How to Start a Gratitude Practice as a New Mom (When Everything Feels Overwhelming)

I didn’t realise how much I needed gratitude until motherhood made everything feel louder. The noise wasn’t just from crying or toys hitting the floor. It was internal too - the noise of my thoughts, my self-doubt, the endless to-do lists, and the questions I kept asking myself: Am I doing this right? Do I know what I'm doing?

What Gratitude Looks Like in Early Motherhood

The early days of motherhood were filled with love, yes, but also with a sense of disorientation I didn’t expect. I loved my baby fiercely, but I had never felt so invisible and so needed at the same time. I had never been so tired and so alert in the same breadth. I had never been so full and yet so depleted.

No one told me that in the process of becoming “Mom,” I might start to lose the quiet confidence of “me.”

And that’s where gratitude came in.

The Gentle Power of Noticing

Gratitude wasn’t new to me. I had always loved journaling and reflecting on what I was thankful for, but when I became a mother, it shifted from something I did occasionally to something I truly leaned on. It became more than just a practice; it became a grounding habit. There wasn’t a big epiphany or dramatic change. It deepened slowly, showing up in small, quiet ways. Like the day I noticed how sunlight hit the sink while I was washing bottles. Or the first time I drank my tea before it turned cold and actually tasted it. Or when my baby finally giggled after a long, cranky afternoon.

Those weren’t monumental events, but when I noticed them, they gave me something real to hold onto. Gratitude became a way to reclaim those fleeting moments before they slipped away unnoticed. It wasn’t about pretending everything was perfect. It was about finding something, however small, that reminded me I was doing great even when it didn't feel like it.

Rewiring the Way We See

When we start a gratitude practice, especially in motherhood, we're not just journaling or listing things to be polite. We’re learning to see differently. Instead of measuring the day by what didn’t get done, gratitude helps us notice what did. Instead of spiraling when everything feels out of control, it offers an anchor - a way to step back and find perspective.

There were days I wrote, “I got through the day without crying.” That was enough. Other days, it was, “I had a nice long conversation with my sister, just like we used to.” Or, “Jacob slept in his cot this afternoon.” Over time, those small notes became threads that helped me stay grounded and start leaning into this new phase.

How to Start Your Gratitude Practice Today

Here’s something important: your gratitude practice is not for show. It doesn’t need to be deep or poetic. It doesn’t need to impress anyone. It just needs to be honest.

Start your gratitude practice with one thing a day. Write it down in a journal, tap it into your phone notes, or whisper it to yourself while nursing. Some days it'll come easily, other days might feel forced. That’s okay. It’s still working. Some moms journal, others voice-note themselves on their phones. Some keep a jar with folded paper reminders ( I still do that, and it's wonderful when you find one of those notes randomly). There’s no one way. The key is to keep showing up, even if just for a minute.

Gratitude is not a magic solution, but it is a gentle guide. A pause button. A reminder that even when your world feels stretched thin, there is still beauty in the folds.

Motherhood is full of contradictions. You can be incredibly grateful for your child and still feel lost as a woman. You can love this chapter and still miss the one before.

Gratitude won’t erase those tensions, but it makes space for all your feelings to coexist. It gives you permission to celebrate without guilt and to struggle without shame.

It’s one of the kindest things you can do for yourself - to help you notice the many ways your life is full, however complex it may seem.

So whether you're a new mom, an expectant mom, a long-time mom, or rediscovering who you are beyond motherhood…
Start today. Start small. Start where you are.

Your gratitude practice isn’t about doing more. It’s about noticing what’s already there and seeing yourself in the process.

If you’re looking for a gentle place to begin, I’ve created a Gratitude Journal just for moms. It’s simple, beautiful, and made to fit into real, busy lives. No pressure. Just a space for you.

Looking for daily gratitude prompts? Check out our free resources

Subscribe to the blog or leave a comment below, and let’s build a community of moms who are learning to show up — gratefully and honestly — day by day.

You’re not alone here.

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