Happiness in 3... 2... 1

Several years ago, over a shared steak dinner at a local restaurant, a friend and I talked about all kinds of things ranging from physics to depression. I happened to share this little exercise I use regularly at work called Daily 3-2-1 (full disclosure, I learned it from Dr. Caroline Danda). My friend later told me that she found it to be so transformative that she gave all of her family members 3-2-1 journals for Christmas. I hope it’s that helpful for you, too.

This exercise is structured in a way to directly counter depressive thinking, which tends to be overly negative about yourself, the world, and the future. You don’t have to be depressed to benefit from it, though. Gratitude practices like this one can increase happiness and can help train you to notice more of the positives in your day-to-day. Just keep in mind that this seemingly simple exercise can be a real challenge on days when you’re feeling down or days that really seemed to suck. Do it anyways! Especially on those days.