Happiness and motherhood do not always go hand in hand. When it comes to being a happy mom, you need to learn what makes you happy. Once you discover this, everything else tends to fall into place. And making yourself happy isn’t only good for you; it’s also good for your baby.

“Happiness is not something ready-made. It comes from your own actions.” – Dalai Lama

Being a happy mom depends mostly on your actions. Here are some steps that you can follow to boost your happiness.

How to Be a Happy Mom

Manage Sleep

Sleep is the main thing most first time moms miss, more than “me time” or sex. You can’t have the energy to do everything you want to do if you aren’t getting enough sleep on a daily basis. Chronic sleeplessness can even trigger postpartum depression, mental breakdown, marital stress, and obesity.

Make sleep your top priority. If you have a little baby, sleep when he sleeps, don’t stay up to watch him sleep, do dishes or laundry. Remember to eat and drink and breathe when you feel overwhelmed. But don’t let emotional eating sabotage your sleep and health.

Get “Me Time”

Moms usually deal with stress better, but still, it’s there. And if you don’t take time out for yourself to unwind, you’ll end up exploding somehow. Talk to your husband. He might love an afternoon or evening alone with the baby. You can even start taking dance lessons one night a week, and it will give you some fun time along with some real exercise.

Ask friends or family to watch the baby for just an hour so you can do something on your own. Even the kids don’t want you around 100% of the time! Instead of feeling guilty about self-care, and take a little time off each day.

Let Go All The Negativity And Mom Guilt

Happiness is not compatible with stress, negativity, or guilt feeling. Cutting out all the negativity around yourself is often the quickest way to boost your happiness level.

Unfortunately, there has been so much negativity on social media around pregnancy and motherhood. Even you might hear negative comments from your friends and family. Everyone has their own opinion! Accept that and move along.

Be Organized

Think about how you can be more organized. Besides improving your happiness, being organized may leave you feeling less frustrated, more relaxed and motivated.

There are so many things that are just not necessary. Get rid of all the extra stuff in your house. Donate, recycle, and trash everything you can. Eventually, you will find something you never had before: space. Space in your mind, closets, and attics.

Get Out

Go outside at least once a day, and if possible, take a walk. Be it playgroups, baby classes, or support groups, join in on the extracurricular fun. Any kind of outside group will not only provide your baby with socialization, but it’ll also give you a chance to have some adult conversations with others.

Don’t be afraid to ask family and friends to babysit every once in a while. Take the time, make the time, and don’t let guilt get to you!

Stay Connected With The Community

Having a support group is essential to your happiness. Find the like-minded mom groups. These groups can be a great way to relieve your stress and anxieties. You can discuss important motherhood issues like: How can I get some sleep? Why my newborn is crying all the time? How can I get back to the workforce again?

Social media can be a good resource for finding mommy groups. If you can’t find like-minded mothers where you live, you can even create your own mommy community. Try to focus on yourself and make meaningful connections with others, while navigating motherhood’s challenges.

Learn To Say “NO”

The word “NO” is very empowering and should be used often. Only commit to things that bring you joy. Do what is best for your baby and for yourself.

And ASK for help! It doesn’t mean you are a selfish or a bad mother. You cannot take care of your baby if you’re not taking care of yourself.

Manage Your Time

Look into how you’re spending your time. You feel overwhelmed, but are you really making the most out of your time? How much time do you spend on social media, worrying about little things, or carelessly sitting on the couch?

Set your priorities and goals first. Then plan on how to spend time on these things. It’s all about planning early and tweaking them as they fit best for you and your family.

Be Grateful

To be a happy mom, don’t compare yourself to other moms and appreciate your life no matter how challenging it may be. Write down a list of things you are grateful for.

Say thanks to your friends, family, and your partner for their support. Being grateful leads you to happiness, you may not notice right away, but it does happen.

Spend Some Quality Time With The Kids and Partner

Talk to your husband. Find out what changed your relationship after the child. Plan some fun outing with your husband even if it’s just for a couple of hours each week. And when you get home, you’ll be so happy to see your baby and able to appreciate your time with him even more.

Happy Mom = Healthy Baby

Being a happy mom often means giving up what you wish to do in order to place your child first. However, so many moms give with no boundaries and end up being overwhelmed d exhausted. You should take care of your own happiness first in order to be a good mom, which will, in turn, result in healthy children.

There are many more habits to become a happier mommy. Finding out what works best for you is really all that matters.