5 Tips To Become A More Grateful Mom

My guest today is Genny Heika. I discovered Genny through blogging, then found out we lived in the same area. Of course, this meant we just had to meet for coffee. Our love for God, our family, and being obedient to every single God-given opportunity He gently places along our faith-journey is a common trait in both of us. If you haven’t been by Genny’s blog My Cup 2 Yours, make sure you stop by today.

Being grateful isn’t always easy. Let’s face it; as moms, sometimes things like endless piles of
laundry, a sink full of dishes, and toddlers clinging to our legs can somehow get
in the way of us having a peaceful, thankful attitude.
But when we remember to look at life—at each
moment–through a lens of thankfulness, all the chaos somehow seems to fade. Being
thankful has a way of chasing away stress and calling contentment into our
lives. (Several studies have actually shown that an attitude of gratitude
dramatically reduces stress hormones. What mom doesn’t need that?!)

So what are some things we can do to be more grateful as moms?

Here are five tips:

1. Voice your thanks. I love the quote: “Silent
gratitude isn’t much use to anyone.” ~G.B. Stern. Don’t assume
the people in your life know you are thankful for them. Tell your
kids, tell your husband, tell your friends. In thanking, you will feel
more thankful.

2. Silence the negative. Make an effort not to complain. When
you stop talking about the things you’re unhappy about, or the things you feel
are lacking in your life, you stop thinking about them as much too. And
suddenly, your focus shifts to the positive.

3. Turn frustration into gratitude opportunities. When you look at
the mess of toys all over the house, take a minute to be thankful that your
kids are healthy and can play. When you look at the sink full of dishes, stop
and be grateful for the food your family has to eat. Often, being
grateful is just a matter of refocusing.

4.Start a gratitude journal. After you get in the habit of
writing down things that you are thankful for, you’ll be surprised at how
naturally this will come, and how your focus will change. (I recently started a
gratitude journal after reading Ann Voskamp’s beautiful book, One Thousand
Gifts. The more I think about all I have to be thankful
for, the more I think about all I have to be thankful for! It’s a humbling
exercise and a beautiful way to capture life.)

5.Empty,so you can fill. Take time to pray, de-stress, work through
issues, resolve difficult relationships, and heal past hurts. It can
be hard to be grateful if you are harboring pain, anger, guilt, or things
like that. Gratefulness is a heart issue and if your heart is hurting, it can
make feeling thankful difficult.

I think it also helps to remember we are not alone as moms. Even in bad times,
remembering that others are going through or have been through what we are going
through, helps. Sometimes, asking for help or connecting with others who are
going through a similar situation is just the thing we need to give
us enough encouragement to be able to feel hopeful and thankful again.

-Chronicles 16:34

Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever.
Genny is a mom, author, blogger, book reviewer and coffee lover. Stop by her blog, MyCup2Yours and share a cup or follow her on twitter to find out what
she’s up to!