Gratitude helps you to be present in the moment. It helps you release fears, blocks and anxiety; but how? How does being grateful do this and how does this support and empower you as a mum? Firstly you have to really mean it! It’s easy to churn out a list of things you are grateful for – food in the cupboards, a roof over your head, a car to drive or heating and light. Whilst these are all great things to always be grateful for you need to really feel the well of gratitude within. To benefit from the rebirth of your mindset and to reboot your neuropathways you need to be coming from a place of authenticity. This takes time to master, consistency and commitment. Everyday make time for two minutes of stillness, looking up and being grateful.
We all know as mums there is a million and one jobs we want to get done and always more than is possible that needs or has to be done. We have little ones needs, demands and requests to respond to. The sense of overwhelm never seems far away waiting to raise it’s head sending our thoughts, emotions and responses into chaos. Practicing gratitude helps your brains focus, to be in the moment and reorganise the chaos into positivity. Your reactions and responses become proactive not reactive; enabling you to engage with your little ones and co-regulate. You build more positive relationships, boundaries and dialogue with your little ones.
Start with 3 big things,
- Why are you grateful?
- How do you feel because you have them?
- How would you feel if you didn’t have them?
Hey! You just took a few minutes each day of self-care!
As a mum you are likely to have been neglecting or forfeiting self-care, it is really important for you as woman to take time out every day for self-care. It helps you be the best version of you for baby, yourself, family and career. Fears of failure or never being enough, build up of anxiety and the blocks stopping us from truly being the best version of ourselves become manageable.
So the next time you find yourself changing a soiled nappy with a wiggling baby turn it into a positive – I am grateful for the trust my baby has in me to clean and care for them. Still wrinkle your nose up but be grateful for the moment.
It takes 30 days for your brain to adjust to new input but only if the action is repeated every day and 21 days to form a habit; practice gratitude for 21 days and it becomes easier to facilitate and to ingrain it in your life. You then extend for a further 90 days every day minimum.Keep going until you can’t fail, until gratitude is a natural part of the flow of your day. Be the empowered mother who can respond to the entire bottle of ketchup squeezed all over the table, floor and walls with gratitude, love in your heart and be present in the moment.