| Introduction |
| In this exercise, we will focus on identifying and re-experiencing three positive events that happened in the past week. |
| It makes sense to analyze bad events so that we can learn from them and avoid them in the future. However, it can be easy to |
| overdo this focus on the negative, and this can be a set-up for continued anxiety and depression. One way to keep this from |
| happening is to develop our ability to think about the good in life. |
| Most of us are not nearly as good at savoring and appreciating good events as we are at analyzing bad events, so |
| this is a skill that needs practice. As you become better at focusing on the good in your life, it may become easier to feel |
| even more grateful for what you have and more hopeful about the future. |
| The following exercise will ask you to identify three good things in your life that occurred in the past week. These positive |
| events may have gone unnoticed in the difficulties and chaos of the past week. However, by looking back carefully and |
| specifically for good things that may have happened, you may be surprised to find that there were small (or even large) |
| positive events and blessings to be counted. |
| This is a skill that takes practice, and after this exercise we will encourage you to keep working to “bookmark” and identify |
| positive events. As a positive event happens, stop for a moment and allow yourself to experience it. Maintaining this |
| focus on the present—being “mindful” of each moment—can really make a big difference. By working to stay present and aware |
| of what is happening right now, you may find it much easier to appreciate a good thing that is happening—and easier to get |
| out of a cycle of sadness, resentment, or disappointment. Life can feel richer, brighter, and more interesting as you get |
| practice identifying and savoring good events. |
| As you get skilled at focusing your attention on pleasant moments that happen during the day—a kind gesture |
| from someone, a greatly-appreciated visit, good news about family or friends—you may even find it much easier to |
| use these skills once the good things in your life are more obvious. |
| Instructions |
| Take 10–15 minutes to complete this exercise. Use this time to write down three things that went well this week. Use the |
| space below to write about the events—it is important that you have a physical record of what you wrote. The things you |
| list can be relatively small in importance (“I enjoyed my lunch today”) or relatively large in importance (“My sister gave |
| birth to a healthy baby boy”). |
| As you write, follow these instructions: |
| () Give the event a title (e.g., “sister remembered my birthday”) |
| () Write down exactly what happened in as much detail as possible, including what you did or said, and if other people |
| were involved, what they did or said. |
| () Record how this event made you feel at the time. Use the most specific positive emotional words to describe how you |
| felt: Joy? Satisfaction? Relief? |
| () Record how this event made you feel now as you remember it. |
| Some important tips: |
| The goal of the exercise is to remember the good event and then enjoy the good emotions that come with it. Don’t analyze |
| the event itself in too much detail—the important thing here is being able to: (a) experience and savor the positive emotion, |
| and then (b) name and describe that positive feeling (like joy, pride, relief, or contentment) as specifically as |
| possible—not just that you felt “good.” |
| To help you describe the good feelings you experienced, refer to the list of Ten Positive Emotions. If you find yourself |
| focusing on negative feelings, turn your mind away from the negative thought. Instead, put your focus back on the good |
| event and the positive feelings that came along with it. This can take effort, and you may have to bring your focus back |
| again and again. But with continued practice this gets easier and can make a real difference in how you feel. |
