Start a Joy Journal

write-happy-thoughts

Quick Win

Tired of focusing on life’s problems? Keep positive experiences top of mind by recording happy experiences.

Try this today

• Reflect. Jot down all the things that made you feel happy today in a journal. Or use your phone’s voice memo app to record highlights soon after they happen.
• Think small (and big). Note everyday joys, like a toddler’s laugh, the evening light or a great conversation. And be sure to include the major delights: dance parties, travel adventures, family reunions!
• Revisit. Make a habit of reading or listening to the previous days’ entries. Take some time to feel those happy feels.

Why

Homing in on threats helped early humans survive. That may explain our tendency to focus on what’s going wrong — what research psychologists call “the negativity bias.” But recording happy experiences can help you to foster a sense of gratitude and a positive outlook, which may bolster well-being. Keeping a daily gratitude journal appeared to improve well-being and reduce the effects of stress, according to a study of 58 adults in their 20s and 30s reported in 2014 in the Journal of Happiness Studies. Recognizing a positive event daily was part of a protocol shown to ease stress and depression as shown in a study of 42 people with type 2 diabetes, reported in 2014 in The Journal of Positive Psychology.