The Importance of Practicing Gratitude for Your Happiness
Do you sometimes feel a void in your heart? Or a nagging feeling that something’s still missing— but you seemingly have it all? It might be your mind and soul sending you a warning: your happiness isn’t around you, it’s within you.
More often than not, we mompreneurs can’t carve out time for the self-care we deserve— especially when it comes to our mental and emotional well-being. Regulating bad thoughts, posing a positive mindset, and tackling overwhelming feelings can feel like walking on water. But that stops being the case when you realize the importance of practicing gratitude.
In this blog, I invite you to explore the transformative journey of gratitude. Whether you’re new to the concept or unsure how gratitude can address your inner struggles, join me as we delve into how this powerful practice can enhance your life from within.
Is gratitude linked to happiness?
According to science (and my own experiences), gratitude is strongly linked with happiness. When you are busy giving thanks for what you have in life, your focus shifts to the positives in your life. Scientists have even studied the impact of gratitude on your brain and a direct relationship was found between the two.
The more you’re thankful for things — even small ones — the happier you feel.
If you want to hear more about my path toward self-discovery and how I realized that I wasn’t as grateful and in tune with my emotional regulation as I thought I was, check out my podcast episode right here. I talked in depth about the events that occurred, my attempts at grasping on ends, and the ultimate realization that helped me manifest the happy, intentional life I have today!
Why is it important to be thankful?
Before you know how to practice gratitude, it’s important to have a motivating force that drives you to it. Luckily, the importance of practicing gratitude is a well-researched and recorded psychological concept with proven benefits such as:
- Improving mental health: Proven to reduce symptoms of anxiety, stress, and depression.
- Enhancing personal relationships: Fosters a sense of connection and mutual respect as you appreciate the people you have in your life.
- Promoting positive emotions: According to Harvard, gratitude helps you relish good experiences, making you feel positive emotions strongly.
- Encouraging a growth mindset: Fosters a growth mindset by helping you see challenges as opportunities for growth and learning, especially as a mompreneur.
And so, by making gratitude a regular part of your life, you can cultivate a happier, healthier, and more fulfilling existence. But where do you start?
How to practice gratitude
It’s hard to ignore the importance of practicing gratitude, especially as an overwhelmed mom. But to make this journey easier, I have brought you 4 ways to practice gratitude that work wonders!
1. Have a daily affirmation
Daily affirmations are scientifically proven to rewire your brain as they activate the reward system and impact the way you experience physical and emotional pain. Start your day with a positive affirmation that resonates with you.
You can even write your affirmation on a sticky note and place it on your bathroom mirror or the fridge!
I often switch up my affirmations, depending on the day ahead and some of them are:
- I am capable — for a busy day and a rushed schedule
- I am enough — for the days my self-confidence is hanging by a thread
- I am patient — for days when my kids are unwell or unsettled
- I am creative — for the days when I’m creating content for you guys (like today!)
2. Ask yourself questions to reflect
Take a few minutes each day to ask yourself reflective questions. Before bed or during a quiet moment, consider questions like:
- What three things am I grateful for today?
- What positive experience did I have today?
- What do I value most in my children, and what did they do today that made me smile?
- What am I proud of?
- What am I looking forward to today?
- What act of kindness can I do for someone else today?
These questions help you to consciously acknowledge and savour positive moments, no matter how small! And from personal experience, I can confidently say that these questions will shift your focus from stressors to blessings, helping you find your internal happiness through gratitude.
3. Share a gratitude whiteboard journal with your family
My husband and I began a tradition of a gratitude whiteboard journal. We use the journal every morning before our daughters wake up to write something we’re grateful for at that moment.
Because you’ve just woken up, and you’re not yet consumed by a negative mindset, the journal can really deviate you from being unhappy as it helps you refocus yourself in the right mindset. We even started asking Jasmin — my almost three-year-old daughter — to tell us what she’s grateful for, and she’ll often opt for Alyssa or Tiffy.
So if you want to indulge your children in practicing mindfulness and gratitude from an early age, I highly recommend this activity. Click here to get your very own gratitude journal as a gift from me to you!
4. Look at inspirational quotes on gratitude
Jan Vanek once said, “You are what you read.” So, you should find a few quotes that resonate with you and display them where you will see them often, such as on your desk, refrigerator, or as a screensaver on your phone. Whenever you’re regressing back to negative emotions, these quotes can aid you in reframing your perspective.
My personal favourite quote is this one, right here:
Final Thoughts
Gratitude is one of the most critical habits you can develop in the pursuit of genuinely ever-lasting happiness. By inculcating this serene practice, you can build a whole new life, inside and out. I’ll leave you with one last question: what are you grateful for?
I’ll start: I’m grateful to you for reading my blogs, listening to my podcasts, and supporting me. What about you?
If you’re seeking a community of positive and supportive women who are on the same path as you, come join us in our Facebook community. It’s a safe and beautiful space in which we inspire and uplift each other as we make mompreneurship a reality together.
If you want to learn more in a relaxing and (dare I say) entertaining way, tune into the Legacy Building Mamas Podcast.
