The 3 good things exercise: how to do it, and why it works
5 min read · Sources at the bottom
Each evening, write down 3 things that went well today, and why. Do it for at least a week. In a well-known study, people who did this felt happier and less low for up to six months.
How to do it
- Pick a fixed moment, like just before bed.
- Write down 3 things that went well today, big or small.
- For each one, add a line on why it happened.
- Keep going for 7 days, then notice how you feel.
What the research says
The exercise comes from a 2005 study by Martin Seligman, Tracy Steen, Nansook Park and Christopher Peterson, published in American Psychologist. Several hundred adults were randomly given one of five short online exercises, or a placebo exercise of writing about early memories. One group wrote down 3 things that went well each day, and what caused them, for one week.
Right after the week, that group didn't look very different from the placebo group. But over the following months the gap grew: at the one, three and six month check-ins they reported more happiness and fewer symptoms of depression. The people who did best were the ones who kept doing the exercise on their own after the week was over.
Later studies have tested the same exercise in other groups, with mostly positive but more modest results, and some found that part of the effect comes simply from doing something kind for yourself each day. It isn't a cure for depression, and if you're struggling, talking to a doctor or therapist matters more. As a small daily habit to notice what goes right, it's one of the best studied there is.
Stuck? Try one of these
- Someone who made today easier
- A small thing you noticed outside
- Something your body let you do
- A problem that turned out smaller than you feared
- Something you're looking forward to
Questions
Is it the same as a gratitude journal?
Close. A gratitude journal can be anything you're thankful for. The 3 good things exercise is more specific: things that went well today, with a line on why. That small “why” makes you notice your own part in good days, and it keeps the list from turning into the same three things every night.
Morning or evening?
The study asked people to write in the evening, looking back on the day, and that's when most people find it easiest. What matters more is picking one fixed moment, so it becomes a habit rather than a decision.
Does it work for kids?
Many families do a spoken version at dinner or bedtime: everyone names 3 good things. Studies with school children have used similar gratitude exercises, though the research is thinner than for adults. Keep it light, and let small things count.
What if I can't think of anything?
Small counts. A warm shower, a song you liked, a message from a friend. On a hard day, one honest good thing is better than three forced ones.
Sources: 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. · Greater Good Science Center, UC Berkeley, Three Good Things.