November 2021 - Gratitude [Three Good Things]
In the past, I resisted cultivating a gratitude practice because it felt forced and contrived. I have since come full circle and am now a true believer in its value because of the science. In his book, The Happiness Advantage, Shawn Achor references several studies finding that people doing a daily gratitude practice like naming "three good things" improved their happiness and decreased feelings of depression.*
He equates this practice to training your mind to look for positives (consciously and not) instead of scanning for problems or issues, as our minds are evolutionarily conditioned to do as a survival strategy. My invitation to you is to give this daily practice a try, either in writing or with loved ones, and see if it makes a difference in your life, too.
