12 happiness tips for special needs moms. Increase happiness and fulfillment as a special needs mom with these 12 tips. I am also giving away 2 copies of The Happiness Project by Grethen Rubin. (Details and entry below.)
12 Happiness Tips for Special Needs Moms
Special needs moms, one of my biggest goals on this site, is to help you increase your happiness as a special needs mom. I want to show you that your child’s diagnosis is not the end of your family journey, but only the beginning. Sometimes, certain situations will be very confusing and difficult, you may also be functioning on very little sleep, but there is also so much joy waiting for you. You just need to claim it.
In honor of special needs moms everywhere, I am sharing 12 happiness tips for special needs moms with you today!
1. Reconnect with who you were before becoming a mom. What did you love to do? How did you spend your time? Did you love painting, taking photos, journaling, watching movies? Take one hour – alone – and go do your preferred activity.
2. Have a sacred space that is yours in your home. In my home, this place is my office. I decorate it, I change the decoration, I light candles and more. I love being in here. This space is full of positivity, fantastic energy and joy. Choose a spot for yourself – no matter how small – and make it your own. Have a signature scent for your space, burn a candle, decorate in a way that you love, use beautiful textures and fabrics to create the space that is perfect for you.
3. Make a gratitude list. I am a huge proponent of having a gratitude practice. I personally take time in the morning before opening my center to sit in a coffee shop and write in my gratitude journal. I know it’s hard to find time to sit alone and do this, but the results are really worth it. When I sit down with my gratitude journal and write for one hour before opening my center and welcoming the children, I feel high on life. My soul is soaring, my heart is bursting and I just feel really full of life and happiness which helps me be ready to guide families and children all day. Some ideas to get you started? Write down the basics. Look around your home and write down everything you love. This could be that you have a home, that there is running water, that you have food in the fridge, that you love the paint color in your living room, that you love hearing your child laugh in his or her bedroom, that you love sleeping next to your husband… It can be anything and everything. I promise you will tap into a happiness resource that you may not have accessed for a while.
4. Take some time to sit down and read a great book. I love to read. I love blogs and online information but I also love the beautiful scent of a book, holding it in my hands and reading it while I drink a cup of tea. These are my favorite self-help books for women, choose one now. You’ll be happy you did!
5. Go back to your gratitude list or journal and this time I want you to write down every single thing you love about yourself. Sometimes, as a mom and a woman and especially as a special needs mom, the person you are, what you love and what you desire, can get pushed down to the bottom of your list of priorities. I admire everything you do for your child and your whole family, but I am willing to bet that you are an amazing person on your own. You have passions, you have talents, you are beautiful and you are an amazing woman. Please sit down and write down every single thing you love about the fabulous person that YOU are!
6. Hug your child and accept him or her for who he or she is at this moment. Take away your expections for who they will become – just for today – and just love what they are doing right now. It is amazing that you have hopes and dreams for your child and do everything to help your child progress, but sometimes, in the name of happiness it is important to love exactly where they are in this moment.
7. Buy yourself flowers. There is something about having flowers in my home that makes me burst with happiness. Do you love having flowers in your home too? I suggest buying yourself flowers on a regular basis. Make sure you display them in beautiful ways!
8. Share a fun activity with your child. If your little one loves cooking, make a simple recipe together. If he or she loves playing with playdough, try a fun playdough stamping activity to elevate your happiness. Go to the playground, sit in the sandbox, watch a movie…
9. Organize a field trip with your little one and keep a field trip journal together. You probably know by now how much I love journaling. I have personally kept a journal since I first started to write. I love writing down my experiences, documenting what I love in my life right now and processing my emotions through my writing. It is so fun to share your journaling practice with your child. Plan a fun experience, such as a visit to The Natural History Museum in Paris (with corresponding treasure hunt printable), and come home and write about it. If this is too hard for your child, just snap some pictures, print them out and have fun gluing them into a journal with your child.
10. Treat yourself to a spa at home. Ask your husband to watch your kids and create a spa atmosphere in your bathroom. Light a calming candle (my favorite scents are lavender and jasmine), wash your hair, take a bath, exfoliate your face and just focus on loving yourself.
11. Learn something new. I feel happiest when I am learning something new. We have been given this amazing opportunity to live. Isn’t that amazing when you think about it? We never need to stop learning. I think that some of the happiest people have declared themselves lifelong learners. Read a book on a topic that makes you feel inspired, take a pottery class, learn to danse the tango. The sole goal here is to have fun while learning something new. What will you learn today?
12. Track progress and growth. Think back on your child, your family, yourself? List as many things as you can think of that describe the progress you have made. What have you taught your child this year? What have you and your husband been through that made you happier than ever? What have you learned in your job over the past year?
Special needs moms, you are beautiful and I admire you with such a full heart. I hope that you will be spoiled and loved every day with extra spoiling and loving this Mother’s Day!
More Autism Parenting Resources
- Explaining Autism to Siblings
- Free Autism Resources
- Relaxation Strategies
- Self-Care Rituals for Everyone Who Cares for Someone with Autism
- Coping Strategies (my best strategies for coping with stress as an autism mom)
- Autism Mom Burnout (what it is and 5 tips to avoid it!)
- Work From Home Jobs
- How to Feel Awake After Little Sleep
- Best Self-Help Books for Women
More Autism Resources
- The Successful Interaction with a Child with Autism Course – learn to better understand your autistic child or students with this complete course.
- Autism Activities Workbook Bundle – build communication skills, fine motor skills, sensory play skills and daily living skills, while helping your child or students to successfully manage any difficult behaviors, with these fun, educational, printable activities.
- Sensory Communication Workbook – Build communication skills with simple sensory activities.
- How to Make a Communication Binder Guide & Workbook – Learn how to create a Communication Binder for your child or student with autism using real photos. Follow my expert guide to learn how to use it to increase communication skills.
- Zoo Animals Play Dough Mats Bundle – use these printable play dough mat to work on the names of the animals, build language skills, and increase fine motor strength and precision in a fun, sensory way!
12 Happiness Tips for Special Needs Moms
Which one of these 12 happiness tips for special needs moms are you going to act on today? Do you have your own tips to add to this list? Add them in the comments below.
Pin for later!
You must be logged in to post a comment.