As a busy mompreneur, it is important to make time every single day to reflect on the things you are grateful for. This time for reflection is not only good for the mind, but for the body as well. Studies have shown that individuals who possess a grateful attitude have better overall health than people who tend to be negative or pessimistic. When you take the time to give thanks, especially amidst chaos, not only do you resist the urge to just give up, but you also set your intentions for forward momentum with a “go-getter” attitude.

Better health just from being thankful? Yes. You read that correctly. Let’s look at the facts.

Physical Health

In a 2003 study known as Counting Blessings Versus Burdens, participants recorded less physical pain and symptoms, more restful sleep, and more time spent taking care of their bodies. A separate study in 2007, individuals who counted their blessings once a week experienced a significant decrease in blood pressure. And in another study, people who focused on being thankful were more likely to have healthy immune systems.

Mental & Emotional Health

Taking the time to give thanks can actually reduce depressive thoughts and attitudes. While major depressive disorders are often treated with prescription medications, incorporating a gratitude journal in your wellness routine can help to ease the symptoms of depression and anxiety.

Feeling grateful can also block toxic emotions such as envy, jealousy, and anger. Since gratitude and envy, jealousy, and anger are opposite emotions, we are not able to experience them at the same time. By focusing on the things in your life that you are grateful for, you can proactively block these negative emotions and feelings.

Gratitude can also help you to feel more self-aware, allowing you to increase your self-esteem, boosting humility and pride at the very same time.

Social Interactions

Gratitude can also have positive implications for your social life. Gratitude allows you to be more optimistic, focus less on material things, become less selfish, and friendlier. And guess what? All of these qualities will make you a better friend and family member. Having an attitude of gratitude turns you into a helpful, beautiful, attractive human being. 

This is proven with a simple question – Who would you rather be around? A friend who is constantly complaining or a friend who is consistently happy and positive? The Golden Rule, tried and true!

Career Development

Grateful attitudes can open the door for meaningful development to your career. Gratitude increases your decision making ability, your ability to effectively manage a team, as well as provide and receive constructive criticism and praise to and from your colleagues. Our simple question applies here as well – Who would you rather hire? An employee who is constantly complaining or an employee who is consistently happy and positive? 

Gratitude also helps you to network and expand your ability to be productive. Being grateful in your career sparks creative energy, keeps your perspective fresh and maintains alertness for powerful opportunities and new relationships. You will feel thankful for the opportunities presented to you in your career, you will be open to how they can positively impact your environment and you will utilize those chances to increase your professional prowess as your grateful attitude magnifies the power in your present situation.

Demonstrate your Gratitude

One way to demonstrate gratitude is to keep a gratitude journal. Write one thing you are thankful for in your journal daily. This could be done in the morning shortly after you wake up, or it can be completed before you go to sleep at night. Just pick an opportunity to give thanks.

Another way to demonstrate gratitude is to write it in a place where everyone in the family can see it. I have a chalkboard calendar in which I write one thing that I am grateful for every single day. Not only does this help me to slow down in a busy day, it cultivates an attitude of gratitude by demonstrating the importance of giving thanks to my entire family.

How do you cultivate gratitude in your life? Never developed a routine that motivates you to give thanks every day? Let’s start here! In the comments below, write one thing you are grateful for. 

This is the season of gratitude. Thanksgiving is upon us! But let’s commit to give thanks every day, embrace humble hearts and watch as we collectively grow into good health, mentally, physically and emotionally. Will you give thanks with me?

Are you on Periscope yet? I talked about why your blog needs Periscope just over a week ago, and we chatted why businesses need Periscope over on The Hampton Roads Creative too! Now I have a whole new reason for you to hop on the Periscope bandwagon. Chaos & Kiddos is going live! Below you’ll find the weekly Periscope schedule for August and September. I picked popular blog posts and fun topics that will give you a little peak into my home and real time access to the methods behind my madness!

I decided to formally schedule these sessions so that you can plan ahead and mark your calendars. As busy working moms, I picked a weekday evening, when hopefully most of us will have kids in bed and will be ready for a little chat to unwind with other working moms. I know the likelihood of you hopping on randomly at different times of day probably won’t happen, so the weekly Periscope schedule will help you set a routine, keep me consistent and accountable and hopefully help us all make the most of our time together.

I can’t wait!! I’ll be releasing a weekly Periscope schedule for future months too! Stay tuned and follow closely!

As a busy working mom, a little chaos just comes with the territory sometimes. Throw the idea of packing and moving your family to a new home into the mix, and it might just be the stuff of nightmares. But it doesn’t have to be! Here are some useful tips and tricks to make moving less stressful and more efficient.

Do’s and Don’ts of Moving:

DO all of the packing and labeling before moving day.

You’d be surprised how many people get stuck in the last minute rush to pack everything and move it all in one day. Make sure everything but a change of clothes is packed and ready to go.

DON’T forget to color code your boxes for each room.

Most people know to label their moving boxes but unpacking is much easier for you and your movers is your boxes are color coded according to room.

DO find free boxes at the grocery stores and online.

You can save tons of money on packing materials if you take advantage of the free packing materials at grocery stores or check online for free boxes. Craigslist’s free section is a great place to start.

DON’T forget to hire a babysitter or a pet sitter.

If your children are old enough they can be helpful throughout the process but if not, it’s better to have them secure and out of the way while you’re packing up and moving. The same goes for your pets, they tend to get underfoot of movers.

DO use packing materials you already have.

Suitcases are perfect for transporting items, especially things that are heavy or awkwardly shaped.

DON’T forget to pack an overnight bag to use on the first night.

After a long day of moving, you’re not likely to want to go through all of your boxes just yet. Pack and overnight bag with the essentials such as toiletries, a few outfits and pyjamas for use on the first night.

DO keep important documents with you.

It’s best to travel with your most important items in hand. Keep a file of important documents with you while you move so that they are less likely to get lost in the shuffle.

DON’T place small objects directly in boxes.

Keep sandwich bags handy for little pieces of electronics and label the bags specifically. These tiny pieces tend to get lost in the shuffle and can make life difficult when putting everything back together.

DO give specific tasks to any friends helping.

Make sure you plan out their specific jobs before they come over, this way they will be able to help out in the most efficient way possible.

DON’T forget to plan out a floor plan before you move.

Try to plan out where each item, especially the big ones, will go and how everything will look. This will make it easier to put things in the right place immediately upon arrival.

Do hire a removal and storage service provider.

Removal and storage are rare to find with one company. With this kind of service, you are getting a service that is not only cheaper but you’re also getting options.

Many thanks to Ross Sapir, of Roadway Moving, for offering up these helpful tips and tricks!

About Ross Sapir:

Ross Sapir is the Founder and CEO of New York City’s premiere moving and storage company; Roadway Moving. Since the inception of Roadway Moving in 2008, the company has grown from six trucks into a fully functional and full-service moving company with over 130 employees available to assist the 5,000 to 6,000 customers they serve a year. Born in Israel and raised in New York, Ross cites his company’s success to his employees, and customer service. From quote to cleanup, Ross takes personal care to ensure that each Roadway customer is treated the “Roadway Way” — enjoying a hassle and stress-free move without fail. His everlasting commitment to quality, efficiency and transparency, is the true testament behind how Roadway has become one of the leading and highest rated moving companies in Tri-State area, and the #1 moving company on Yelp.