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1 Simple Tip To Be a More Grateful Mom

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This 1 simple tip will not only help you to be a more grateful mom, but you will eventually be a happier human if you make it a permanent habit.

When you read about triggers in the parenting space, whatever you’re reading is usually referring to being negatively triggered by our child.  With these types of triggers, we try to retrain ourselves to react in new ways!  What if you reverse it in order to be a more grateful mom? 

Yes, Positive triggers!  Today, I want to give you another way to look at triggers that you may have never considered.  You can intentionally create triggers for yourself that cause you to react with gratitude and positivity.

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Examples of Triggers That Get You to Take Positive Action and Think Positive Thoughts

1.  Leave workout clothes laid out, so when you wake up you’re more likely to go workout.
2.  Leave a liter water bottle filled in your work area.  Fill it up every time you empty it.  You get more water than usual.
3.  Set up space in an area you use often to do your Bible study and meditations.  You’re more likely to make it a habit.
4.  When you see dirty dishes, thank God you have food to eat.

1 Simple Tip to Be a More Grateful Mom

As you can see, you can be intentional about setting up triggers in your environment that cause you to take action with the good habits you want in your life.

Every single positive everything that I study about mindset success has a common thread running through it. The practice of gratitude must be on-going in your daily lives.

I was thinking about this practice for myself because every morning I write out 10 things I’m grateful for.  The rest of the day was hit or miss depending on the kind of day I was having.  I needed a way to be intentional about practicing gratitude ALL DAY!

I thought about what I read about positive triggers and came up with an idea.  It led me to start using “things” and habits that I perform daily as triggers to take the time to show gratitude.  If my kids are around, I say it aloud in hopes that it rubs off on them.

more grateful mom

Why Is It Important to Be a More Grateful Mom?  Source

1.  Your children will learn from you and eventually practice gratitude. Domino Effect.
2.  Gratitude positively impacts your physical and psychological health.
3.  You will attract more positive people into your life.
4.  Grateful people get better sleep.
5.  Gratitude improves self-esteem.
6.  It enhances empathy and reduces aggression.

Furthermore, Harvard Health Publishing says:

Gratitude is a way for people to appreciate what they have instead of always reaching for something new in the hopes it will make them happier, or thinking they can’t feel satisfied until every physical and material need is met. Gratitude helps people refocus on what they have instead of what they lack. And, although it may feel contrived at first, this mental state grows stronger with use and practice.

How Can You Use Triggers To Think Positively and Be a More Grateful Mom?

  1. Brainstorm a list of things that you are repeatedly negative about.
  2. Decide what triggers each negative thought.  Ex: Your child hits you. You think to yourself you’re raising a criminal!
  3. Turn your negative statement into a positive statement.  Ex:  I’m glad he does that while he lives with me, so I can help him find unaggressive ways to express his anger.
  4. Look for things in your everyday life that you’re going to use to trigger positive thoughts.  Things or situations that you can assign to prompt your new thinking.
  5. Start practicing your new thoughts when you see your trigger.  Put a post-it containing your positive thought on your trigger if you need to.
  6. Experience the gratitude spilling over into other areas of your life!

If you naturally focus on the negative, this can be trivial at first.  But once you get rolling it will come easier.  And guess what?  You’re not alone.  Our brains focus on the negative over the positive.  There’s a lot of science and research behind this sad but true statement.  There’s no way to reverse that truth.  But doing the practices I am giving you will definitely minimize the negativity. 

How about I give you some examples to spark your thinking?

9 Examples of Triggers Used to Create Positive Thinking

1.  The alarm goes off. Thank you that I have another day.
2.  I put on my shoes for my morning walk.  Thank you for this time to myself.
3.  I put on my earphones.  Thank you for this podcast that gives me wisdom.
4.  I start to cook supper.  Thank you that our family can afford this food.
5.  My child wakes up and calls my name.  Thank you for making me his mom.
6.  I start the car.  Thank you for this vehicle.
7.  I sit down at my computer to write a letter.  Thank you for the reader who receives this message.
8.  I see piles of laundry that need washing.  Thank you that we have clothes to wear.
9.  
My children are arguing and come to a solution.  Thank you that the boys are developing emotional intelligence.  (OK so sometimes it’s a far reach.)

And on and on it goes throughout the day. More times than not, when I say the Gratitude Sentence, more ideas of things and experiences from that day start to pop into my head, and I express gratitude for those as well.

Notice that it is all about perspective.  You get a choice in this.  You can focus on the negative or the positive.  You decide how your day goes and ultimately, what kind of influence you will be on your children.  Remember, the way our children grow up hearing us talk will become their inner voice!

I share all of this in hopes that you consider making it a daily habit too.

I don’t know if you’re already using a Gratitude Journal, Gratitude Meditation or some other ritual. If not, I highly encourage you to be intentional about finding a gratitude habit and making it a non-negotiable in your day.  These are all surefire ways to becoming a more grateful mom.

Why? Psychologist, Rick Hanson explains that negative experiences are like “Velcro” and tend to stick in our minds, whereas positive experiences are like “Teflon” and more readily slip away. We must actively work to integrate positive experiences into the brain in order for the positive to “stick” and the beneficial effects to endure.

What do you want stuck in your mind?

I want you to have the most positive and happiest day available to you. This is an awesome tool to be a more grateful mom. Of course, all of this can only benefit your family!

Make it a great day or not, the choice is yours!  Remember to have fun, laugh and give God the glory! I love you! SS

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