How to be Happy, How to be Joyful, Finding Joy & Staying Joyful – Practical Suggestions, Ideas & Tips For Joyful living, on How to Live a Joyful life.
First, please read: Getting to Know God: Finding Joy and Peace in God.
“A joyful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.”
- Proverbs 17:22 (NIV) ( See Our Joyful Prayer For YOU Here )
Here are some handy tips on how to be happy, stay positive, joyful and upbeat… Hope you find these suggestions useful! Scroll down to the bottom to see more Happy, Joyful, Cheerful and Uplifting Bible Verses and Prayers.
1. Smile & Laugh. Smiling does wonders! If you want to instantly improve your mood, try smiling and laughing just a little bit – Even if you don’t initially feel like it. You will feel your mood get better, and this gets even more effective the more often you do it. If you’re not used to smiling and laughing, don’t worry, you can learn. Practice and work on laughing at yourself and at situations you encounter. If you make mistakes, learn from them, make amends where necessary, and move on. Don’t underestimate the power of laughter and smiling – They are good medicine for the soul. Practice taking things calmly, try not to let things easily get to you. Are you smiling yet? You can do it… Smile 
!
2. Examine Your Thoughts, Refocus If Necessary. If your thoughts are constantly getting you down in the dumps, try refocusing your thoughts on things that will instead lift your spirits. Make a regular and conscious effort to fill your mind with and to think good thoughts. Remember, “…whatever things are true, whatever things are honest, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things” (Philippians 4:8 – AKJV). Being stuck in a destructive cycle of negative thoughts can get your brain forming negative feelings like anger, stress and anxiety; which in turn make you get deeper into negativity. Refocus and reassign that energy to good thoughts, imagery and ultimately feelings instead.
3. Count Your Blessings, Be Thankful & Optimistic. Instead of focusing on the things you don’t have, try to recall and be thankful for the things that you do have. Changing the way you think about and view things or situations can have such a huge positive impact on your life. You can make your life much more enjoyable by choosing to be constantly thankful for the things that bring you joy and happiness – for instance, your relationship with God, a loving and supportive family, wonderful friends, good health, purpose, hopes and dreams, hobbies, a place to live, a job you enjoy, etc. Make the best of what you currently have – always remember that you have something to be thankful for. And if there are things you desire to change, pray and work with optimism towards them – always one step at a time.
4. Make & Work Towards Goals That Challenge & Excite You. Strive for long term goals or dreams that get you going and give you something to look forward to. Goals that will challenge you and excite you, taking concerted thoughts, time and effort to accomplish. Something that will motivate you towards improving yourself, and that you can take pride and joy in. What do you want out of life? Do you like your current lifestyle? Are there things you would change? What makes you truly happy? How would you like to affect others? Think about it and pursue your dreams, but remember not to neglect important aspects of your life while pursuing those dreams – always try to find the right balance. Then work towards reaching your goals, one step at a time.
5. Don’t Be Forget The Source of Your Joy. Don’t forget that God is the ultimate source of your joy. Don’t make anything or anyone else the source of your joy, otherwise when that thing or person goes away your joy goes with it/them. It’s also very helpful to diversify your interests and activities so one thing does not consume all of your attention and focus. It is healthy to have a few things going on in your lives at once. For instance a career, a relationship, a hobby, an exercise routine, volunteering, time with friends, fellowship, time to learn new things, etc. But don’t forget that God is our ultimate source. “You have made known to me the ways of life; You will make me full of joy in Your presence.” (Acts 2:28 – NKJV)
6. Put a Smile On Someone’s Face. Do something to make others happy and you will reap the benefits by feeling great too. “And remember the words of the Lord Jesus, that He said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.” (Acts 20:35 – NKJV). People that are ready to give and give tend to be a lot happier than people that are inconsiderate and selfish. Put a smile on someone’s face. Making other people happy – whether they are strangers or people we care deeply about, can have such an amazing effect on us.
7. Take Time To Be Sad When You Need To Be Sad. Please remember that there is “a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance..” (Ecclesiastes 3:4 -KJV) We can’t be happy all of the time. There are sometimes when we just need to go through certain “down times” – e.g. time to grieve, time to cry, time to heal, or time to express anger, disappointment or whatever “not so happy” emotions we are feeling, however we are able. Life happens. Obstacles & disappointments will sometimes get in our way. Things will seem to come from nowhere. It is all a part of life and it is certainly very healthy to express those emotions (and act constructively on them) when the need arises. If we don’t give our emotions a healthy outlet when we should, we are in danger of “blowing up” somewhere down the line. But the hope and prayer is that overall, we will be joyful in life, always learning valuable lessons when we are up and also when we have setbacks. Our hope, joy and strength comes from God after all, and “because He lives, we can face tomorrow”!
8. Forgive Others & Forgive Yourself. Don’t allow yourself to be overcome by anger, hurt, grudges and revenge against people, life or God. When you release others and let them go, you release yourself to live life to the fullest as well. Accept people’s apologies, even when they are not packaged exactly the way you hoped. Forgive. Move on. Forgive yourself too. Nobody is perfect, we all make mistakes. Learn from your mistakes and move on instead of dwelling on them. Life is simply too short.
9. Develop Healthy Relationships. A basic need we all have as human beings is to have someone who loves and cares for us. Choose your friends very carefully. If your friends are treating you badly, have a bad influence on you or just constantly stress you out, then please, pray for and work towards finding friends that will have a good influence on you and also care about you. And make sure you are being a good friend too! You may need to look elsewhere and go out of your comfort zone to meet new people. One great way to meet people is by getting involved in activities that reflect who you are. Ensure any relationship you are involved in – family, romantic or otherwise, is a healthy one.
10. Stay In Touch With Family & Friends, & Have The Right Priorities. God is our number one friend. Don’t forget to keep in regular contact with him just like you would an earthly friend. The more you grow in your relationship with God, the more you’ll discover what an awesome friend he is. If you are married, your spouse should be your best friend (after God). If your spouse is not your best friend, take the time to pray and work on making that the case. Surround yourself with people who are positive, beneficial, encouraging, inspiring, motivating and helpful. Our friends should however not just make us feel good – We also need friends that will lovingly tell us the truth to help us become better people when there is a need to (even when it hurts), not friends that will instead criticize us behind our back. Maintain your relationships by keeping in touch, making an effort and regularly spending and enjoying time with your loved ones. Rejoice and celebrate with each other. Support each other through tough or rough times. Be ever thankful for the friendship, companionship and love you share. Keep in touch, and don’t forget to always show the people in your life that you care about them.
11. Explore, Go Out, Read, Sing , Dance…Have FUN!- Take the time to do things that you know will lift your spirits. Sing & Dance as often and as much as you possibly can. Put on some of your favorite uplifting music, something you know will get you in the mood to dance and sing – whether on or off key:). . Go out and have some fun with friends or/and family. Indulge in simple pleasures regularly, for instance try to make time to curl up and watch or read something that will make you smile or laugh from time to time. You can read uplifting verses from the Bible. Read a really nice novel while munching on some yummy snacks. Enjoy life, rejoice, and be glad!
12. Relax, & SLEEP!. Seriously. Lighten up and try your best to avoid things that bring you stress, as stress can cause many mental, physical and spiritual problems. Take practical steps towards improving the things you can change and don’t brood over things you can’t control. Set aside time each day to simply relax and not have to worry about anything. Take Vacations. Regularly take the time to relax with your loved ones too. And I cannot over emphasize the importance of getting enough rest! Make sure you get enough sleep and rest regularly. Rest your body, and rest your mind. Wake up refreshed and ready to face (and enjoy) another new day, by God’s grace.
May God’s Love, Peace and Joy ever dwell in your heart.
Blessings,
More Happy, Joyful, Cheerful and Uplifting Bible Verses & Prayers
Job 8:21 “He will yet fill your mouth with laughter, and your lips with shouting.” (ESV)
Nehemiah 8:10 “…for the joy of the LORD is your strength.” (KJV)
Galatians 5:22 “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.” (NASB)
Psalm 92:4 “For You, O LORD, have made me glad by what You have done, I will sing for joy at the works of Your hands.” (NASB)
Psalm 30:11 “You have turned for me my mourning into dancing; You have put off my sackcloth and clothed me with gladness.” (NKJV)
Psalm 9:2 “I will be glad and rejoice in you: I will sing praise to your name, O thou most High.” (KJV Ad.)
John 15:11 “These things I have spoken to you so that My joy may be in you, and that your joy may be made full.” (NASB)
Romans 15:13 “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. ” (NIV)