How to Have a Great Day

One of the easiest ways to improve our moods and perspective is through expressing gratitude.

Set aside a few minutes every morning to express gratitude and watch how good it makes you feel.

If we set aside a few minutes first thing every morning to express gratitude for the things we are thankful for in our lives, we will have happier days and will be more likely to do the things required to get in shape and have a healthier body.

Expressing gratitude makes us happier and gives us the mood and perspective to say “no” to unhealthy foods and “yes” to exercise.

Start Your Day with Gratitude

Take a few moments each morning (preferably as soon as you wake up – or your child wakes you up!) to do some positive thinking. Starting your day with positivity will brighten your whole day. Here are a few prompts to help spark those positive thoughts:

• What am I happy about in my life now? What about that makes me happy?
• What am I excited about in my life now?
• What am I proud about in my life now?
• What am I grateful for?
• What am I enjoying the most?
• What am I committed to?
• Who do I love? Who loves me?

While you can reflect on these questions anytime, doing it early in the day gives you the biggest impact. Setting yourself up for success in the morning is one of the best investments of time you can make.

Protect Your Mood from Daily Stress

As busy mums, we have many demands placed on us and it’s easy to feel overwhelmed and stressed.

By starting the day using simple methods to improve your mood, you can shield yourself against the negative influences that conspire to bring you down.

After a hard day and a sleepless night, it can be hard to even contemplate being thankful.

But when we compare our lives to those of mums facing difficult battles, the amount we have to be grateful for really starts to stand out.

For example:

• In Australia, the infant death rate is 3 in every 1,000 babies
• In Angola, 157 out of 1,000 lose a child before they reach 5 years of age
• In Ethiopia, many mums must walk several kilometres every day just to fetch water for their families
• Right now, in hospitals all over the world, including our own country, there are many sick children and mums facing difficult health battles

When we reflect on these realities, the blessings in our own lives become much clearer.

Finding Gratitude in Small Things

Start with the most basic and fundamental things and work your way up from there. When you wake up in the morning, you can be grateful for the fact you woke up! Each day we have on earth is a blessing and one we can be thankful for. It’s certainly a good place to start!

What can you be thankful for next?

All of us have more to be grateful for. Each of us is a unique individual who has our own things we can be grateful for. How you express your thankfulness is completely up to you. 

Some mums like to recite the things they are thankful for. Some mums like to write them out in a gratitude journal. Other mums like to simply lie back in bed (or the shower) and run through the things they are grateful for in their minds.

Whatever method works for you, start your day by running through the things you give thanks for. You will soon find you are having more “good days” than “bad days” and your perspective on life is improved.

And as a bonus, you’ll also find it much easier to make healthy choices—saying “no” to junk food and “yes” to exercise, which wil boost your modd even more!

We at In Shape Mummy would like to express our grateful for you! Thank you for being part of our community. Let’s lift each other up and live healthier, happier lives together. Be grateful and be strong, sisters! x

And remember, this is only a season. The sleepless nights, the constant demands, and the overwhelming moments won’t last forever. While it may feel tough right now, the sun will shine again. Every day brings new opportunities for growth and joy, and soon you’ll find yourself in a place of more balance and peace. Keep going, mama—brighter days are ahead!