Set aside 10 minutes before you go to bed each night to write down three things that went really well that day. Next to each event answer the question, “Why did this good thing happen?”
Instead of focusing on life’s lows, which can increase the likelihood of depression, the exercise “turns your attention to the good things in life, so it changes what you attend to,” Dr. Martin E.P. Seligman said. “Consciousness is like your tongue: It swirls around in the mouth looking for a cavity, and when it finds it, you focus on it. Imagine if your tongue went looking for a beautiful, healthy tooth.” Polish it.
~ Julie Scelfo, excerpt from Get Happy: Four Well-Being Workouts (NY Times, April 5, 2017)
Photo: Pinterest
Great advice about three good things!
Agree!
Wonderful
Isn’t it though!
It is 😊
Title my latest piece 😂😂,check it out
Will do.
Love, love, love this, pal! Met Marty Seligman years ago when I was at Princeton and was so inspired by his message and approach to life…still am. I’m definitely going to incorporate this into my routine. Thx for another great share. 😉
Me too Lori. Me too.
Oh I love this. I started with 3 things and now I have much more than 3 thankful good things each day. I love the writing them down idea. This positive energy is so wonderful
It is. And this little passage made me think long and hard about my three good things. Thank you Michelle. The positive energy from your comment is on my list.
I believe this energy keeps flowing when we share it. Just like you did. If I were to share my first good thing today it was waking up and being thankful to do so. My day got better and better from there. 😊😊
Positive juju flowing flowing in all directions.
🙋🏼hooray
1. woke up early into a quiet morning
2. kinder made me a card with heart stickers at school today
3. saw happy people while walking in the park tonight
Love your three Beth. Thanks for sharing.
Such a great approach to life! Thank goodness for Seligman …. imagine if Freud was in style!!
It is such a powerful habit. Time to get on the bus.
I’ve been writing 5 things I’m grateful for before bed for years now…
It truly does change your perspective!
There you go again Dale, 5 steps ahead of all of us.
Ahhh, stop. Just thanks to Oprah and Sarah Ban Brethnach…eons ago 😉
Laughing.
That’s a very good thing!
I’m Polishing away Mr K! Haven’t had a cavity in years ha 😬😅
Ha!
Loving this, and all the responses.
Yes, right there with you Roseanne.
Yes. But EEUW on the visual! (I’ve been looking inside my mouth a lot lately).
LAUGHING!
In my mouth it would be out of luck. But, we should put emphasis on the positive. God knows the negative gets enough press.
-Alan
Smiling. So true Alan.
Smart analogy for finding positivity👍
It is….