How to Stop Being Miserable: 7 Negative Mindsets That Might Be Stealing Your Joy
I awaken to a twisted knot of sheets, and it’s clear I’ve been wrestling all night long. No part of me wants to get out of this bed and step into my life today. I want to stop being miserable in this season, but I have no worldly clue of what to do about it.
Most of us have been here.
You wake up to the buzzing alarm, and you have absolutely no desire to return to the same old job in the same tiny cubicle to perform the same fifty tasks in an endless cycle.
Or maybe the baby cries two hours before daybreak. You just can’t see starting another day with the walls inching closer every hour.
I can’t put my finger on why I feel miserable this winter morning. Maybe it’s the monotony of long, gray days. Perhaps it’s my own negative mindset making me miserable.
7 Mindsets to Break if You Want to Stop Being Miserable
My mindset makes me miserable when all I can think about is my needs, my desires, and where others are not reaching out to invest in my life.
I might not realize my focus is making me miserable, but it will lead me to the murky waters of self-pity before I recognize my slow descent.
Friend, I hope you’re living in a life-giving season. I hope you feel like you’re living an abundant life. But if you’re not, take a few minutes to read through the following seven statements.
Ask the Lord to speak to you.
Have you spoken any of these comments to yourself recently? The following seven negative mindsets are prone to lead to miserable days:
Stop being Miserable by No Longer Seeking the Praise of Others:
1. “I do so much for everyone else, and no one does anything for me.”
Do you feel like you do most of the work in some area of your life? Does it feel like you give your all and no one else pitches in?
Focus on all you give and how little you receive, and you will be miserable. Maybe it’s time to assess the motivation behind your giving. Are you really serving the Lord with a selfless heart? Or are you secretly serving the kingdom of self?
I know these aren’t easy words to sit with, but they are important words. Take some time to ask the Lord to show you if you are struggling with this mindset in any area of your life.
2. “Why does no one ever say thank you?”
Scripture reminds us that those who receive the applause of man have received their reward in full.
If you’re annoyed that no one thanks you, maybe it’s time to remind yourself that your lasting reward is not on earth but in heaven.
Change the Way You See Your Troubles:
3. “I will never get over this.”
Words are powerful. Tell yourself that you will never heal, never find victory, or never overcome, and you just might never get over it. Scripture paints a very different story, a story in which we can overcome absolutely anything through the power of Christ in us.
Want to stop being miserable?
Dig into the truth about the freedom you already have in Christ. His arm is not too short to save you. He can help you heal from even the deepest loss and the most life-shaking trauma.
4. “God is punishing me.”
God allows natural consequences to unfold (he disciplines those he loves) but he does not punish us.
Jesus endured every ounce of God’s wrath for our sins, past and present, when he died on the cross.
God is not punishing you because he already punished Jesus instead. He will lovingly discipline you to help you step into the best life you can live, but he will not condemn you or punish you.
Stop Being Miserable by Looking for What You Can Give and Not What You Can Receive
5. “I’m not getting anything out of this.”
In a consumer-driven society, we’re prone to speak these words about everything from the Bible studies we join to the church services we attend.
In truth, the Holy Spirit can speak through any message at any time. Instead of looking for what you can “get out of it,” maybe it’s time to look for what you might be able to give.
6. “No one makes me feel included.”
Instead of searching for someone else to make you feel included, shift your perspective and look for someone on the outskirts, someone you could reach out to and include. (For more ideas on how to get over your fears about fitting in and, instead, find someone to love, join me here.)
7. “No one cares about my needs.”
Focus on your needs, and you will be blinded to the needs of others.
Instead of worrying about why no one is looking out for you, look for someone else to love and help. Sometimes the best way to fill your heart is to step into someone else’s need and meet them in that place.
Focus on your needs, and you will be blinded to the needs of others. Instead of worrying about why no one is looking out for you, look for someone else to love and help. #berefreshed #lovingothers Click To Tweet
Stop being Miserable by Looking for the Gifts
I climb from the tangled sheets as the winter sunlight slips through the blinds.
Slipping downstairs, I listen for the patter of tiny footsteps as I sit by the window.
Something inside me shifts. I decide not to take those little footsteps for granted, and my little boy sits with me by the window as we watch cardinals dance on the deck. The grind of another long day still feels like work, but instead of miserable work, it feels just a little like grace.
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Lastly, I have a gift for you today. Hope for Hard Days is my free 10-day online devotional to help you hold onto hope when life is tough. You will find 10 readings to help you connect with God and claim his peace. Click here and I’ll send it to your email inbox today for free with promo code HOPE.
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Attention, all moms and daughters!
Also, in addition to writing to adults, I am also passionate about ministering to the next generation.
My 12-year-old daughter Bekah and I wrote a mother-daughter devotional book together. We hope to help moms and daughters connect and grow in faith together. Girl to Girl: 60 Mother-Daughter Devotions for a Closer Relationship and Deeper Faith includes 60 devotions with Scripture, commentaries from both of us, conversation starters, and even a shared journaling section.
Our vision is for girls ages 7-17 to enjoy it with their moms, grandmas, or older women they look up to. However, mothers and daughters of all ages are using this book to grow closer together! This book makes a wonderful gift for a mother or daughter you care about!
You can buy your paperback or eBook on Amazon right here. 
