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Want to boost your mood quickly and keep feeling happier for six months? Also, do you want to lessen depression for up to 3-6 months? Scientists have proven that writing down three positive things per day can help depressed people feel better and help happy people stay happy. (Seligman, Emmons & McCoullough Ben-Shahar ).
One study asked participants to write down “three good things” that went well, and why they went well. Participants did this for seven days. The best time to write was before bedtime each night.
Researchers found “three good things” increased well-being and lowered depression. This gratitude exercise works by changing thinking patterns from “what went wrong” to “what went right”. Click on this video to learn more from the founder of positive psychology, Dr. Martin Seligman.
Three Good Things
Also, Tal Ben-Shahar, teaches the most popular class at Harvard, positive psychology. He has kept a gratitude journal every day since 1985. He states the benefits of gratitude include: greater happiness, optimistic thinking, greater relationship success, increased health and more. Click this video to hear his thoughts without having to pay Harvard tuition.
Five Ways To Become Happier Today
Still need convincing? Happy people live longer, like the nuns in this study. The study found “positive emotional content in early-life autobiographies was strongly associated with longevity 6 decades later.” Since gratitude has so many benefits, take a few minutes to write down three positives. It’s free, easy and only takes 5 minutes.