Being a working mom means trying to balance it all – our jobs, our family responsibilities, and our personal lives. As a result, we often experience high levels of emotional stress and even burnout.
While we can’t get rid of the stress completely, we can find ways to manage it. Practicing gratitude is one of the easiest, quickest, and most effective ways to manage the daily stress of working mom life.
The benefits of practicing gratitude
There’s a reason the topic of gratitude has become so popular lately. Research has shown that practicing gratitude is connected to our psychological wellbeing and life satisfaction, which contribute to our emotional wellbeing.
In other words, our general mental state and how satisfied we feel with our lives are directly related to our ability to deal with stress.
When we focus on the positive, our brains release feel-good chemicals that help improve our mood and become less reactive to stress.
Here’s how we can benefit by practicing gratitude.
We cope better with stress
The practice of being grateful makes us more resilient, which means we become better at handling stress. We become more forgiving and react less negatively to life’s stressful moments. It also reduces stress hormones, further contributing to a sense of calm and emotional balance.
We feel less isolated
Sometimes, we can become so preoccupied with the day-to-day grind that we end up becoming distanced from others. It’s not intentional, but it can lead to feelings of isolation and loneliness. Expressing gratitude can help us to manage those feelings and feel less isolated.
We become more optimistic
When we focus on the good, we naturally become more optimistic. We start to see the positives in our lives and start noticing all the things that are going well. Over time, we become more emotionally balanced and develop a better general outlook on life.
We have improved self-esteem
Being grateful allows us to recognize the good in others and in the world. When we do that, we also become better at recognizing the good in ourselves. Acknowledging and appreciating our worth builds our confidence and self-esteem.
We have better physical health
Practicing gratitude regularly can help to calm our overstimulated nervous systems down. It’s associated with better sleep, lower blood pressure, and reduced heart rate.
8 ways to practice gratitude
I hope you’re at least a little convinced that gratitude can have big benefits on our emotional health. So how do we practice it?
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1. Reflect on the little things
Practicing gratitude doesn’t have to be reserved for big achievements or accomplishments. The little things can fill our lives with positivity, too.
For instance, think about that good cup of coffee you had this morning, the funny joke you heard on the radio on the way to work, or the hot shower you took before bed. It’s easy to take the small things for granted, but appreciating them can make a big difference.
2. Try gratitude journaling
There’s 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.
Journaling – specifically, gratitude journaling – takes advantage of writing’s reflective capabilities and encourages us to really think about the good things in life.
Gratitude journaling means writing down short lists of things you are grateful for. I try to make it a habit to use mine in the mornings or at night, and I write down 1-3 things I appreciate or that bring me joy. It always puts me in a positive state of mind, and starts (or ends) my day off in the right way.
Intelligent Change The Five Minute Journal (paid link)
The One-Minute Gratitude Journal (paid link)
3. Write a thank-you note
Writing a thank-you note to someone – a colleague, friend, a family member – helps us think about, reflect on, and appreciate the relationships in our lives. Although it’s a nice gesture, you don’t always have to share those notes if you don’t want to. Sharing them anonymously is another option.
If you do choose to share, that open expression of gratitude helps you develop stronger connections, improving your social and emotional wellbeing. In turn, the recipients will be motivated to build your relationship further and the cycle of positive support continues.
4. Start a family gratitude practice
Practicing gratitude with our families deepens our connections with them and helps our children develop a positive attitude and build emotional resilience. It’s as simple as sharing one thing each of you are grateful for during mealtime, family time, or on a specific day of the week.
TableTopics Gratitude Question Card Game (paid link)
— Melody Beattie
5. Listen to a guided meditation
Occasionally, we get so tired of thinking and doing that it can actually be really hard to think about what we’re grateful for. On days like this, allow yourself to be a little more passive and try listening to a guided gratitude meditation. It’s okay to let someone else do the work sometimes.
6. Put up a gratitude board
For those of us who are more visual, putting up a gratitude board of things you are grateful for is a really nice way to remind us of all the good things we have. It can be covered with pictures, inspirational quotes, simple words, or anything that makes you happy.
You can put one up at work to improve morale and foster a positive work environment. Or you can put one up at home to give you a boost when mom life gets too hectic.
Wherever you put it, it can be a source of inspiration and encouragement when the day gets hard.
7. Do community service
Volunteering and participating in community service are great ways to express and promote feelings of gratitude. When we do nice things for other people without expecting anything in return, we naturally feel good about ourselves and appreciate the things we have.
Community service and volunteering are activities 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.
8. Start a gratitude jar
A gratitude jar is a really simple way to express and remember your appreciation for the things you’re grateful for. Simply write things down and stick them in the jar – you can come back to it when the day is rough and you need a little inspiration.
How often should we practice gratitude?
So, how often should we practice gratitude to feel the benefits?
There are lots of mixed answers to this question. Scientists, researchers, and gratitude experts all have varying opinions on the ‘best’ way to practice gratitude.
My favorite answer comes from Stef Tousignant, author and the creator of the Parenting With Gratitude method that helps ease the stress of parenting.
She recommends an everyday practice of gratitude for parents. She doesn’t suggest this in order to set unrealistic goals, but rather because she knows exactly what life as a parent is like – you probably won’t get to it every day, but at least you might be able to get to it 2 or 3 days out of the week. Shoot for the moon and you’ll at least land on the stars, right?
She offers a couple options for incorporating regular daily gratitude practices into our busy lives:
- The 3.33pm alarm – set an alarm for 3.33pm every day. When it goes off, stop and think about 3 good or positive things you are grateful for.
- Habit stacking – add your gratitude practice on to another daily habit that you consistently do, like drinking your morning coffee or brushing your teeth at night.
If you already know the every day thing isn’t going to work out, the other option is to do a weekly gratitude practice. Choose a day every week that you can dedicate time to engaging deeply and intentionally with your gratitude practice.
Practicing gratitude can result in significant social, physical, and emotional benefits to our wellbeing. It can help moderate the stress of navigating work and motherhood, building emotional resilience. When we begin to practice gratitude more consistently, it turns into a habit. With time, we’ll be able to notice and be grateful for more of the many good things in our lives.
Sources
Kirca, Abdurrahman, et al. “The Effect of Expressed Gratitude Interventions on Psychological Wellbeing: A Meta-Analysis of Randomised Controlled Studies.” International Journal of Applied Positive Psychology, vol. 8, no. 1, 28 Jan. 2023, pp. 63–86, https://doi.org/10.1007/s41042-023-00086-6.
Kerry, Nicholas, et al. “Being Thankful for What You Have: A Systematic Review of Evidence for the Effect of Gratitude on Life Satisfaction.” Psychology Research and Behavior Management, vol. 16, 2023, pp. 4799–4816, pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38047154/, https://doi.org/10.2147/PRBM.S372432.
“Parenting with Gratitude.” Parenting with Gratitude, Nov. 2022, parentingwithgratitude.com/practice/2022/10/20/how-often-should-i-practice-gratitude. Accessed 5 Apr. 2026.
Reid, Sheldon. “Gratitude: The Benefits and How to Practice It – HelpGuide.org.” HelpGuide.org, 6 June 2022, www.helpguide.org/mental-health/wellbeing/gratitude.
Beese, Megan. “Does Gratitude Rewire Your Brain? – American Brain Foundation.” American Brain Foundation, 26 Nov. 2025, www.americanbrainfoundation.org/does-gratitude-rewire-your-brain. Accessed 5 Apr. 2026.
