Skip to main content

Write down 5 things

Image
By
For 28 days I took 5-10 mins each night to write down 5 things that day that I was grateful for.


Why did I do this?

This was my assignment for the Science of Well-being course that I did online. The science shows that money and stuff usually don't increase our happiness. Often when they do it's only by tiny amounts.

On the other hand, 40% of our happiness comes from our thoughts and actions (see the 13 happiness hacks). A gratitude journal is one of those actions.

Assignments are great

That's not normally a phrase students say. But when I know I need to write down 5 things at the end of the day, I operate differently.
  • I look out for experiences to savour - one day I stopped at the corner to savour the sound of the birds singing.
  • I look to connect with people socially - even for us introverts, social connection does increase happiness.
  • I look for activities that use my signature strengths.

Rear-view mirror

Apart from seeking positive experiences, the recording also increases well-being. It's harder to be down in the dumps after spending 5-10 minutes thinking about multiple things you're grateful for. I'd record my 5 things just before bed. I hoped that with grateful thoughts being the last of the day, I'd get to sleep sooner and sleep better. Good and long sleep also increases happiness.

140 positive experiences

If someone told you'd have 140 positive experiences this month, that would be good news.

After writing 5 items a day in my notepad, 140 items of gratitude is precisely what I had by day 28. Does this happen all the time - and we just don't notice or savour it? Or was it because I took actions to make sure I'd have positive things to jot down each night?

Either way I now had a list of things that bring me joy.

What am I grateful for?

Of the 140 items, the top item was time with people. Yes, surprising for an introvert. The key is that mostly the number of other people was 1 or 2 - not a crowd.

The equal top item was food. My wife makes great food, but during the assignment I took extra time to savour it - rather than choofing it down, almost subconsciously, while we watch TV.

Like Scott Rieckens and his wife, I also found that the bulk of my items were free or barely cost anything. I did an escape room with my wife and her sister (we got out with 2 mins to spare) and went to a Caribbean restaurant with my wife. Other than those I don't think anything on my grateful list cost anything more than a bus fare.

Conversely, the affluence that does bring joy is time affluence - as mentioned in the course. A number of my 140 items were gratitude for the time to do an activity (including this blog). It really does seem that the time can give me more happiness than extra money can.

Am I happier?

I measured my happiness at the start and end of the course using two psychological surveys. Over the length of the course my happiness increased by 10% and my well-being increase by 8%.

Related articles

The Science of Wellbeing course
Why we're not happy with things
Ways to increase happiness
Read more about:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Less Clutter More Cash - now available

By
Do you feel like you have too much stuff? Is your home full of things you never use? Would you like to swap them for cash? We did My wife and I have sold more than 550 items online as we downsize and we've learnt a bit along the way. I've put some of our best tips into this handy ebook. I hope you can use these tips so you too can have less clutter and more cash. Enter your email address below to receive the book for free. Less Clutter More Cash Get my new ebook for free. PS. This will subscribe to the But Wait There's Less email list, so you'll know when the new updated version of the book is available. You can unsubscribe at any time.
Post a Comment
Read more

Inheriting Clutter

By
This book stood out on the library shelf. Massive clutter can create anxiety at any time, let alone when it has to be dealt with during one of the toughest points of life. Author Julie Hall deals with estates for a living. Her book covers the nitty-gritty of dealing with all that stuff. It also covers caring for parents while they are here and what to do to make life easier for them, your siblings and you. Parent Logic We may wonder why parents keep so much stuff. Julie explains that our parents (having grown up in a different time) have their reasons. Often they had to 'go without' as kids and so don't want to 'go without' again. Sometimes they think items will become valuable with age.  Also there's the thought "the more I leave the kids the more they will have" . This is obviously mathematically true - but whether that's a good thing is questionable. Ironically, this admirable quality of aversion to waste often ends up causing waste. Items get s...
Post a Comment
Read more

Monopoly, money and you

By
One of the most well-known board games can also be a great way to learn about money and investing - according to this book. Perhaps one way to teach kids (and maybe ourselves) about finance is to play a board game. In so many ways, the game parallels our own financial life - and we can practice financial decision-making without losing any real money. Is monopoly like life? Yes and no. We manage our cash, negotiate, make deals, make choices, go through tough times, make investments, pay tax and reap rewards. To do well we have to make investments. It's very hard to win just by collecting $200 each time you pass go. There are rules, and wise moves. The better we know them, the better we do. However, in real life, you can win without forcing others into bankruptcy. Principles that work in the game and life Diversify. You might have hotels on the two most expensive properties on the board, but if no-one lands on them, you still might lose. Investments have a price and a value. They are...
Post a Comment
Read more