When I was a little girl people would tell me all the time that I was going to be the Best Mom in the World!! I had heard this so many times that when it was time to become a mom I was prepared and ready. Prepared, only because everyone said I was going to be the best, so I knew I was going to be. I learned very quickly that I was not prepared or ready and I had a lot to learn. I learned that motherhood is not easy and I would spend most days feeling like the worst mom in the world. This was a really shocker to me and made things really hard. I wondered why people didn't tell me the truth. Motherhood is Hard. Its not perfect. Its not fun all the time. It is incredibly rewarding, but you are NOT going to be happy all of the time. You will love your kids more than anything in the world but sometimes they will drive you crazy. You will want to lock yourself in your room just for a little break. You will hide in your kitchen eating chocolate because you feel overwhelmed. You will want to cry. I think the transition would have been easier if people would have told me these things.
Don't get my wrong. I LOVE my kids. I LOVE being a mom. I LOVE watching them grow and seeing them succeed. Motherhood is filled with so many wonderful things. I was just not prepared but the down days. Sometimes we need to talk about the down days. Here are 9 Ways to Be Happier when you are having a down day.
9 Ways to Be Happier
1. Turn off the Negativity- This might be a book you are reading, TV show you are watching, music you are listening to or a person you are spending too much time with. If it is making you feel negative or bummed. Turn it off, walk away or spend less time with it! Find things that inspire you and make you feel happier. Do more of those things.
2. Help others succeed- It is so true that when we are focusing on helping others we feel happier. I have seen this again and again. We need to take the time to BE THERE for each other, serve each other and help each other grow. If we are always on a path of becoming better with those around us, we will become better ourselves.
3. Love People- Take time to truly love someone. Get to know them and see what makes them special. Increasing the capacity to love others increases the capacity to love yourself.
4. Surround yourself with people who make you better- If you want to feel better, surround yourself with people that make you feel better! I heard a funny quote once that said if you look around and see that your 9 closest friends are Losers, you are about to become number 10. Make sure that your 9 friends are good people that motivate you to be happier. Surrounding yourself with positive people will help you to feel more positive.
5. Compliment with words- We all have times when we see someone and a positive thought pops into our head about them. We often brush that thought out of our mind because it would be to awkward to say something. SAY IT! Everyone wants to hear compliments. It makes us all feel better. I remember going to the store and seeing a pregnant girl. My thought was "she is the cutest pregnant girl in the world." She had the perfect round belly and just looked adorable. I didn't know her. But I blurted the worlds out telling her that she looked adorable. The smile on her face was worth the nervousness I felt saying something. Never miss an opportunity to make someone else feel good.
6. Start your day with Positive things- When you wake up in the morning, don't pick up your phone and start looking at the news. It won't make you feel good. Don't go through your facebook feed because there is a good chance you'll find something sad or frustrating on there. Start each morning with something that makes you feel good. Start your day exercising, listening to a motivational audio book, or listening to calm positive music. This will help your start out your day happier and less stressful.
7. Every day is a new beginning- Forget about yesterday and make each day a new day. Yesterday may not have gone the way that you hoped but that was Yesterday. Today can be awesome. Isn't that great? Start each day with a clean slate and decide to have a better, happier day.
8. Cherish Your Friendships- Honor your friendships because they truly are a blessing. Thank them often for being your friend. Spend time with good friends, laugh with friends and truly enjoy your time together.
9. Be grateful everyday- Take some time to look around you and see all of the things that you have to be grateful for. I love my family. I am so grateful that I have them. I also have really good neighbors and friends. My kids started school recently and their teachers are fantastic. I am so grateful for them. When you sit down and list all of the things you are grateful for you will realize how much good you have in the world around you. Be grateful EVERYDAY.
It feels good to be happy. It feels even better to help someone else feel happy. These 9 Ways to Be Happier can help turn around those down days and remember how blessed we really are as moms! Life is Good.
Hi, my name is Melissa! I live in Spanish Fork, Utah. I'm happily married to Rob, and together we have five wonderful kids. Our family loves to embark on adventures, often in our RV, exploring the great outdoors. I'm an avid reader and a big fan of Hallmark movies – they always have a way of lifting my spirits. Hiking is another passion of mine; there's nothing like the tranquility of nature. I have a sweet tooth for chocolate and a love for Mexican food, both of which make life a little more delicious. In my downtime, I enjoy playing games with my family, creating memories and sharing laughter. Life is an adventure, and I'm here to enjoy every moment of it! I'm the blogger and creative mind behind the blog A Sparkle of Genius! Check out our posts on recipes, crafts, kid stuff, printables, travel and more!