A recent large-scale study published in the Journal of American Medicine (JAMA) concluded that the overall health of mothers in the U.S. is declining, with a significant decrease in mental health in the last few years. This study included 198,417 mothers of children under the age of seventeen and examined their self reported happiness over a six-year period. Although the study did not attempt to determine the causes behind this downward trend, it is clear that mothers in the U.S. are struggling – and the professionals at Launch are here to help.

At Launch, we’re committed to focusing on mothers and supporting them in taking better care of themselves physically and emotionally, with the goal of increasing their overall happiness. Our next newsletter will focus exclusively on mothers’ health, and we’ll include an interview with a Wakefield native and local functional medicine practitioner. Stay tuned! In the meantime, YOU MATTER. As best you can, make time for the things that bring you joy and peace.

In the book, The Happiness Advantage, by Shawn Achor, he discusses using gratitude to increase happiness. He suggests that listing three things each day that you’re grateful for can boost feelings of happiness. However, they must be three new and specific things each day. Simply stating that you’re grateful for your morning coffee (however true) won’t move the needle. Instead, challenge your brain with something like:

• I’m grateful that we are finally starting this blog.
• I’m grateful that we are likely getting take-out tonight.
• I’m grateful that my daughter has a bunch of friends over (despite the mess that will result…:))

Again, you cannot use the same ideas every time – you have to work that brain, and that’s the point. We’re aiming to increase activity in the areas of the brain associated with positive emotion, and those areas need novelty. I’ve suggested to my patients that they pair this gratitude practice with exercise or anything that they do regularly. This helps establish a habit of gratitude – and the data shows that this will increase your experience of happiness. Good luck. We’re grateful for you.