Is Happiness for Moms a Myth: The Hidden Truth

What If Happiness for Moms Isn’t Waiting in the Next Milestone?

• …the baby sleeps through Is Happiness for Moms a Myth: The Hidden Truth night.
• …my jeans finally fit again.
• …we have just a little more money.
• …the kids stop fighting for five minutes.
• …the house looks like those Pinterest-perfect photos I keep saving.

If you’ve said something like this, you’re not alone. Most of us moms have been there. We convince ourselves that joy lives just beyond the next milestone—that once things calm down or line up, we’ll finally get to breathe.

But here’s the truth: those finish lines keep moving. The baby eventually sleeps, but then comes teething, tantrums, or teenage drama. The house gets cleaned, but the mess returns by dinner. The “when” never actually stays put.

It’s like running on a treadmill—you’re sweating, exhausted, and putting in all the work, but you never actually arrive.

I remember standing in my kitchen one night, dishes piled high, telling myself, “Once the kids are in bed and the house is quiet, I’ll finally feel better.” But when the quiet came, I didn’t feel relief, instead I just felt tired.

That’s when it hit me: happiness can’t keep living in the next moment. Living fully in the moment enhances happiness for moms.

And it has to live here, even if the counters are sticky and the laundry’s not done.

And that’s why happiness for moms so often feels just out of reach.

But what if it isn’t? What if happiness isn’t waiting on the other side of perfection—it’s closer than you think?

The Trap of “I’ll Be Happy When”

The problem with chasing milestones is that the goalpost always moves. You hit one target, and another one comes up before you even realize it.

I’ll be happy when we finally get the bigger house.
Suddenly, it’s: I’ll be happy when we can afford the upgrades.

Understanding happiness for moms is essential for their wellbeing.

Many believe that happiness for moms can be achieved through self-care and intentional moments.

I’ll be happy when I lose ten pounds.
Then it becomes: I’ll be happy when I tone my arms too.

Prioritizing happiness for moms can transform daily challenges into celebrations.

You cross one finish line, and another appears. It’s exhausting, and deep down, most of us know it’s unsustainable.

But what if we don’t know what else to do?

We’ve been conditioned to believe joy comes as a reward for effort, sacrifice, or achievement.

Moms often overlook their own happiness for moms in favor of others’ needs.

Reclaiming happiness for moms means recognizing what truly matters to them.

Every mom deserves to embrace happiness for moms, regardless of the chaos around them.

But happiness isn’t a prize you earn. It’s something you allow yourself to feel, even when things are messy, unfinished, or imperfect.

It's a choice.

Here are some things I believe about motherhood.

• Real happiness for moms comes from appreciating the little things.
• Every mom deserves a moment of happiness for moms to recharge.
• The journey toward happiness for moms is always changing. Our happiness when our kids are little to when they are teenagers is completely different.

Here's a journal prompt I want you to use, right now. Where in your life are you postponing happiness until a milestone arrives?

Step One: THINK – Remember What Matters

The first step to reclaiming yourself is to pause and notice what’s going on in your head. Moms carry so much invisible weight; the mental load of grocery lists, appointments, school forms, family drama, endless laundry, and unspoken guilt.

These thoughts can drown out your own voice. You start forgetting what actually matters to you.

For me, it used to be the school forms. I’d go to bed thinking about all the forms I had to fill out for my 3 kids, then wake up already behind in my head.

Those thoughts made it almost impossible to enjoy the excitement my kids had about starting school.

This is where the THINK step of the THREEE framework comes in. It’s about sorting through the clutter in your head so you can hear yourself again.

Here’s a simple way to start:

1. Grab a notebook.
2. Write down everything that’s on your mind—tasks, worries, dreams, frustrations. Don’t filter.
3. Circle three things that actually light you up or feel most important.

Writing about happiness for moms helps clarify their personal journeys.

That’s your starting point. Not the “shoulds.” Not the comparisons. Just the things that matter to you.

Quick Practice: Write down three things that make you feel most like yourself.

This may sound small, but it’s the first step toward remembering who you are under the noise.

Step Two: HONOR – Your Needs Deserve Space

Once you’ve identified what matters to you, the next step is HONOR. This one is tough for moms, because we’ve been trained to put ourselves last.

But here’s the truth: needing time for yourself doesn’t make you selfish. It makes you human. You can’t pour from an empty cup, and constantly ignoring your needs only builds resentment.

Honoring yourself can look like:

Finding happiness for moms requires constant reflection and self-discovery.

• Saying “no” to the committee that drains your energy.
• Setting a boundary around bedtime so you can actually rest.
• Allowing yourself twenty minutes to journal without guilt.
• Buying the moisturizer you love; not because it’s “practical,” but because it makes you feel good.

Happiness grows when you stop waiting for permission and start giving yourself what you need.

Journal Prompt for You: What’s one small need I’ve been ignoring that deserves my attention?

And remember: honoring yourself doesn’t mean overhauling your life overnight. I like to light a candle while I'm folding laundry. And sometimes I walk away from a pile of dishes for ten minutes so I can read a chapter of my book.

Step Three: RESET – Small Shifts That Bring Joy Back

We all hit points when our days feel heavy or off. That’s when the RESET step matters. Resetting isn’t about burning it all down—it’s about doing tiny things that bring you back to yourself.

You don’t need a new house, new job, or new body to feel good. Having small routines that work right now is all you need.

Here are a few micro-routines you can try today:

• Clear just one counter before bed so your space feels lighter.
• Do a three-word journal check-in: “Right now I feel…”
• Swap five minutes of scrolling for five minutes of stretching.
• Write down one thing you’re grateful for and one thing you’re ready to let go of.

Tiny shifts matter because they stack up. Happiness doesn’t arrive in one grand gesture—it shows up in these small daily routines.

Right before I started supper the other night, I wanted to clean my whole desk. Instead, I only cleared a corner, and doing that little patch of space made me able to cook dinner.

I could check cleaning my desk off my list Small really is enough.

Journal Prompt for You: If I gave myself a fresh start tomorrow, what would it look like?

Small shifts can lead to greater happiness for moms in their everyday lives.

Understanding happiness for moms is about making intentional choices.

Every effort counts toward finding happiness for moms in the small moments.

If you love journal prompts and want more, please join my private Facebook Group. I have new journal prompts every week.

Living the Journey Now

Here’s something I’ve learned from watching older generations of women—happiness isn’t about the stuff you own or how perfect you look.

Some of the most content women I’ve met had very little, yet their joy was contagious. Others had everything money could buy, but they still had regrets and compared themselves to everyone else.

Finding happiness for moms is a continuous journey, not a destination.

The difference wasn’t their circumstances—it was their perspective.

The happiest moms I know laugh at daily missteps, stay curious, and let themselves celebrate small wins. They don’t wait until life is perfect to feel good. They live the journey now.

And isn’t that what we want? To feel lighter, freer, more present with the people we love?

Quick Practice: Write down three small wins from today—even if they feel tiny.

My wins for today are:

• Planning a 3 week sprint to get my closer to my goals
• Watching the football game with my husband
• Enjoying the cool breeze and bright sunshine as I write this blog post.

Now that my kids are older, I see so clearly that the happiest moments weren’t the perfect ones. They were the snuggles with my boys, the bookstore trips with my daughter, or pizza night on Fridays.

Those are the memories that stuck—the ones where joy showed up in the ordinary.

You’ve Got This, Right Where You Are

Happiness for moms isn’t waiting on the other side of a clean house or a smaller jean size. It’s not in a milestone birthday, a promotion, or the perfect vacation.

Happiness for moms lives in the everyday:

• The belly laugh over a family joke.
• The pause to sip coffee before the day explodes.
• Writing one page in your journal that reminds you who you are

If I could go back and tell my younger self anything, it would be this: stop waiting for life to be perfect before you feel happy.

Embracing imperfections is key to achieving happiness for moms.

Pick up your journal and pen, take that time for yourself, laugh at the mess. Happiness is already in your hands, you just have to let yourself notice it.

I'm going to nerd out with this quote by J.K. Rowling.

So grab your pen, take five quiet minutes, and remind yourself: I am allowed to remember who I am right now.

You’re worthy simply because you’re here. And I am so, so proud of you.

Pin Now, Read Later