Simple, but oh so effective

It turns out that spotting things that make you happy leads to spotting more things that make you happy, and keeping a ‘happiness diary’ is a simple way to get the ball rolling.

Grab a notebook or diary and a pen, pop them next to your bed, then every night note down 3 things you’ve seen that day that made you smile or think ooh that’s nice. We’re talking little things here, like (true story) when a bird flew over my head carrying a twig, a particularly sunny day after a stretch of grey skies, or a cup of tea that really was perfect. It doesn’t need to be different things every single day, just whatever comes up (watching my dog running has featured numerous times, as has ‘my teenager hugged me voluntarily!’).

Soon enough you’ll be noticing things throughout the day and making a mental note to write them down, then noticing more and more things. I like to think of it as a kind of mindfulness - you’re actively focussing for a moment on something great rather than not noticing it at all. The more you do it, the more you’ll do it.

The key is to keep doing it, every night, for at least 21 days. Yes, that’s three whole weeks, and no, you shouldn’t miss any days. If you do, well, reset your count to day 1 and keep on going. Lastly, for the first couple of weeks read back through your prior entries too, there’s a cumulative happiness effect at play here, and it really does work.