Woman’s World magazine asked me to weigh in about modern mood boosters—how we bump up our level of joy ever day.
Here are 7 more ways you can experience more joy beginning today.
No. 1: Laugh every chance you get.
Your body is hardwired to benefit from laughter. Good old-fashioned giggles release chemicals in your brain that equip your body to better handle stress and pain. Who is the funniest person in your life? Spend more time with that person! Lighthearted people and good clean comedy help your body heal.
Ancient wisdom reminds us: “A cheerful heart is good medicine.”
No. 2: Make a laughter list.
Find comedians who make you laugh until tears run down your cheeks and other places. Identify TV shows that make you laugh the hardest. Enjoy.
Here’s one of my favorites, from my friend, Anita Renfroe:
(RSS Subscribers: Click here to watch).
No. 3: Wave goodbye to toxic people.
Nothing will dissolve your mood like people who leech happiness. Steer clear of people who drag you down and bring out your worst self. Focus your time and relational energy on people who are wholly for you—you becoming all you were meant to be.
No. 4: Grow in your faith.
Plug into a local spiritual gathering where you can connect with other people who will encourage and challenge you. Churches provide an invaluable opportunity to both give and receive spiritual support.
No. 5: Having joy requires you to give it away—whether you have it or not.
Joy is a mysterious substance you can give away even when you don’t have it. No matter what you’re facing, you can respond with grace, offer a kind word, extend compassion. These acts bring joy to others and in the process to you, too.
No. 6: Joy hides in the mourning.
Loss, hardship, and adversity can erode our sense of joy, but denying pain only makes it worse. Mourning is essential. The ancient songwriter, David, provides a model for mourning in the Psalms known as lament. Reading these provides prime samples of what healthy grieving looks like—with others and with God. Processing grief and pain in a healthy ways boosts your mood and expands your capacity to experience joy again.
No. 7: Embrace coloring as creative outlet.
Coloring is recognized as therapeutic, in part, because when you focus you free your mind from the impending “what if’s”. Grab an adult coloring book and unleash your inner creative. Go ahead. Color outside the lines. Learn to live loved. It’s good for you.
Grab a copy of Live Loved or Live Free or Live Fearless: An Adult Coloring Book and begin discovering the joy of coloring.
If you’re looking for more ways to expand your joy bandwidth, check out the Fight Back With Joy: Celebrate More. Regret Less. Stare Down Your Greatest Fears book and 6-session DVD Bible study.
