The Habits of a Happy Life
- MJ
- Mar 24
- 6 min read
Did you know we can cultivate happiness? I did not. Not until I read this scripture…
Psalm 37:4-6: "Seek your happiness in the LORD, and he will give you your heart's desire."
I thought happiness was elusive, something to be felt only when joyous occasions arose.
Happiness is the beautiful gifts of good things that remain on this earth.
Happiness comes from the life that begets life as we cultivate the things of God on earth.
Happiness, according to Dr. Weber, can be something you cultivate in your life.
So, how can we cultivate happiness practically?
I'm so glad you asked! I've been dying to know too. I came up with a list to help me find what I could apply in my own life. In true bookie fashion I had to know WHY it worked too, so I included that too.
THERE are 8 stinkin' ways to increase happiness and then like around 8 ideas per. So, that's like 64 steps towards happiness packed in one blog post. You're welcome.
Seek God
So what happens when you choose to seek God? One of the things is that"[...] if you believe in a God of love, it calms your fearful brain, resulting in positive thoughts, decreasing inflammation and stress,”says Dr. Catherine Weber, in her book Flourish. When we seek God our lives we find His perfect love casts out fear (1 John 4:18), peace that surpasses understanding comes (Phil 4:7), and we adopt the purpose of sharing the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ who came to save mankind.
Praying/Prayer Journaling
Talking to God
Coming to Know who God is
Reading the Bible (I love using the Bible App plans from YouVersion)
Journaling in your Bible (I use She Reads Truth's journaling Bible)
Quiet Time with God
Worship
Dates with God (My new favorite, I will go somewhere like a coffee shop with my journal and Bible and talk to God, it is such a refreshing date. Coffee and Bibletime’s Youtube channel has great ideas for intentionally take time with God if this is an idea you want to try. She did a video on a whole day spent with God here and one about being still here.)
Enjoy Activities
"Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the one who takes refuge in him," Psalm 34:8. "This is the day the Lord has made; We will rejoice and be glad in it," Psalms 118:24. God gives us the beautiful gift of life! Weber noted a study that "experiences rather than material things" brings the most satisfying and longest lasting memories (Flourish, p.133)
Enjoying Hobbies
Going for walks in Nature (Ashley from Coffee and Bibletime did a nature quiet time with God!)
Going outside
Gardening
Cooking
Taking care of your home or self
Hanging out with friends
Hosting a Game Night
Be Still and Know
He says, “Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.”Psalm 46:10 NIV In the book Permission, he reminds us that if are able to rest in God it is showing that we trust that He can do things without us; that takes a humbleness and trust in God. If God gave us the example of resting, then there must be a solid reason for us to do it right? If we take time to care for ourselves in a loving way, we can better take care of others.
Journaling (I use the gorgeous notebooks from Hosanna Revival)
Taking a hot bath/shower
Cleaning your home
Reading the Bible
Taking a quiet hour
Napping (Jesus napped too, it's ok to rest when you need it)
Reading
Listen to lo-fi/instrumental worship (Jonathan Ogden is such a chill Christian lo-fi music artist)
Do Something New
Doing something new brings fresh life to our day to day. It grows our confidence as our experience expands. Weber, in her book Flourish, shares that "reading and learning new information causes neural growth in the brain, nourishing our souls and [inspires] our minds" (p.135). She mentions that doctors have even prescribed learning to help reduce depression and anxiety symptoms.
Trying that hobby you have wanted to (Glassblowing, weaving, skydiving, gardening, latte art... whatever it is go for it!)
Eating something new (Octopus anyone?)
Listening to new music genre
Going on a Missions Trip
Traveling to a different place
Cooking something new
Tackling a new goal
Starting a new project
Finding new people to meet (If you, like me, needed convincing to do this Jessica Kastner's article for Propel Women she shares the reasons we need friends, and please know it is ok to take your time to find safe people. Dr. Henry Cloud talks about finding safe people here.)
Find Gratitude
Dr. Henry Cloud has mentioned that the science of gratitude has just come to realize that what the Bible had been saying is true (2023)! Gratitude is a powerful psychological and physiological tool in our lives. When we choose to be grateful even in times of pain and suffering we can come through stronger and healthier in the long run.
Saying out loud what you are thankful for
Keeping a gratitude journal (Daily Grace Co. has cute journals dedicated to the theme gratitude but personally I take time to be grateful in my prayer journal)
Making notes of what you are grateful for and putting them somewhere as a reminder
Telling someone what you are grateful for about them either in person or over a card
Enjoy Laughter
"A joyful heart is good medicine, but a broken spirit dries up the bones," says Proverbs 17:22. Laughter is another one of those things that science is catching up on! They found that laughter reduces stress, sends endorphines to your brain, relaxes your body, boosts your immune system, relieves pain, and increases your mental health (Mayo Clinic, 2023)!
Watch a Comedy movie (Mom's Night Out is funny)
Watch a Comedy show (Thou Shalt Laugh is HILARIOUS)
Reading a rom-com (Melissa Ferguson is my favorite Rom-Com author as of right now. Jen Turano, Kristine Ann Hunter are also so good.)
Be around funny people
Cracking jokes
Create Purposeful Goals
"Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a longing fulfilled is a tree of life," says Proverbs 13:12 NIV. When we are setting goals we are actively hoping for something, we are dreaming and believing for what can be. Christine Caine says in her article Permission to Dream, that our dreams are"[...] a purpose outside of ourselves that brings God glory and blesses others." She continues to encourage us that we have permission to dream and that if we aren't sure yet we can go to God and ask Him for one.
Writing down what you are passionate about
Thinking about those you love to influence
Coming up with a vision
Dreaming about goals
Writing out goals to work towards
Creating a Prayer Board (Once in church we had a giant prayer wall with sticky notes filling both sides, one side was prayer requests and the other answered prayers, it was beautiful to see the prayers move from one side to another showing an active God who hears)
Writing in your prayer journal what you hope for
Do Something for Others
Did you know helping others actually releases endorphines such as dopamine? This releases stress, increases our mental health, and tends to lower symptoms of anxiety and depression (Mayo Clinic, 2023). Not to mention that this fulfills the second greatest commandment to love others as much as yourself... I think God knows what He is doing (lol).
Taking care of others
Making a meal for someone (This could be a need in your neighborhood, a meal team at your church, or volunteering at a local food pantry)
Serving somewhere
Providing supplies to a shelter
Praying for someone else (I once heard a story from an older and wiser lady who said that Jesus changed her perspective of her suffering as she prayed for others, she said as she interceded for others that God indeed lightened her own burden at the same time)
Encouraging someone in a card, text, call, visit, etc.
Volunteer at your local church
The pursuit of joy is looking for the beauty in life and cultivating that. Oh, how good and beautiful it is knowing that all good gifts come from the heavenly Father above! How wondrous and gracious that God has given us something to be joyous about even while we wait for the second coming of the Lord.
Dear Lord, Thank You that I can pursue the Joy of the Lord. Thank You that You made joy to be had. Thank You that there is so much on earth to be grateful for! Help me Lord, to cultivate joy in my life, but also to spread joy in the lives of others. Thank You for teaching me what joy looks like ever continuously. For I know this just touches the iceburg of what joy coming from You truly is. Thank You for being my joy Lord. I love You. In Jesus name amen.
with joy,
MJ
P.S. I know there are a lot more external links this time! However, none of these are affiliated links and I will not receive anything in exchange for sharing them with you. They are all shared out of my personal opinion because shoot, who doesn't want to share their favorite things if they work?
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