Practicing Gratitude: An Easy Way To Boost Your Emotional Well-Being

Good wellness and well-being is crucial for our happiness and ability to handle the demands of motherhood and professional life. There’s just one problem – we don’t have the time.

We know that emotional well-being is an important part of overall wellness, but between juggling all our various responsibilities, we just don’t have the time or energy for long self-care routines. When it comes to wellness practices, we need strategies that are quick, simple, and effective. Practicing gratitude is one such strategy.

Practicing Gratitude Improves Our Emotional Well-Being

Research has shows that practicing gratitude is connected with our psychological well-being and life-satisfaction, which are important components of our emotional wellness. So how does being grateful help?

We have improved resilience and cope better with stress. Stress is a part of our daily lives that we know maybe a little well. The practice of being grateful makes us more resilient and better at handling that stress. We become more forgiving and compassionate, and we don’t react as negatively to the unpredictability of life and motherhood. Being able to cope more positively with stress and manage our emotions is important for our own emotional health, and it also sets a good example for our kids on how to manage their feelings in a healthy way.

We feel less isolated. Working moms commonly deal with feelings of isolation and loneliness. We are so occupied with the day-to-day tasks that we don’t have much time for hobbies or socializing. This is especially true in the early stages of motherhood, where we often lose contact with our old social circles and enter a “roommate phase” with our partners. Expressing gratitude for the support and people we do have can help us to manage those feelings and feel less isolated.

We feel more optimistic and have a more positive outlook on life. When you focus on the good, you become a more optimistic, glass-half-full kind of person. We have a better overall outlook on life and feel more balanced.

We have improved self-esteem. Being grateful allows us to recognize the good in others and in the world. When we do that, we recognize the good in ourselves. We might feel unappreciated and overworked at times, but by practicing gratitude, we can recognize how important we actually are to our family, friends, and the community.

We have better physical health. On top of the mental and emotional benefits to practicing gratitude, there are also physical benefits. Practicing gratitude helps calm our overstimulated nervous systems and is associated with better sleep, lower blood pressure, and reduced heart rates.

Being intentionally grateful can start a cascade of positive thinking and action that ultimately leads to a more fulfilled life. The mechanisms are complex, but the formula is simple – being grateful makes you happier.

How To Practice Gratitude

The key to practicing gratitude is to be intentional about it. There are many ways to be grateful, but it all boils down to the act of reflecting on the good things in your life in a purposeful way. In doing so, you focus less on the negative and start to notice more of the positive. Here are some ways to practice gratitude:

Reflect on the little things as they happen. Practicing gratitude doesn’t have to be about big achievements or events. The little things can fill your life with positivity too – that good cup of coffee you had this morning, a funny joke you heard on the radio on the way to work, your warm blanket at night, or the hot shower you took when you got home.

Start a gratitude journal. There is something about the act of writing that enhances our ability to reflect on things. When we write something down, we think about it more deeply than if it were just a passing thought. Start off your gratitude journal by writing down 3-5 good things that you are grateful for. It can be anything – an experience, a person, an event, or a feeling. Be as specific as you can be. I usually do this on my phone at night before bed a few times a week, and it helps me go to sleep with a positive mindset. If the day has been particularly rough and I’m having trouble seeing the good, I can look back on what I’ve written and experience those positive emotions all over again.

Write a thank you note to someone you’re grateful for. When you express gratitude towards people, you develop stronger connections with them and improve your social well-being. It could be towards a partner, friend, teacher, or colleague. In turn, that person will be motivated to build your relationship further and the cycle of positive support continues. Whether you give them the letter or not, you’ve spent time thinking about the value that person adds to your life and your feelings of gratitude for them increase.

Practice gratitude with your family at dinner. Practicing gratitude with your family deepens your connections with them and helps form positive habits with the ones you care about the most. It’s especially beneficial for little kids with notoriously big feelings, equipping them with helpful tools for managing their emotions and teaching them that there is always something to appreciate, no matter the circumstance.

Try a gratitude meditation. Sometimes we are so tired of doing all the work for others that we don’t feel like doing much for ourselves. On days like this, let yourself be a little more passive by listening to a gratitude meditation. There are tons of gratitude meditations of varying lengths available for free – simply search online and pick the one you like.

Put up a gratitude board at work. Practicing gratitude at work can help us manage work-related stress and make us less reactive to negative emotions. A gratitude board at work can help remind you and your coworkers about all the good things, improving morale and contributing to a positive work environment. Suggest to your coworkers that they pin post-it notes of what they are grateful for on the board, and keep it in a place that everyone can see – that way, others can use it for inspiration when the day gets hard.

Volunteer. Volunteering is a great way to bring about feelings of gratitude. When we do nice things for other people without expecting anything in return, we naturally feel good about ourselves and it’s easier to be positive. Volunteering is something the whole family can get in on – it teaches kids not only to be grateful for what they have, but also about the importance of contributing to society.

How Often Should You Practice Gratitude?

Some say you should do it every day to get the most benefit. Others say a few times a week is enough. Realistically – do whatever suits you and your lifestyle.

The last thing you want is to add another task to the day if it’s going to feel like a chore. If you can only do it once a week, that’s okay – you are still doing something to support your well-being. As with anything new, it can feel a little awkward in the beginning, but it shouldn’t be burdensome or stressful.

If you decide to make it a daily practice, consider varying your reflections so that you don’t become numb to the same things over and over. Being grateful for your health every day is great, but try to zone in on a different aspect of it each day.

Practicing gratitude can result in significant mental, and emotional benefits to our well-being. It’s an easy way for busy working moms to improve our overall wellness and outlook on life. Start slow and do what feels right to you. When you begin to practice gratitude more consistently, it will turn into a habit. You’ll be able to notice and be grateful for more of the good things in your life.