Imagine wanting something so badly you are willing to sacrifice everything for it — your bank account, your relationships, your sanity — and never knowing if your efforts will ever pay off.
If you’re reading this, chances are you don’t have to imagine it. Because you are living it.
You know firsthand that infertility sucks big time.
You know how painful each month can be. Yet you also believe you should be stronger, you should be able to handle the wait without falling apart, and you should stay positive and not stress.
But how?
For eight years I struggled to become a Mom. I changed my diet, I changed my lifestyle, my beauty products, my kitchen.
We tried adopting. We tried letting go. We tried everything.
At around the five year mark, I felt as if I had hit rock bottom. I was fatigued, depressed and stressed beyond belief. My friends and family did not understand the level of emotional pain I was in, which made me feel even worse about myself. I felt like I was drowning and no one knew which life preserver to give me.
It wasn’t until things got so awful that I started praying for a tool. I was desperate. I kept saying, “I just want a tool, something that will help me cope so I can feel normal again.”
My prayers were answered when I was introduced to a gratitude practice by a holistic health coach. Once I started focusing on gratitude in a meaningful way, everything changed for me.
I went from trying, to living, and from living to thriving.
Three years later I gave birth to a beautiful, healthy boy.
As an infertility survivor — and gratitude thriver — I can say with absolute certainty that the most important thing I did for myself, and my family, was to practice gratitude daily.
You see, once you start following this new protocol things begin to shift for you on a mind-body-spirit level.
In addition to keeping you in a positive mindset by reprogramming your brain to see all the good things in life more easily, practicing gratitude has been scientifically proven to activate certain physiological changes in the body that keep you healthy and happy.
Practicing gratitude regularly has been found to:
- lower the stress hormone cortisol by 23%. Too much of this hormone can wreak havoc on your body, not to mention your fertility.
- increase DHEA, known as the anti-aging hormone, which is essential to hormonal health
- increase your immune response, preventing colds and flu, which can derail your attempts to get pregnant
- release neurotransmitters in the brain that help regulate sleep, mood, appetite and other body functions
“Vitamin G,” as I like to call it, can be instrumental in helping you handle the stress of infertility so you can become the happy Mom you’ve always wanted to be.
To practice Vitamin G, simply get a separate notebook or journal and write down 3–5 things you are grateful for each day. Try to focus on the feeling you get when you think about the things on your list. This is especially important as it allows those physiological changes to take effect.
Find a consistent time each day to practice. First thing in the morning will set a positive tone for the day, while practicing right before bed will bring sweeter dreams.
Keep your journal right by your bedside, or somewhere you are sure to see it. If you choose to practice on your phone, set a reminder so you don’t forget.
The best part about Vitamin G, (aside from it costing virtually nothing and being truly life changing), is that it should only take you 5 minutes a day to complete!
My son is turning four in a few months. Every night before dinner, he reminds us to say what we are grateful for. While my journey wasn’t easy, it allowed me to discover gratitude in a way I had never known before. Vitamin G not only helped me cope while I was waiting to become a Mom, it improved my wellbeing and has made me a better Mom. I am stronger, more resilient and better able to handle life’s ups and downs—a skill I plan to pass on to my child.
Whether you’ve been trying for a while, or just beginning your journey, Vitamin G will help you enjoy today, tomorrow and every minute of your future child’s life more than you’ve ever imagined.
But don’t take my word for it. Start now. Grab a journal or download the Gratitude To Bliss app from iTunes or GooglePlay. You’ll be so grateful you did!
Originally published at medium.com