Mindfulness educators Trinh Mai, Jean Whitlock, and Rob Davies guide us through a quick and simple exercise for reducing burnout and increasing well-being by remembering positive experiences and reflection.
By Trinh Mai, Jean Whitlock, and Rob Davies | 3 minutes
WHAT IS THE "THREE GOOD THINGS" PRACTICE?
Three Good Things is a quick and simple prescription for reducing burnout and increasing well-being. This exercise trains our brains to see and savor the good that鈥檚 always around us, even during difficult times. We can practice this approach by asking ourselves these two questions every day:
- What 3 things went well today?
- How did these things occur? Or: How did I contribute to them?
WHY DOES IT WORK?
Seeing the full spectrum of life
Life is hard. Feelings like grief, anger, and anxiety play important roles in our lives and serve us best when they are acknowledged and addressed. Taking time to recognize and feel emotions such as gratitude, awe, love, hope, joy, and serenity can benefit us too. These experiences can give us a sense of purpose and meaning, recharge our energy, and improve our relationships.
Randomized clinical research showed that health care providers who practiced 鈥淭hree Good Things鈥 for two weeks experienced significantly reduced burnout and depressive symptoms, and improved work-life balance and happiness. More importantly, these effects were still .
Counteracting the "negativity bias"
We have a natural inclination to remember negative events, which is great for our survival, but not for our happiness. When we encounter a negative event our survival instincts kick in. For example, if you鈥檝e managed to survive an encounter in a bear cave, you don鈥檛 want to forget that event. You鈥檝e learned a powerful, negatively reinforced lesson: 鈥淎void bear caves.鈥
How does this work in the modern world? You might receive ten positive sentiments about your work, and one negative one. Guess which one you鈥檒l most likely remember? The negative one. Psychologists refer to this as negativity bias. We tend to remember negative events and dismiss positive ones. This bias becomes even more prominent when we experience symptoms of burnout.
Practices like the 鈥淭hree Good Things鈥 counteract the negativity bias. This exercise primes us to look for the good parts of each day. If we know we have to record or tell someone about the positive experiences in our lives, we tend to take in and recognize things that we might otherwise miss. Ready to practice?
"The negative screams at you, but the positive only whispers..."
HOW DOES IT WORK?
Here's how to get started?
- Make time:鈥Set an intention to practice journaling for a few minutes every day for 2 weeks. that just a couple of weeks can have effects that last 6 months to a year.
- Grab a pen and paper: Write your observations in a journal or a notepad.
- Write down 鈥渢hree good things鈥: Each night, write down three things that you are grateful for. Include what you noticed, how it made you feel, and why you think the event happened. Just a sentence or two will work but write more if you feel up to it.
- Anything counts:鈥The events you choose can be large or small. Don鈥檛 worry about grammar or spelling鈥攖he goal is just to record what you鈥檝e noticed.
- Reflect: After two weeks, take stock and see if you notice any positive effects of this practice on your life.
TIPS FOR PRACTICING THREE GOOD THINGS
- We don鈥檛 practice 鈥淭hree Good Things鈥 to dismiss or negate hard experiences through We use it to acknowledge and care for our hard feelings, and to recognize the good that is present.
- For maximum effect, try this exercise right before you go to bed. The thoughts we review in the hours before sleep鈥痩onger. Some reveals鈥痶hat recognizing things we are grateful for helps us relax and sleep better.
- This exercise also helps us decompress and transition from one role to the next. For example, reflect on your workday. Think about what went well, and what you contributed. These memories can give you a sense of satisfaction and allow you to release and focus on the next important task.
- Feeling negative? That鈥檚 okay.鈥疘f you end up focusing on negative things, acknowledge those experiences. Then, refocus your thoughts on the good memories. If you miss a day, it鈥檚 not a big deal鈥攋ust start again tomorrow.
SUGGESTIONS FOR USING WITH TEAMS
- Check the emotional pulse of the team. If folks are struggling, acknowledge those hard feelings first and explain your intention for doing this exercise. Remember that the purpose is not to negate people鈥檚 hard experiences. Allow people to pass if they wish.
- Reflect on your intentions for suggesting this exercise.
- This exercise can be used as a check-in or in closing. If there鈥檚 limited time, perhaps have team members journal their thoughts. Then encourage them to share one good thing verbally or divide into small groups or pairs for discussion.
- Dedicate a space like a whiteboard or another forum to recognize a team member鈥檚 three good things each day.
RESOURCES
Duke webinar -
Duke webinar -
REFERENCES
- Sexton JB, Adair KC. : a prospective pilot study of the Three Good Things well-being intervention in the USA for healthcare worker emotional exhaustion, depression, work鈥搇ife balance and happiness. BMJ Open 2019;9:e022695. doi: 0.1136/bmjopen-2018-022695
- : Greater Good magazine, published by 人妻中出视频 of California Berkeley, turns scientific research into stories, tips, and tools for a happier life and more compassionate society.
- (Wellspring Institute for Neurosciences and Contemplative Wisdom): Think Google-search for happiness, Your Skillful Means is a database full of wellness insights. Just input a term of choice (we suggest "gratitude practice") and learn all about it.
CONTRIBUTORS
Trinh Mai
Licensed Clinical Social Worker
Megan Jean Whitlock
Licensed Clinical Social Worker, Good Talk Therapy
Rob Davies
Licensed psychologist, GME Wellness Director, Unviersity of Utah 人妻中出视频