Using well-being as an antidote to proactively and consistently combat stress and negativity

Well-being (or flourishing) is not simply the absence of ill-being or mental illness, just as good health is not merely the absence of disease. It’s something we actively cultivate.

In today’s world, it’s easy to assume that once stress decreases or problems are solved, well-being will naturally follow. But research tells us something different: flourishing doesn’t happen by default. It happens through intentional practices that strengthen how we think, interpret experiences, and relate to our lives.

One challenge is that the human brain has a natural tendency to focus on threats, problems, and what’s going wrong. This negativity bias once served an important evolutionary purpose, but in modern life it often dominates our attention—especially amid constant information, demands, and external pressures.

As a result, many people find themselves asking:

“Is it even possible to become a more positive, hopeful person?”

The answer is yes—and science backs it up.

Research in positive psychology shows that by deliberately focusing on positive experiences and outcomes, people can increase happiness, optimism, and overall well-being. These changes are not fleeting; they can meaningfully shift a person’s baseline level of happiness over time.

One of the most effective ways to do this is by intentionally training the brain to notice and savor what’s going well—rather than leaving our attention on autopilot.

The Power of “Three Good Things”

The “Three Good Things” exercise is a scientifically validated practice developed at the University of Pennsylvania by world-renowned psychologist Dr. Martin Seligman, a founder of positive psychology.

This simple intervention helps shift a glass-half-empty mindset to a glass-half-full perspective by actively retraining the brain to counter its natural negativity bias. It strengthens gratitude, optimism, and—critically—a sense of personal agency, which is central to long-term well-being.

This tool is widely used—from coaching and education to major corporations and the U.S. military—and for good reason: it works.

How to Practice It

For one week, just before going to sleep:

1. Write down three good things that happened during the day

2. For each one, write why it happened or why it went well

Identifying why matters. It moves positive experiences from “nice but random” into something meaningful and repeatable.

Why It Works

• It shifts attention from what went wrong to what went right

• It strengthens neural pathways associated with optimism and gratitude

• It reinforces a sense of agency by highlighting your role in positive outcomes

• Practicing it at night encourages reflection and can support better sleep

• 
  

Research shows that “Three Good Things”:

• Increases happiness

• Reduces depressive symptoms

• Decreases burnout

• Produces benefits that can last six months or longer

• 
  

As Dr. Seligman explains:

“Just as the good life is something beyond the pleasant life, the meaningful life is beyond the good life.”

Flourishing isn’t about ignoring challenges or waiting for life to calm down. It’s about intentionally building habits that allow the good to take root and grow.

Well-being is not the absence of difficulty—it’s the presence of practices that help us recognize meaning, possibility, and progress, even in ordinary days.

And sometimes, it starts with something as simple as noticing three good things.