Positive psychology

Three Good Things is a sample activity for the Positive psychology chapter.

Title

Three Good Things (TGT)

Area

the emotions
the mind and beliefs
the universe

Methodology

Positive Psychology

Aim of the activity

The exercise “Three Good Things” also known as “Three Blessings” is intended to increase happiness and enhance wellbeing.

Target group

parents
the adult educators
parents with kids

Duration

5 min

Description

METHOD:

  • This exercise is to be done every night before going to sleep.
  • You can use either a special notebook exclusively for this purpose or a relevant mobile/computer app
  • Duration: 5 minutes + (it depends on how much time the person chooses to dedicate in their reflection)

STEP 1: Think of three good things that happened in your day

STEP 2: Write (or type) them down

STEP 3: Reflect on why they happened

NOTES:

Useful Points:

  1. Writing them down is recommended since it improves the sense of mindful reflection and recalling of the memory. However many people nowadays might prefer a mobile app which is also appropriate (better than nothing) as long as you give enough time and space for reflection.
  2. Focusing on your own reaction, action, initiation or any kind of involvement when it comes to the occurrence is vital, as it adds to your sense of control and how wellbeing and/or a positive attitude more often than not is a choice.
  3. Timing is essential. It is important to start strong each morning and close the day with a positive note each evening.
  4. Moreover, repetition is vital; it needs to be done every day for at least a week or once a week for six months to start seeing results.

Suggested Themes:

  • Meaningful use of your time
  • Something good that happened at your work/home/school today
  • Positive interactions with others
  • An act of kindness or generosity you received or did
  • What brought a smile to your face?
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Reflection

Originally developed by Dr. Martin Seligman (2012), the activity is a scientifically proven, powerful and effective method to redirect attention from the negative bias to a more positive mind-set.
Human beings unevenly spend much more time pondering negative experiences than positive ones. As a part of human evolution, when something seems to go wrong, humans tend to preoccupy their mental capacity in order to find solutions to any given challenge.
In the past, there may have been an evolutionary advantage to this way of thinking and it seems to be innate. Alas, for the contemporary era, this negative predisposition is mainly a source of excessive anxiety, depression, emotional disturbance, and general lack of wellbeing and mental clarity.

Three Good Things exercise is a form of end-of-the-day journaling exercise that will help shed a different and more positive light in recalling the events of the day. It prompts the individuals to mindfully cultivate gratitude, increase optimism and boost happiness within just one week of practice.

Source

For more you can also follow the link provided below to watch the video, Dr. Martin Seligman describes the purpose and effects of TGT exercise: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RT2vKMyIQwc

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