What works for you as you shift your mindset to be a happier mom? We all talk a lot about reframing, and making conscious mental shifts… but what does that actually mean? We’ve talked about what happiness actually means (maybe it’s a state of being – subjective well-being, deep contentment – as well as a journey we are present for). And we’ve considered 10 things you can do to be happier right now (based on things that help when struggling “in the moment,” i.e. with anxiety). But in this post, we’ll consider something bigger – some of the principles or …
What is Happiness?
What does happiness mean? This entire website is about being a happier mom (related: why should I be a happy mom?), but what does that happiness actually mean? What happiness means refers to your overall subjective well-being – it is a state of being, that refers to your deep sense of contentment with yourself and your life. Happiness is your overall life satisfaction/contentment, and your sense of connectedness to life. Here’s what it is not. Happiness is not fleeting joy. Happiness is not a cheap thrill. It is not a high we chase or a sensation of abundant joy we …
Another Baby Book!
Why a new baby book? As previously shared, I put together a new kind of baby book (since the baby books I’d previously come across were not what I was looking for). You can read that original post about the story behind the first baby book I made here. Below is some copy-pasta from the story of that first baby book, “A Story of You” — it all applies for this new baby book too. The new one is called “Watching you Grow.” When I was filling in a page of my younger son’s baby book one day, I thought …
The Story of a New Kind of Baby Book
The story of “A Story of YOU” baby book When I was filling in a page of my younger son’s baby book one day, I thought I was going to lose my mind. Because what I wanted was to jot down some notes about what my son liked and disliked at age 1… but the baby book had no room allocated for such matters. Instead, I found myself flipping through ridiculous pages with teeth diagrams and doctor visit records (right, because when my son is an adult, maybe a new parent, reading through the baby book his own mom painstakingly …
Starting a Gratitude Journal
The world can be garbage, and sometimes we put in the work to try to make it better. Life can be challenging, so we work hard to make it more manageable for the people we love. But to take care of the world and the people we love, we have to take care of ourselves. That’s where our “100 Days of Gratitude Journal for Being a Happier, More Positive Mama” comes into the picture. I (Punita, blogging here for Happy Mom Guide), started doing an informal gratitude journal this past year and I feel like a healthier me. Then I …
10 Things You Can Do Right Now To Be Happier
So you’ve decided you want to commit to being a happier mom. Want to be happier right this minute? Here are 10 things you can do right now to be happier. 10 Things you can do Right Now to be Happier Relax your shoulders. Unclench your jaw. Take a deep breath! (And another, and another. Slow.) Drink a glass of water! Smile a big smile. (Even if you feel silly, just do it!) Hug or kiss someone. (Nobody around? Hug yourself.) Compliment someone. (Text or call if you have to.) Look outside or go outdoors (even for a minute!) Jump …
Why Be a Happy Mom?
Have you ever heard the quote, in the end, you’re the only one who can give your kids a happy mom who loves life? It’s actually a variation on a quote from the author Janene Wolsey Baadsgaard, writer of the book Grin & Share It: Raising a Family with a Sense of Humor. In the original quote, it’s phrased in first person: “In the end, I am the only one who can give my children a happy mother who loves life.” – Janene Wolsey Baadsgaard, Grin & Share It: Raising a Family with a Sense of Humor I don’t remember where I …
Going from One to Two Kids
My second child is a few weeks away from turning one, which is so surreal because this has been the fastest and also craziest year of my life so far. This is due, at least in part, to the fact that going from one to two kids is life-changing (maybe not quite as much as going from no kids to one kid, but still). Not only because, hello, new human!, but because going from one to two kids has been a constantly evolving ride. The transition of going from one to two kids impacts people differently — for some moms, …
You don’t have to text back right away!
Happiness Hack: You don’t have to text people back the second you get a text message. Ever since I became a much, much slower text-responder (motherhood, man), I’ve been thinking about how people tend to assign meaning to the amount of time that passes between their messaging you and your responding. It got me thinking about the ~rules~ around texting people back quickly.
You can get out of bed when Mella turns green!
A few months ago, our 3 year old started climbing out of his bed in the mornings, and running into our room for a snuggle (or less excitingly, to turn on all the lights and demand we start the day immediately). This was fine, except slowly, that visit started to happen earlier. And earlier. and Earlier. Until eventually, it would be almost 4:30 in the morning, and this little person was demanding to start our day. Naturally, I started looking into OK to Wake Clocks (aka Ready to Rise Clocks). If you have kids (toddlers) of a certain age you’ve …