Do you ever have one of those days?

The kind where you wake up already irritated, before anything has even happened. You’re short on patience, easily overwhelmed, and it feels like joy is nowhere to be found. If I’m honest, when I was a young mom those days came more often than I care to admit, and I usually felt a little ashamed that my attitude could sour so quickly.

But motherhood has a way of pressing on every weak spot at once. The needs are constant. The to-do list never truly ends. The house doesn’t stay clean for long, sleep is often interrupted, and a quiet moment to yourself can feel like an impossible luxury. Over time, those small pressures compound, and suddenly we find ourselves moving through the day with clenched teeth instead of open hands.

It’s easy for the mundane rhythm of homemaking to drain the life out of us. And yet, those ordinary days don’t have to rob us of joy.

Joy is not something you either have or you don’t. It’s something that can be cultivated, practiced, and recovered, sometimes in the smallest, simplest ways. Over the years I’ve found a handful of steady rhythms that help reset my heart when I’m weary, irritable, or tempted to drift into complaint. They don’t magically remove hard circumstances, but they do help me return to a joyful, content posture in the work God has given me.

Joy often begins before the day begins

How we start our morning doesn’t determine everything, but it shapes more than we realize. When I wake up, I have a choice to make: I can let the mood I’m in dictate the atmosphere of the day, or I can intentionally anchor my heart before the demands start piling up.

That choice isn’t always easy, especially after a rough night, an early wake-up, or the anticipation of a hard day. But using the early hours well has repeatedly transformed my heart.

Fill the house with worship

One of the simplest habits that serves me well is turning on worship music early in the morning. It’s almost automatic now: I step into the kitchen, keep the volume low so I don’t wake everyone (if I’m lucky enough to be the first one up), and let truth fill the background.

I love a quiet house. But I’ve also learned that silence doesn’t always produce peace. Sometimes silence gives my thoughts too much room to spiral. Gentle worship does something different: it recenters me. It softens the edge of a tired mood. It reminds me, before I even touch the dishes or check a schedule, that God is already present.

And truly, try humming a praise song while holding onto a grudge. It’s surprisingly difficult.

Open the Bible (even if it’s not “perfect”)

This may sound obvious, but it’s obvious because it’s foundational: there is nothing more steadying than opening God’s Word before the day opens you.

If you’re in the thick of little-kid years, your Bible time may not look like deep study with color-coded notes and uninterrupted quiet. Mine often doesn’t. Some mornings I’m simply following a basic reading plan and reading a short devotional. Some mornings I get a few quiet minutes. Other mornings my Bible is open on my lap while little ones climb around my feet.

But lately, as my littlest one is 16 months old, I’ve been cultivating the quiet, steady rhythm of getting up before my kids, coffee in hand, and quietly reading my Bible and praying. This practice never returns void, even if I do get tired in the afternoon!

But the Lord uses imperfect, interrupted time.

If all you can manage today is a few verses, that is still enough to reset your mind and help you walk into the day with more clarity and hope than you had five minutes earlier.

Practice gratitude until your heart catches up

Gratitude isn’t a trendy idea, it’s a spiritual discipline. It’s one of the simplest ways to pull your focus off your frustration and place it back where it belongs: on the goodness of God.

In my morning prayer journal, I write down two specific things I’m thankful for every day. Two. Not ten. Not a beautifully worded paragraph. Just two gifts from the Lord, especially on mornings when I don’t feel like doing it.

And here’s what I’ve found: the moments it’s hardest to name blessings are usually the moments I need to do it most.

I’m always surprised how quickly my mood begins to shift once I start. Two blessings often turn into five. And suddenly my heart feels lighter—not because the work disappeared, but because my perspective did.

Finding joy in the mundane work of homekeeping

Let’s be honest: cleaning is not thrilling. It just isn’t, especially in an active home where messes multiply faster than you can catch up.

But “not fun” doesn’t mean “not meaningful.” Part of being a keeper of the home is doing ordinary work faithfully. The goal isn’t to pretend those tasks are exciting; it’s to learn how to do them with a better spirit and a bigger purpose.

Here are a few practices that have helped me keep a joyful heart while doing repetitive work.

Pray over your home while you care for it

When was the last time you prayed over your home, not just in general, but specifically?

One of the most powerful shifts I’ve made is praying over the rooms of our house while I clean them. I’ll pray for what happens there and for the people who live under our roof. This matters because I’ve noticed something about myself: when my hands are busy, my thoughts can get dark if I’m not intentional. Cleaning can become the time I replay frustrations, stew over annoyances, or spiral into negativity.

Prayer redirects that space.

If you’re in the bathroom and potty training is testing your patience, pray for that child and for wisdom. If you’re in the kitchen, pray over meals and conversations. If you’re in the living room, pray that your home would be a place of peace and kindness.

Praying this way doesn’t just change my heart. It often changes the atmosphere of the home itself.

Listen to something that strengthens you

Just like worship music helps in the morning, encouragement helps in the middle of the day. I love listening to podcasts or sermons while I cook dinner or do chores, especially in the late afternoon when my energy is low and I’m tempted to coast in irritation.

There’s something restoring about letting your mind take in truth and encouragement while your body does ordinary work. It “fills your cup” in a practical way. It reminds you that the work you’re doing matters, and that you’re not alone in it.

Make a simple plan for the day

I love a good to-do list. It helps me feel grounded and purposeful. But I’ve also learned that the quickest way to discourage myself is to write a list that assumes I’m living in a silent, uninterrupted world.

In my busiest seasons, I can realistically complete about five meaningful tasks in a day, sometimes less. So I keep the plan simple: a short list and a flexible timeline. I often write it the night before, not because I’m trying to be rigid, but because there is freedom in waking up with direction.

When I don’t make a plan, I’m much more likely to drift into chaos. I’ll find myself slumped on the couch mid-morning while the kids are unraveling, and then I feel defeated before the day is even half over. But when I have a gentle plan, everything seems to run a little smoother, even when interruptions come.

Joy also requires room for delight

Sometimes we lose joy at home not because there’s too much work, but because there’s too little fun.

When was the last time you got down on the floor with your kids and played? When was the last time you laughed, really laughed, in the middle of an ordinary day?

There will always be more work to do. But if we never stop to enjoy the people we are caring for, we will slowly begin to resent the work itself. A home is not meant to be managed like a machine; it’s meant to be lived in with love.

This is where your plan can either serve you or enslave you. A plan is a blessing, but it shouldn’t become the mountain you’re willing to die on. Racing through your to-do list while ignoring your family is not the measure of success.

Sometimes the most faithful choice is setting the list down to pull out Play-Doh, read a book, sit close, listen, and laugh. Those moments are not “wasted time.” They are part of building a joyful home.

And don’t forget your husband in this, either. Homemaking isn’t only about managing tasks, it’s about nurturing relationships. Make room for fun with him too, whether that’s an at-home date night, a walk together, or time out of the house. Joy grows where connection is protected.

Ordinary days are where joy is formed

Most homemaking is not made up of highlight moments. It’s made up of ordinary ones: meals, messes, interruptions, and the steady, faithful work of loving people.

And by God’s grace, those ordinary days can become the very place where joy takes root.

Not because every day feels easy, but because joy isn’t dependent on ease. It’s cultivated by truth, gratitude, prayer, worship, wise planning, and intentional delight. One small practice at a time, God can reshape our attitude and restore our contentment, right in the middle of the work.

If today is one of “those days,” you’re not alone. Start small. Choose one way to re-center your heart. And ask the Lord to meet you in the ordinary.

He does.