Three good things (what went well)

Each night, write down three things that went well and why they went well.

Why it works

Attention is biased toward threat and what’s wrong; deliberately recalling what went well retrains it toward the positive that’s already present. Writing the "why" matters because it pushes you to identify your own role and the controllable causes, building a sense of agency alongside the gratitude. Done nightly, it gradually shifts the default scan of the day.

How to do it

1. Each night, write three things that went well that day — small ones count.
2. For each, write why it happened, including any part you played.
3. Keep it up for at least a week; the benefit comes from the repeated reframe.

Evidence

Three good things is among the most replicated positive-psychology exercises, with randomized trials finding it can increase happiness and reduce depressive symptoms for months after a one-week practice. (rct)

Effect sizes are modest and tend to be larger for people who keep doing it; benefits fade if the practice stops.

Common mistake

Listing the events but skipping the "why," which turns it into a bland diary entry and drops the agency-building part that drives much of the effect.