Three Good Things: A Positive Psychology Practice for Gratitude and Well-Being

Sep 19

Three Good Things (3GT) is a positive psychology intervention that invites you to write down three things that went well and briefly reflect on why they happened. This practice helps train attention toward moments of meaning, relief, connection, progress, humor, beauty, or support that might otherwise be overlooked (Seligman et al., 2005). Peer-reviewed research has associated Three Good Things with reductions in depressive symptoms and improvements in well-being (Adair et al., 2020; Gander et al., 2013; Gold et al., 2023; Mongrain & Anselmo-Matthews, 2012).

To practice 3GT, choose three things from today that were good, helpful, meaningful, pleasant, relieving, or even slightly better than expected. They do not need to be dramatic. Examples might include finishing a task, laughing for a moment, receiving a kind message, noticing something beautiful, drinking something warm, or handling a difficult situation with more patience than usual. After naming each one, ask, “Why did this happen?” This question helps the exercise move beyond listing and into meaning by noticing effort, support, timing, choice, strength, connection, or circumstance. Three Good Things is not about ignoring hardship. It is about helping the mind remember that stress, pain, or disappointment may be part of the day without becoming the whole story.

Note

Three Good Things may be especially helpful at night, after a stressful experience, during low mood, or when the mind keeps replaying mistakes, disappointments, unfinished tasks, or what went wrong. The practice can create a more balanced ending to the day without pretending anything was easier than it was.

This practice can also be useful when hope needs to be rebuilt slowly. It does not require happiness or optimism. It only asks you to notice what helped, what mattered, what went well enough, or what deserves not to be forgotten.

References

Adair, K. C., Kennedy, L. A., & Sexton, J. B. (2020). Three good tools: Positively reflecting backwards and forwards is associated with robust improvements in well-being across three distinct interventions. The Journal of Positive Psychology, 15(5), 613-622. https://doi.org/10.1080/17439760.2020.1789707

Gander, F., Proyer, R. T., Ruch, W., & Wyss, T. (2013). Strength-based positive interventions: Further evidence for their potential in enhancing well-being and alleviating depression. Journal of Happiness Studies, 14(4), 1241-1259. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10902-012-9380-0

Gold, K. J., Dobson, M. L., & Sen, A. (2023). “Three good things” digital intervention among health care workers: A randomized controlled trial. The Annals of Family Medicine, 21(3), 220-226. https://doi.org/10.1370/afm.2963

Mongrain, M., & Anselmo-Matthews, T. (2012). Do positive psychology exercises work? A replication of Seligman et al. (2005). Journal of Clinical Psychology, 68(4), 382-389. https://doi.org/10.1002/jclp.21839

Seligman, M. E. P., Steen, T. A., Park, N., & Peterson, C. (2005). Positive psychology progress: Empirical validation of interventions. American Psychologist, 60(5), 410-421. https://doi.org/10.1037/0003-066X.60.5.410

Z. Hamilton Avery

Z. Hamilton Avery, LCSW, BC-TMH, CMT, CYT-1,000, TIYT (he/they) is a queer and non-binary therapist, health educator, wellness coach, body and energy worker, yoga and meditation teacher, and abstract artist in Tulsa, Oklahoma. In addition to having obtained over a dozen certifications in various modalities of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM), Z holds an associate’s degree in pre-nursing studies, a bachelor’s degree in psychology, and a master’s degree in social work. When supporting clients and students, Z takes a humanistic, person-centered, strengths-based, trauma-informed approach. Their practice is grounded in compassion, harm reduction, inclusivity, social justice, and evidence-based interventions. Ultimately, Z’s mission is to provide a safe and non-judgmental space for adolescents (13+) and adults who are navigating challenges such as anxiety, depression, trauma, addiction, pain, and chronic illness; he does this by offering sessions, classes, groups, workshops, retreats, and trainings.

Understanding that mental health is interconnected with many other facets of life, Z takes a holistic approach to therapy. Knowing that there is no one-size-fits-all treatment, he strives to honor the uniqueness of each client by custom-tailoring his approach to best meet the needs, preferences, and goals of each individual. For this reason, Z believes that it is imperative to be cross-trained in many different treatment approaches. As a therapist, they utilize a variety of evidence-based practices, including motivational interviewing (MI), cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT), dialectical behavior therapy (DBT), eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR), and written exposure therapy (WET). As a body and energy worker, Z is certified to practice massage therapy, Thai yoga massage, myofascial release, craniosacral therapy, and reiki. They are also certified in both Chinese and Japanese styles of acupuncture. After completing more than 1,000 hours of accredited yoga teacher training (primarily in India), Z is certified to teach various styles of yoga, including Hatha, Kundalini, yin, and restorative. He also researches and writes about topics including stress, trauma, self-care, mindfulness, self-compassion, holistic health and well-being, CAM, HIV/AIDS, and issues related to the Two-Spirit, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex, agender, plus (2SLGBTQIA+) community.

https://www.therapywithz.com

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