter your life naturally.
Exercise
Physically, exercise prompts the release of endorphins; natural mood-lifters that ease stress and enhance well-being. Yet, beyond the physical benefits, exercise can also serve as a spiritual practice – a moment to reconnect with yourself, clear your mind, and appreciate the strength and resilience you possess. During overwhelming times, even a brief workout can offer a welcome release, allowing you to shed negative feelings and regain a sense of balance.
Meditate
When we’re stressed, our thoughts can become scattered and messy. Meditation helps slow down our racing mind and allows us to find calm and peace. This practice can be done anytime, anywhere. Regular meditation allows you to build resilience against stress and find joy, even when life feels out of control.
Smile and Laugh More
Though it sounds simple, smiling and laughing are powerful ways to invite joy into your life. Even when it feels forced, smiling can actually signal your brain to feel a bit happier, providing a quick lift to your mood on challenging days. Laughter – whether sparked by a funny video, a shared joke, or a happy moment with friends – releases tension and brings a burst of joy right when you need it most.
Celebrate Small Wins
In the rush of everyday life, we tend to ignore our small victories. However, celebrating small wins is a practice that can profoundly transform our perspective. This habit allows us to look on the bright side and shows us that even in the middle of overwhelm, we’re still moving forward.
Invest in Experiences Over Things
Investing in a trip, event, or activity allows you to create memories that you can cherish for years to come. Unlike material possessions, these experiences often hold more emotional significance. The excitement of planning and the nostalgia that follows can extend the joy long after the experience is over. Material items usually don’t offer the same buildup or lasting impact. When you invest in creating memories, you tend to achieve more lasting happiness and fulfillment than simply acquiring more stuff.
Create a Gratitude Journal
Writing down what you’re thankful for, including the small or everyday things, trains your brain to look for blessings, even in difficult situations. This easy practice helps you catch the small delights that you might miss otherwise. It also gives you something to look back on when you feel exhausted or overwhelmed, offering a fresh perspective on how much God has blessed you over time.
Embrace the Joy in Every Moment
“This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.” – Psalm 118:24
This verse beautifully captures what it means to choose happiness in every moment. It reminds us that each day is a present from God, full of chances to find happiness, no matter what’s going on in our lives. In times of difficulty or overwhelming moments, it can be easy to lose sight of the beauty around us. Yet, this scripture calls us to actively rejoice and be glad – essentially, to choose joy intentionally.
More From Hope No Matter What
15 Misconceptions About Jesus Christ That the Bible Addresses
18 Misconceptions About the Ten Commandments That Most People Get Wrong
14 Toxic Church Cultures that Have No Place in Society
15 Myths People Misunderstand About the Afterlife
Vidivir is a dedicated high school teacher and a loving mother of three. With over a decade of experience as a blogger and article writer, she has honed her craft in storytelling. As a devoted church lector and servant of God, she combines her passion for writing with her faith, aiming to inspire others through her words.