A lesson that the Lord has been teaching me lately is how to maintain my joy. He’s really allowing me to see that I can’t control situations around me, but I can control my response. When we allow situations to take us ‘there’ and affect our mood, we are giving outside situations more control over us than they should have.
How to Maintain Your Joy: 5 Tips
1. Keep Composure.
One way to maintain your joy is to focus on keeping composure. Even when you feel yourself going ‘there’, begin to focus your energy on staying composed. Don’t lose your cool. As you grow in your ability to keep composure, you will grow in the ability to maintain your joy.
2. Slow Down.
It is so important to keep a healthy pace throughout the day. If you are moving too fast, it will be easier to lose control and give in to negative emotions. In order to maintain your joy, you must focus on a slower pace of life. A slower pace will provide you the space to think through your responses and feelings to situations.
3. Focus on Christ.
The more we are focusing on Christ, the more stable our emotions will be. It is easier for our joy to come and go when we are focusing on external, temporary things. Our situations are constantly changing so our best bet is to focus in on what will never change- Christ. Keeping our mind on Him will provide us with an unexplainable, unshakeable joy.
“Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.”
– Colossians 3:2
4. Praise.
Sometimes our joy may feel low for no apparent reason. In those times when you’re just not feeling ‘it’, praise your way through! Create a praise playlist that you can just go to. Let it play as you go throughout your day.
5. Talk it out.
Express yourself. Stop over-thinking which can often cause unnecessary stress. Talk to someone you trust. Sometimes, we just need some good conversation. If an issue is stealing your joy, try talking through it to resolve the issue in a healthy way.
Life isn’t perfect and there will always be something attempting to steal your joy. The key is to know that you do have the ability to respond in a healthy way. You do have the power within you to fight for your joy. I pray that these 5 tips will help you to maintain your joy despite whatever comes your way.
With love,
Read When the Days are Hard: 10 Tips for Rough Days
