Three Good Things (Gratitude Journaling)

What is Three Good Things (Gratitude Journaling)?

Each night, write down three good things that happened and WHY they happened. Developed by Martin Seligman, founder of positive psychology. A landmark study found participants were significantly happier and less depressed six months later — even though the exercise only lasted one week. r/DecidingToBeBetter users report it rewires the brain's negativity bias over time.

Is there evidence for it?

How do you do Three Good Things (Gratitude Journaling)?

1. 1.Each evening (ideally as part of your wind-down routine), open a dedicated journal
2. 2.Write three good things that happened today — they can be small ('good coffee') or big ('got promoted')
3. 3.For each one, write WHY it happened and YOUR role in making it happen
4. 4.The 'why' and 'your role' parts are critical — this builds an internal locus of control
5. 5.Do this for at least one continuous week, ideally ongoing
6. 6.Don't repeat the same items — force yourself to find new things each day
7. 7.On terrible days, still do it — 'I survived today' counts. The practice matters most when it's hardest.
8. 8.Physical writing (pen and paper) appears more effective than digital

How long does it take?

5-10 minutes each evening.

Is it hard to start?

Beginner.

This is one entry from the library Shift matches against. It is general information, not advice about you, and nothing on this page came from anyone's conversation.