How to Cultivate Contentment (10 Solid Ways)

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Learning how to cultivate contentment is never an easy thing. For one, we often think we are happy or content when we really aren’t. We realize we have everything we need, and therefore, we must be content in our lives. However, we’re all different, so that’s hardly true.

Second, contentment comes from within. It’s an innate state of mind that brings you to the realization that you are completely satisfied with what you have, who you have in your life, and just your life, in general. This is not something most people feel. Instead, they want it all.

People today in this country, at least, want more clothes, more friends, more activities, more children, a bigger house, more holidays to celebrate, more parties to plan, more online shopping, and the list could go on and on. We want more, so how can we be content?

In this article, we will discuss 10 solid ways on how to cultivate contentment – true contentment, so that you can be satisfied with where you are in life right now.

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How to Cultivate Contentment

Here are some solid ways to cultivate contentment in your life. Really, what do you have to lose by trying one of them?

#1. Try being a minimalist.

According to Marie Kondo, you should only keep things that bring you joy! If you own only things that put a smile on your face, you have a great start at contentment. Plus, you don’t have to be stressed about all the “clutter” you once had. Less stress can be quite wonderful for you!

I love Christmas. That means that I listen to Christmas music year-round, and I would love it to snow all year! That drives most people crazy! However, it gives me warm fuzzies and brings a smile to my face, so I might listen to Christmas music and have my tree up in the Summer.

#2. Make new friends.

Making new friends as an adult can be quite a challenge, especially since we don’t have classrooms, sports, or buses to give us the opportunity to meet others our age. However, there are ways to meet like-minded individuals. Here are a few suggestions you can try.

Attend a Bible study.
Go to a women’s (or men’s) conference.
Join an adult sports team.
Volunteer at your local community center.
Go for a walk around the block and be friendly to your neighbors.
Host a neighborhood garage sale or event.
Go to a church and any classes or events they offer.
Join a book club.
Hit the local library and check out the events that interest you.
Go sightseeing in your own town and be friendly to everyone.

Related Articles: How to Make a Lasting Friendship

#3. Spend more time with your family.

According to the National Library of Medicine (NIH), spending time with your family can reduce stress, improve your emotional health, and more. If that is true, wouldn’t it make sense that spending time with family can bring you contentment?

Think about a parent watching their child run for the first time or play a sport. What about the times you talk to your parents and make them laugh? How about the times when your children beg you not to go to work because they love you and want to spend time with you?

Those are typically moments that bring a smile to your face. When you can find things like that, things that bring you a smile and feeling of warmth and happiness, you will experience what it’s like to be completely content with your life.

Related: How I Love My Husband

Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for He has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” – Hebrews 13:5

#4. Create or use a gratitude journal, and be grateful.

Counting your blessings with a gratitude journal is a great way to see God’s faithfulness and rejoice! Look at what God has blessed you with. You did not accumulate those things by accident or by chance. God is always at work behind the scenes. Be grateful!

FREE Gratitude Resources:

#5. Do things you love doing.

Maybe you are going through a rough time or a period of depression. Of course, if possible, seek medical treatment for depression symptoms. If you are suffering or going through trials and don’t know what to do, think back to what you used to love doing.

Perhaps you used to excel at knitting, pickleball, painting, woodwork, or writing. Maybe those things brought a smile to your face and made you feel content. Why not pick up the hobbies again? You could give it a try to see if they still make you smile.

If you currently have things you love doing, spend additional time doing them. Make time for the little things that brighten your life. If holding your baby, painting a portrait, or volunteering brings you joy, consider investing more of your time doing those things, if possible.

But seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. – Matthew 6:33

#6. Build a relationship with God.

Build a relationship with God through prayer, Bible reading, Bible study, fellowship, and church attendance, to name a few. It will absolutely change your life, especially if you do it with all of your heart and soul. Give it a real shot, and I promise it will bring you contentment.

To get you started on your journey of faith, check out this series on building a relationship with God. It will give you some necessary points to embrace as you discover yourself anew.

If you already believe and have started your journey of faith but want to be even closer to God, these articles might help.

#7. Treat yourself.

Whether it is a scoop of frozen yogurt or going out with a girlfriend for a spa weekend, it is a smart idea to enjoy life once in a while! If you do not have things like this to look forward to, hope will be hard to find, and so will contentment. God made everything, so appreciate it!

And He said to them, “Take care, and be on your guard against all covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.” – Luke 12:15

#8. Build your strengths, and look for new opportunities.

You were born with certain strengths, and you have the ability to enhance them if you wish. What better way to cultivate contentment than to have more powerful strengths – things you are proud of? If you have been told you are great at spelling, consider being an editor!

When you build your strengths, you will be proud of yourself, as you realize how talented you are. God has blessed you with those strengths so that you can build upon them and use them for His glory and to celebrate the ways that you are gifted.

This same premise goes for opportunities. If you are one who always says NO to events, parties, or outings, you might be missing out on some great opportunities to meet people your age or people who have things in common with you. Consider the possibilities!

#9. Help someone else.

When you help other people, you would be surprised at how your mood changes. Not only are you benefiting someone in need, but you are also benefiting yourself. In fact, I would go so far as to say that you would come out ahead. Those warm fuzzies don’t come from just anywhere.

Here are some links to get you started:

You keep Him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because He trusts in you. – Isaiah 26:3

#10. Pray about it.

My final piece of advice is to pray for contentment. If you want to fully cultivate contentment, you need to first reach out to the Lord. Tell Him how you are feeling about the matter. Express your feelings, and thank Him for the blessings you have received.

Here are some prayer resources that may help:

How to Pray for Beginners
How to Start a Prayer Journal
How to Tell Someone You Are Praying for Them
How to Pray for Your Husband
Many more prayer resources can be found at no charge in the Shop.

What does the Bible say about Contentment?

Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. I can do all things through Him who strengthens me. – Philippians 4:11-13

But godliness with contentment is great gain, for we brought nothing into the world, and we cannot take anything out of the world. But if we have food and clothing, with these, we will be content. – 1 Timothy 6:6-8

Trust in the Lord, and do good; dwell in the land and befriend faithfulness. Delight yourself in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the Lord; trust in Him, and He will act. – Psalm 37:3-5

For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong. – 2 Corinthians 12:10

Therefore, I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? – Matthew 6:25

Better is a little with righteousness than great revenues with injustice. – Proverbs 16:8

Conclusion

Did you learn how to cultivate contentment in a new way? Will you try one of these ways in order to be more content with your life? How do you think your life will change with the method you chose? We’d love to hear all about it in the comments. Please comment!

And my God will supply every need of yours according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus. – Philippians 4:19