Dear Working Mom,
Little sleep. Lost keys. Fussy kids. Traffic jam. Work deadline. No doubt, you have tons of reasons to get stressed out and be in a bad mood. But, you also have millions of reasons not to. It’s all about keeping a positive attitude.
1 – Think positive thoughts. One day, I was watching an episode of Thomas the Train with my son when I heard the narrator say, “Sir Topham Hat was cross!” I thought about all the episodes I had watched. And, on almost every episode, it seemed like something happened to make Sir Topham Hat upset.
Having a positive attitude is a choice. You can choose to have a positive attitude by monitoring your thoughts. What you think and say to yourself has a powerful impact because you hear your own words twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. Your thoughts are even more powerful than your spoken words because only you can hear your thoughts. Therefore, no one can contest them. If you walk around thinking you’re a bad mom for working, you can expect to feel like a bad mom. Your words and thoughts can either help you or hurt you, depending on how you use them.
2 – Speak positive words. When you speak, you simply bring your thoughts to life. If your thoughts were seeds, the words you speak would be the fertilizer. It is not enough to avoid having negative thoughts. You need to actually speak positivity over your life. You should say out loud, “I’m a great example for my child. I’m showing him what a strong work ethic looks like. I’m showing him how to run after his goals in life.” In my bathroom, I have a list of scriptures and positive affirmations posted on my mirror. Each time I look in the mirror, I read some of those positive words and it helps me keep a positive attitude when I feel overwhelmed.
Free Printable – 30 Daily Positive Affirmations for the Working Mom
3 – Focus on the positive. When work is demanding or it’s a challenging season at home, it can be hard to stay positive. We can’t always control what happens to us, but we can control how we respond. You can choose to focus on what’s wrong, or you can focus on what’s right. If you focus on what’s right, you’re more likely to keep a positive attitude.
Before having my youngest son, I suffered a miscarriage. It was one of the most devastating experiences I’ve been through. It was hard to stay positive in the midst of feeling so hurt and confused. While I was grieving, I chose to focus on things in my life for which I was grateful. I actually made a list, so I could go back and read it whenever I felt sad or discouraged. I might not ever understand why I had to experience something so incredibly painful. But focusing on the positive helped me grow and learn something about myself in the pain.
4 – Control your emotions. If you want to stay positive in any situation, you can’t allow your emotions to control you. Sometimes I want to just roll on the floor kicking and screaming – literally! But, who would it help? If you operate your life based on how you feel, it will be a lot harder to stay positive. You might not feel like going to work, but you can have a positive attitude about it. Someone would love to have the job you dread going to each day. You may not be a morning person, but you can keep a positive attitude by staying grateful. Someone who can’t have kids would love to hear the sound of a baby crying or someone screaming for mommy in the morning.
While I don’t love working out at the gym, I really like the results. After a good workout, I’m always in a better mood, and overall, I feel better physically. But for me to get a good workout, I have to check my attitude at the door. I can’t walk in saying, I really hate the gym! I don’t feel like working out today! I don’t see any results yet! Even if I’m not feeling it, I have to replace my negative feelings with positive thoughts if I want to achieve positive results.
Your thoughts shape how you view life and your words will determine how you live your life. You can stay positive in any situation and continue to live your best life in balance.
How to stay positive when work and family life become overwhelming
It is so easy as a working mom, wife, friend and the many other title we hold to lose focus on the positive. With so much going on all around us we tend to focus on what draws most of our attention, which normally is the negative. Best advise you gave ” change that negative thought, to a positive thought.” Focus on the positive. Shift your thought process….. Conduct Motivational interviewing with yourself- Change Talk!
I agree,Dominique! It can be hard to stay positive with so much going on. But, when you’re aware of your thoughts, you can keep them in check! Thanks for the comment!