Category: Emotional Wellness

Faith-informed reflections on emotional wellness, rest, and wholeness—integrating Christian faith with honest emotional and mental health care.

  • When Faith and Emotions Meet

    There are moments in life when faith feels strong — and emotions feel anything but.

    You love Jesus.
    You trust God.
    And yet… you still feel anxious, overwhelmed, discouraged, or emotionally worn thin.

    For many believers, this tension creates confusion. We wonder:

    • If my faith is real, why do I still feel this way?
    • Shouldn’t trusting God make my emotions easier?
    • Am I doing something wrong if I need help?

    But Scripture never presents faith and emotions as enemies.

    Instead, the Bible shows us something far more honest and hopeful:

    Faith and emotions were always meant to meet — not compete.

    Faith Was Never Meant to Bypass Your Emotions

    Throughout Scripture, we see faithful people experiencing the full range of human emotion.

    • David poured out fear, anger, grief, and hope in the Psalms.
    • Elijah battled exhaustion and despair after spiritual victory.
    • Hannah wept deeply before the Lord.
    • Even Jesus felt sorrow, anguish, compassion, and grief.

    Faith doesn’t eliminate emotions.
    Faith gives us a place to bring them.

    God is not threatened by your feelings — and He does not ask you to pretend they aren’t there.

    When my joy was stuck…

    I felt deeply confused in the months and years surrounding the birth of my three kids. I was brand new to my faith, and I had somehow picked up a few lies fairly quickly.

    Lies like:
    – Christians are happy and put together – don’t let them know.
    – God is looking down on you for how out of sorts you are.
    – You need to get yourself in shape to approach Him.

    But the truth was, I was going through postpartum depression and didn’t know it. My tumultuous emotions weren’t evidence that I was a less-than-believer nor that I had something to hide.

    They were simply the result of my hormones in upheaval and evidence of mastitis and sleeplessness.

    And while I thought I needed to stuff down all the anger, resentment, and fear I felt, I was really ignoring the invitation to open up to others and draw near to Jesus.

    Why Ignoring Emotions Doesn’t Produce Joy

    Many of us learned — intentionally or not — that “being strong in faith” meant staying positive at all costs.

    So we learned to:

    • minimize pain
    • quote Scripture instead of processing feelings
    • rush ourselves toward gratitude
    • hide what felt messy or complicated

    But buried emotions don’t disappear.
    They surface later as anxiety, burnout, resentment, numbness, or physical exhaustion.

    Joy doesn’t grow through avoidance.
    Joy grows through honesty — anchored in Jesus.

    When faith and emotions meet, we begin to experience healing that is both spiritual and emotional.

    The Mountains

    Even though my hormones eventually began to resolve through intentional natural wellness habits and time, I really wasn’t out of the woods of joylessness.

    Because life, right?

    I ran into a mountain that felt insurmountable about a decade ago. It looked like burnout and breakdown. Because that’s what one of our kids was experiencing, and we felt helpless.

    And truth be told, that mountain only grew over the next four years as we hit crisis upon crisis within our family.

    Despair set in.

    God had guided me to create this blog—Joy Let Loose—and I was struggling to find it myself. Here I was, writing continual posts about letting the joy of the Lord strengthen us, and I was in a pit.

    How I needed a breakthrough.

    I’m tearful looking back. Because my body still remembers the pain.

    And because Jesus was so kind to keep calling me toward His JOY.

    Emotional Wellness Is Not a Lack of Faith

    Let’s say this clearly:

    Needing emotional support does not mean your faith is weak.

    Mental and emotional wellness are part of how God designed us — mind, body, and spirit working together.

    That’s why things like:

    • Christian counseling
    • professional therapy
    • trauma-informed care
    • emotional skill building

    are not replacements for faith — they are often answers to prayer.

    If this is something you’ve wrestled with, I want to gently encourage you.

    God frequently heals through community, wisdom, trained professionals, and tools — not only through moments at the altar.

    What Happens When Faith and Emotions Work Together

    When faith and emotional wellness meet, something beautiful begins to happen.

    You learn to:

    • pray honestly instead of perfectly
    • name emotions without being ruled by them
    • renew your mind with truth and compassion
    • respond instead of react
    • experience joy that’s resilient, not fragile

    This is not about fixing yourself.

    It’s about forming a life rooted in Christ that can hold real emotion.

    Beauty From Ashes

    As I look back on the depth of confusion I felt in those years with babies and young children, and on the kind invitation of God toward Therapy, EMDR, and healthy healing practices in the literal crisis season, I’m so grateful.

    Because He walked so patiently with me as I began to heal, and joy emerged.

    And because He prepared me to handle new mountains—like a pandemic, my mother’s illness and death, and the new season of empty-nesting—differently. The JOY of the Lord became my STRENGTH.

    He helped me form new habits, walk in vulnerability with others, and rely on Him when pain was persistent.

    Practical Tools for When Emotions Feel Heavy

    Here are gentle, faith-anchored practices you can begin using right away:

    1. Name What You’re Feeling

    Before you correct an emotion with truth, acknowledge it.

    “Lord, I feel anxious.”
    “God, I feel disappointed.”
    “Jesus, I feel overwhelmed.”

    Naming emotions reduces their intensity and invites God into honesty.

    2. Let Scripture Meet You — Not Muzzle You

    Instead of using Scripture to silence emotions, use it to anchor them.

    Try pairing feelings with truth:

    • “I feel afraid — God is my refuge.” (Psalm 46:1)
    • “I feel weary — Jesus invites me to rest.” (Matthew 11:28–30)
    • “I feel uncertain — God orders my steps.” (Psalm 37:23)

    Truth becomes comfort, not correction.

    3. Build Rhythms That Support Emotional Health

    Joy grows through daily practices, not emotional pressure.

    Simple rhythms might include:

    • consistent prayer that includes listening
    • journaling emotions before God
    • movement and rest
    • time outdoors
    • healthy boundaries
    • wise counsel and therapy when needed

    These are not “extra.”
    These rhythms are stewardship.

    4. Remember: Healing Is Often Layered

    Spiritual growth and emotional healing rarely happen all at once. Hear that today.

    Because you are being formed. And formation and healing take time, presence, and patience.

    Often God heals:

    • through process
    • through awareness
    • through support
    • through time

    Grace meets you every step of the way.

    A Faith That Holds the Whole You

    When faith and emotions meet, joy becomes deeper — not louder.

    You stop striving to feel happy
    and begin learning how to live anchored.

    And you discover that:

    • faith doesn’t demand emotional perfection
    • joy doesn’t deny pain
    • healing doesn’t threaten belief

    Instead, Jesus meets you in the middle of it all.

    Not after you calm down.
    Or once you’ve figured it out.
    And not when your emotions behave.

    Right where you are.

    If you’re longing for joy that feels steady, honest, and rooted — not forced — you’re in the right place.

    This is what it means to let JOY loose.

    Praying for you on your joy journey.

    Elizabeth Joy

  • 5 Ways to Release Negative Emotions So You Can Feel More Joy

    5 Ways to Release Negative Emotions So You Can Feel More Joy

    You probably wouldn’t be surprised to know that people are longing to feel more joy in life. The last few years have taken a toll on most of us as we navigated the realities and fallout of a worldwide pandemic.

    Many of us experienced loss, division, grief, loneliness and isolation, hopelessness, trauma, anger, and intense sadness. And those emotions that may just have begun in 2020 are still hanging on in ways we do and don’t recognize.

    Even without a pandemic to consider, though, joy often seems elusive to people. It is easy for negative emotions to overtake us, and for us to struggle to enjoy the lives we live.

    And for those of us who are Christians, this can be confusing. We see in scripture that it’s the joy of the Lord that strengthens us, so why does it sometimes seem so difficult to feel more joy?

    5 Ways to Release Negative Emotions so you can Feel More Joy

    5 ways to release negative emotions so you can feel more joy

    I pray these practical steps can be an encouragement to you so you can feel more joy.

    1. Practice Gratitude

    I first read Ann Voskamp’s book One Thousand Gifts when it came out in 2011. And even though the simple concept of gratitude wasn’t new to me, this book revolutionized my life.

    Voskamp demonstrated beautifully how Jesus’ miracles always followed His thanksgiving. When I began to look again at these stories and saw that pattern, it shifted my whole idea of gratitude. Instead of waiting for the Lord to answer my prayers, I could be grateful and expectant even before He did.

    So I began to practice gratitude. Daily, moment-by-moment gratitude. The kind that notices things. Stops and breathes in for a minute. Pauses to be still and know that God is God.

    And I discovered a direct correlation between gratitude, emotions, and being able to feel more joy.

    Maybe you want to start a gratitude journal, like Voskamp suggests. Or maybe you want to develop the habit of voicing your thankfulness out loud. Perhaps your thanks will come out in handwritten letters and notes to people, or in blog and social media posts. Whichever way you choose to develop your habit of thanksgiving, I fully expect you to release negative emotions so you can feel more joy too.

    2. Clarify your Purpose

    One of the chief things I’ve discovered that steals joy from many women is that they aren’t clear about their purpose. They don’t have a good understanding of what God made them to do and be here on earth. And so they struggle to feel more joy because they are either aimless or over-committed. Either way, they are living without joy because they are living without purpose.

    As Christ followers, we have a clear twofold purpose given in scripture: Love God and Love Others.

    And the amazing thing is that God designed each and every one of us to be able to live out that purpose in very unique-to-us ways. When He created us, He wove desires, skills, abilities, and inclinations into us that would perfectly suit us living out His purposes for us. And the beautiful, generous thing about that is that, when we live into our purpose according to our unique design, we are most fulfilled and we feel more joy. God loves it when we are fulfilled in our calling!

    Purpose lights us up!

    For instance, I could help people know God’s love by sewing clothes for them. I know the basics of sewing. BUT it isn’t a unique passion or gift that I have. It doesn’t light me up. So, I know it’s not one of the skills and gifts God wove into me to help me feel more joy as I live out my purpose.

    However, I am skilled at teaching and coaching women. It lights me up when I can help other women to do self-assessment and uncover their unique gifts. I get very animated and excited when women I’m helping have lightbulb moments and learn to say their best “yes.”

    I know God designed me to teach and coach women and to help them redesign their lives. It gives me life and fulfillment while helping others. I get to use this unique skill and gift to love God and love others.

    When we do the work of self-discovery to uncover our unique purpose, we begin to feel more joy. Rather than giving ourselves away day after day to things that do not light us up, we can begin to redesign our lives to love God and love others by leaning into our own strengths and passions.

    3. Build Community

    We weren’t made to do life alone. We know this because we were made in the image of God, and He is a triune being, in perfect communion. He invited us into relationship with Himself, and with the family of God. And I guarantee that we will feel more joy as we lean into the beauty and complexity of biblical community.

    Not only does our biblical community give us the opportunity to be supported in all the different seasons of life, but it also becomes the place where we can be challenged, held accountable, and where we can grow.

    As we lean into relationships, we begin to feel more joy because we discover more about who God is and how He is working in people’s lives. We don’t see God in a vacuum anymore, but we recognize Him in our brothers and sisters.

    We also have the opportunity to learn more about ourselves as we lean into our community, finding ways to live into the purpose we are discovering, and noticing how our gifts and skills play out practically and tangibly in other people’s lives.

    Listen, after such a long season of isolation, you may have found yourself stuck in the habit of aloneness. But I want to invite you to pursue relationships with other followers of Jesus. I want to challenge you to lean in to Biblical community, for the sake of your own discipleship, and theirs. For the opportunity to be practical hands and feet of Christ. And in order for you to begin to be less isolated and to feel more joy.

    4. Incorporate Aromatherapy

    It’s been a few years since I started incorporating essential oils into my wellness journey. I started that for a number of reasons, but I continue it for so many more.

    I didn’t know that I would begin to feel more joy simply by developing a new wellness habit and starting to use plants that impact my body, my emotions, and my mental health.

    But the thousands of testimonials I’ve encountered over the last few years became bolstered by my own experience, where I’ve discovered that aromatherapy actually does support me in times of anxiousness and sadness. They actually do help me think more clearly, and regulate frustration and even anger. Specific essential oils made the world of difference in my emotional regulation through a season of grief from the loss of my sweet mother to cancer.

    I will not be without plant oils again because they have been game changers for me. And if you are on a search to feel more joy, I invite you to consider adding those into your wellness routine. I can help!

    5. Choose Intentional Thoughts

    Paul encouraged the Philippians to be very intentional about their thoughts. He contrasted anxiousness against peace, and challenged them to choose their thoughts in order to move from one to the other.

    His benchmarks for the thought life were things that were true, noble, right pure, lovely, admirable, excellent, and praiseworthy.

    When we streamline our thought life with rejoicing and the discipline to keep those things Paul encouraged at the forefront, we shift our whole way of perceiving and interacting with the world. We will feel more joy when we choose to keep Philippians 4:8 thoughts front-of-mind.

    If you are on a journey to release negative emotions so you can feel more joy, your thoughts will be pivotal.

    • You will choose to lay down anxiousness and pick up peace.
    • You’ll opt to rejoice more than complain
    • Gratitude will become more natural
    • You’ll experience more light-hearted moments and have a more optimistic perspective

    Paul knew what he was talking about. And he encouraged the Philippians that the strength to live this way, and to be content in all things, was possible with the help of the Lord.

    So you want to release negative emotions and feel more joy

    I’m here for it! As your Joy Let Loose encourager and coach, I’m called to this very thing! And I LOVE to celebrate when people choose to become more intentional with their lives so that they begin to radiate with purpose and joy.

    Because whatever we are living spills out on others. And I much prefer to spill out joy than anything else. Do you want to let JOY loose too?

    Tell me in the comments: Which of these 5 things will you try first so you can begin to feel more joy in your life? And how can I come alongside you in your next steps?

    Here for your joy and wellness!

    Elizabeth Joy

  • It’s ok to have Jesus and a Therapist

    My struggle with mental health after my babies were born stayed silent because I was afraid to ask for help. Honestly, I thought this was just how I was, so I needed to live with it.

    But the seething postpartum rage was like volatile lava under the surface. And it seemed it had the potential to announce its destruction at any moment. Add in the mind mess of complete inadequacy as a mother and the pressure to “have enough faith in Jesus”, and it was a recipe for disaster.

    It’s ok to have Jesus and a Therapist

    It’s ok to have Jesus and a therapist

    Mama, I’m sporting a sweatshirt today that says, “It’s ok to have Jesus and a Therapist.” (Thank you, Grace Story Ministries!)

    Find it here!

    For a long time, I believed the lie that a good Christian wouldn’t need any counsel outside of God Himself. That any uncertainty, emotional turmoil, or mind mess pointed to an insufficiency of faith, and meant I needed to pray harder.

    That assessment and advice are flawed human constructs. And they are in opposition to God’s design for us to be in community.

    God Uses People

    Friend, very often, the Lord actually brings healing through another person He has called and equipped with resources to help: a therapist, a doctor, a friend, a mentor, a pastor, a teacher, a wellness advocate, a coach.

    🔹 He invites us to vulnerability, where we seek help from someone else.

    🔹 And He invites us to open our eyes to see who He’s already placed in our lives.

    🔹 In fact, He simultaneously infuses us with the wisdom, experience, and resources someone else needs on their own healing journey, too.

    He brings life through us even as He brings life to us.

    Which means I don’t need to have it all together.

    Or to pretend like I do.

    It simply rests as an invitation into connection with Him and with others.

    And acknowledgement that it’s good when faith and emotions meet.

    My own journey with my emotions, thoughts, and physical health has actually opened me up to community and to purpose in a way I couldn’t have predicted.

    What about you?

    I wonder what will happen in you as you step into vulnerability and take hold of the help that’s around you in the people God has placed in your life?

    He really does make all things new.

    Elizabeth Joy