People have a natural tendency to focus on what goes wrong instead of all the stuff that goes right. This way of thinking helped our earliest ancestors stay alive and ensure our survival, but it doesn’t exactly make us happy today.
That’s why we have to level up on positive events and allow them to influence our mood for the better. Here’s how to do it:
- Plan a set time every day when you will dedicate a few minutes to thinking about what went well.
- Write down at least three things that went well. They can be small, seemingly unimportant things or big events.
- Focus on why they happened—or what contributed to the positive events—and write that down too.
- Savor the good feelings you get from recounting what went well and remember them whenever you need to give yourself a mood boost.
When done regularly, this exercise can help you feel more positive about your life.