Frequency | Repeated Text | Repetition Duration Text | Duration | Modality | Video/Audio |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Daily | Yes | 1 Week | 10 Minutes |
Three Good Things
People write down three things that went well and why they went well each night daily for a week. (brief summary of the How to Do it content on ggia)
Reasoning
By giving people the space to focus on the positive, this practice encourages people to notice, remember, and reflect upon the details associated with goodness in life. It prompts people to pay closer attention to positive events which may lead to engaging in them more fully—both in the moment and later on. Reflecting on the circumstances tied to good events may help people appreciate the many sources of goodness in life, which can increase the availability and salience of information linked to positive feelings in day-to-day awareness.
Procedure
Each day for at least one week, participants will write down three things that went well for them that day, and provide an explanation for why they went well. These events can be small, everyday events or more important milestones. For each of the three things, participants would follow the following steps: 1. Give the event a title (e.g., “I received a compliment on something I've been working hard on”).Write down exactly what happened in as much detail as possible, including where they were, what they did or said, and, whether other people were involved, including what they did or said.Write about how this event made them feel at the time as well as how thinking about this event makes them feel now. Explain what they think the causes of this event were—why it happened, and what they gained from it..
Primary Citation & Study Summary:
Seligman, M. E., Steen, T. A., Park, N., & Peterson, C. (2005). Positive psychology progress: Empirical validation of interventions. American Psychologist, 60(5), 410.
Visitors to a website received instructions for performing Three Good Things. They showed increased happiness immediately afterward, as well as one week, one month, three months, and six months later.
Populations Studied
Participants in the above study were mostly white Americans with postsecondary education and average income or above. Additional research has engaged members of other groups:
Israeli adults showed less pessimism and reduced negative emotions one month after doing Three Good Things for five minutes daily across six days.
Indian adolescents reported greater well-being after doing the exercise daily for one week.
Kenyan teens in a Nairobi slum improved in anxiety, depression, and perceived social support through a community-based program that included one week of Three Good Things.
Many different groups of people in China, including school teachers, nurses, methadone users, male prisoners, and cervical cancer patients, have been found to benefit from Three Good Things.
More research is needed to explore whether, and how, the impact of this practice extends to other groups and cultures.
Last Updated: July 12, 2023
More Evidence
Bahník, Š., Vranka, M., & Dlouhá, J. (2015). X good things in life: Processing fluency effects in the “Three good things in life” exercise. Journal of Research in Personality, 55, 91–97.
Baumsteiger, R., Mangan, S, Bronk, K.C. & Bono, G. (2019). An integrative intervention for cultivating gratitude among adolescents and young adults. The Journal of Positive Psychology, 14(6), 807–819.