Scientific evidence

Scientific research

Multiple scientific studies have investigated the effect of recording positive things and experiences.

These studies show that recording positive things and experiences has a positive effect on our mental well-being and mindset.

Below we provide a brief description of the specific exercise and the positive effects for a selection of these studies.

Research study 1

Task

Writing down things you are grateful for on a daily basis for a period of 16 days.

Effect

A decrease in the symptoms of physical illness and an increase in positive feelings, satisfaction with life and a sense of connection with others.

Reference

Emmons, B., & Mc Cullough, M. E. (2003). Counting blessings versus burdens: An experimental investigation of gratitude and subjective well-being in daily life. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 84(2), 377-389.

Research study 2

Task

Write down three good things on a daily basis for a period of 7 days.

Effect

Increased happiness and a reduction of depressive symptoms for a minimum of 6 months.

Reference

Seligman, M. E., Steen, T. A., Park, N., & Peterson, C. (2005). Positive psychology progress: empirical validation of interventions. American psychologist, 60(5), 410.

Research study 3

Task

Every day, write down five things you’ve been thankful for since yesterday for a period of 2 weeks.

Effect

Increase in gratitude and satisfaction with life and a decrease in negative feelings for at least 3 weeks.

Reference

Froh, J. J., Sefick, W. J., & Emmons, R. A. (2008). Counting blessings in early adolescents: An experimental study of gratitude and subjective well-being. Journal of school psychology, 46(2), 213-233.

Research study 4

Task

Write down daily grateful moments for a period of 3 weeks.

Effect

Increase in positive feelings, adjustment to university life and satisfaction with life.

Reference

Işık, Ş., & Ergüner-Tekinalp, B. (2017). The effects of gratitude journaling on Turkish first year college students’ college adjustment, life satisfaction and positive affect. International Journal for the Advancement of Counselling, 39, 164-175.

Research study 5

Task

Write down positive experiences for 15 minutes three times a week for a period of 11 weeks.

Effect

Decrease in psychological complaints, anxiety and depressive symptoms and increase in well-being in medical patients with mild to moderate anxiety symptoms.

Reference

Smyth, J. M., Johnson, J. A., Auer, B. J., Lehman, E., Talamo, G., & Sciamanna, C. N. (2018). Online positive affect journaling in the improvement of mental distress and well-being in general medical patients with elevated anxiety symptoms: A preliminary randomized controlled trial. JMIR mental health, 5(4), e11290.

Research study 6

Task

Write down three positive experiences daily for a period of 7 days.

Effect

Increase in happiness and decrease in depressive symptoms for at least 3 months.

Reference

Carter, P. J., Hore, B., McGarrigle, L., Edwards, M., Doeg, G., Oakes, R., … & Parkinson, J. A. (2018). Happy thoughts: Enhancing well-being in the classroom with a positive events diary. The Journal of Positive Psychology, 13(2), 110-121.

Research study 7

Task

Write down daily grateful moments for a period of 14 days.

Effect

Increase in positive feelings, happiness and satisfaction with life and a decrease in negative feelings and depressive symptoms for at least 2 weeks.

Reference

Cunha, L. F., Pellanda, L. C., & Reppold, C. T. (2019). Positive psychology and gratitude interventions: A randomized clinical trial. Frontiers in psychology, 10, 584.

Research study 8

Task

Write down and savor positive experiences for 5 minutes in the morning and evening for a period of 7 days.

Effect

More resilience and happiness and less depressive symptoms for at least 3 months.

Reference

Smith, J. L., & Hanni, A. A. (2019). Effects of a savoring intervention on resilience and well-being of older adults. Journal of Applied Gerontology, 38(1), 137-152.