Attitude of Gratitude

I recently had a memory pop up on a certain social media site that got me thinking about gratitude. I had had a tough day with my kids and decided to write out one thing I was thankful for about each of my kids from the day. My hope was that by focusing on what I was thankful for at night, I would be able to reset my mindset for the next day.  And here's the thing, it worked. I remember waking up being excited to get on with my day instead of worrying if it was going to be another tough day.

Research supports this practice. People who express gratitude experience higher levels of happiness. According to Harvard Medical School Healthbeat, showing gratitude benefits people by increasing positive emotions, higher levels of enjoyment for good experiences, better at handling adversity, improved health and build stronger relationships.

In parenthood it can be easy to get bogged down by the day to day. Whether it is managing a balance between work and family life, dealing with toddler tantrums, sleep deprivation, making meals that everyone will eat, or coordinating everyone's schedules, parents can become overwhelmed. We can fall into the trap of focusing on all the hard things about being a parent.

With Thanksgiving right around the corner, I thought I would share with you a few of the things that I am grateful for and some ways to incorporate gratitude into your daily life.

• Write a Thank You Note-Thank you notes are a great way to build strong relationships with another person by expressing your gratitude for something they have done for you or their part in your life. Writing thank you notes also increases your happiness. So here's my thank you note to you: Thank you for taking the time to read this blog. I appreciate being able to share my knowledge and hope that what I write has a positive impact on you. 
• Count your blessings-Set aside some time each week to focus on the blessings you have in your life. Write down a list of maybe 3 to 5 things each week that you feel are blessings in your life. Be specific and think about how these blessings make you feel. Check out my three blessings for this past week. 
• My oldest daughter volunteered to stay up late and pick her sister up following a hockey game since I was feeling under the weather. It was so nice to be able to go to bed early. I woke up the next morning feeling so much better. 
• My husband planned date night for us. We enjoyed dinner, dessert and had time to catch up with one another since he was gone for work most of the week. 
• My amazing co-workers who were willing to roll with it when I was out sick one day and wasn't able to find a sub. Knowing that my teaching team would be able to make it work without me there gave me peace of mind. 
• Meditate-Practicing meditation allows you to focus on the present moment. Practice focusing on something you are grateful for. This might be the sun shining through your window or the smell of your morning coffee as you focus on breathing in the aroma. 
• Say thank you-Make sure you say thank you to those around you. Thank the cashier, the server at the restaurant, receptionist at the doctors office. Just saying thank you not only makes you feel better but also the recipient.  

Another benefit to practicing gratitude is that you are modeling it for your child. One of the ways children learn how to be grateful by seeing us be grateful. Take time each day to thank your child for things they do and encourage them to start saying thank you too.