A Simple Daily Practice to Boost Positivity

Not every day is a good day.

Some people move on quickly.

Some take their time.

And some never quite move on.

That’s a reality many of us live with and yet, within that reality, there’s still room for something else. Not to erase the struggle. Not to deny it. But to create space alongside it.

One gentle way to do that? By noticing what’s still working, even if it’s something as small as:

“My back didn’t hurt as much today.”

Why Noticing the Good Matters

We’re wired for survival, not happiness. The brain naturally pays more attention to threats and problems this is called the negativity bias. While it once protected us from danger, today it often leaves us stuck focusing on what’s wrong, even when things are going okay.

But here's the good news: our brains are trainable.

Studies in positive psychology and neuroscience show that intentionally focusing on positive events ,even small ones, can:

• Improve emotional regulation (Fredrickson, 2001)

• Activate brain regions linked to resilience and self-control (Davidson & McEwen, 2012)

• Strengthen neural pathways for gratitude, optimism, and well-being (Fox et al., 2015)

In fact, a well-known practice from Dr. Martin Seligman (a founder of Positive Psychology) called the “Three Good Things” exercise has been shown to:

• Increase happiness

• Reduce symptoms of depression

• Improve sleep and life satisfaction(Seligman et al., 2005; Emmons & McCullough, 2003)

This is not about toxic positivity or pretending everything is fine.

It’s about creating mental balance. About being present with what’s oka, even when other things aren’t.

The “3 Bright Things” Practice

Each day, preferably in the evening, pause and ask yourself:

“What 3 things went okay or felt good today?”

They don’t have to be grand. In fact, the more ordinary, the better:

• “The house was quiet for 15 minutes.”

• “I didn’t feel rushed this morning.”

• “I got to drink my tea while it was still hot.”

This is a form of cognitive reframing, a technique used in CBT (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy) to help people shift focus from what's out of control to what’s working, however small. And with daily practice, the brain begins to expect positive moments.

It starts to look for them. Which means even hard days become just a little easier to navigate.

A Daily Mental Reset

Try reflecting on your 3 bright things each evening.Write them down. Say them out loud. Or just hold them in your mind before bed. You can even reflect on the day before if that feels easier:

“What went okay yesterday?”

This small shift can help realign your focus, not to avoid life’s challenges, but to feel more grounded as you face them. Because even on the hard days, something often still works. And noticing that may just be enough to keep you going.

References

• Fredrickson, B. L. (2001). The role of positive emotions in positive psychology: The broaden-and-build theory of positive emotions. American Psychologist, 56(3), 218–226.

• Davidson, R. J., & McEwen, B. S. (2012). Social influences on neuroplasticity: Stress and interventions to promote well-being. Nature Neuroscience, 15(5), 689–695.

• Fox, G. R., Kaplan, J., Damasio, H., & Damasio, A. (2015). Neural correlates of gratitude. Frontiers in Psychology, 6, 1491.

• Seligman, M. E. P., Steen, T. A., Park, N., & Peterson, C. (2005). Positive psychology progress: Empirical validation of interventions. American Psychologist, 60(5), 410–421.

• Emmons, R. A., & McCullough, M. E. (2003). Counting blessings versus burdens: An experimental investigation of gratitude and subjective well-being. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 84(2), 377–389.