Three Good Things
“Reflect upon your present blessings, of which every man has many; not on your former misfortunes, of which all men have some.”
For sound evolutionary reasons our brains are wired up to focus on dangers and threats rather than on good events. As a result, we pay too much attention to what goes wrong and not enough to what goes right in our lives. This can have a negative effect upon our mood and sense of well-being. So to help our minds avoid negative extremes we need to practice the skill of noticing What Went Well.
Every night for the next 3 weeks, set aside ten minutes before you go to sleep. Write down three things that went well today.
The three things don't need to be hugely important. They could be happy everyday moments, or a piece of good news, large or small, or something you accomplished, or enjoyed, alone or with others.
Writing down three positive events in your day may seem strange at first, but please stick with it for one week. It will get easier. As you spend more time “counting your blessings”, the odds are that you will be feeling happier, and more positive as a result. You may even choose to continue the exercise for longer than one week.
Adapted from “Flourish – A new Understanding of Happiness and Well-being” by Martin Seligman
