Three Good Things: Why Writing Down Positives Can Change Your Brain
- Ali Hollands Hook
- Sep 16
- 5 min read
As part of therapy, I ask you to keep a simple list: the small positives that happen in your day. At the start of each session, we look back at your list, highlight certain entries and reflect on what made them so good. It’s not just a “feel-good” exercise, it’s one of the most powerful tools for wellbeing you can take away from therapy and keep using long after sessions end.
Whether you’re here as a client or simply curious, I’d like to show you why this deceptively simple practice, called the Three Good Things (TGT)protocol, works and how writing by hand can make it even more effective.
In this post, I’ll explain:
Continue reading to find out how something as ridiculously simple as writing down the small wins of your day can help create the environment for massive personal change. Writing down positives can change your brain.
Why write things down?
Your brain is fuelled by neurotransmitters; chemical messengers that help shape habits, direct your energy, and influence how you feel. They can make you feel calm, driven, happy, curious, aroused, angry, even loved. Most of the time they’re working away in the background without you noticing.
But modern life doesn’t always let them work in your favour. Stress, poor sleep, a nutritionally bereft diet, habits, even social media feeds can all interfere. Outside forces are already nudging your brain chemistry, but you can take ownership and nudge it yourself, in ways that genuinely support you.
Writing things down is one of the simplest ways to do this. By reflecting on positives, you’re teaching your brain to recognise, remember and reinforce what’s working.
The Three Good Things Protocol
Psychologist Martin Seligman, often called the father of Positive Psychology, and his colleagues developed the Three Good Things exercise in the early 2000s. It’s as straightforward as it sounds: each evening, reflect on your day and note down three things that went well, along with a short explanation of why they went well.
In a 2005 study, participants who completed this for just one week (yup, 7 days!) reported higher levels of happiness and fewer symptoms of depression and the benefits often lasted up to six months afterwards.
Here’s what an example might look like
Morning coffee. I love the quiet before the day begins. Sitting outside with that first cup helps me feel calm and ready. Just me, the garden and no kids so I drink my coffee while it’s still hot!
A colleague helped with a project. I asked for support instead of struggling alone. The job got done on time and well, plus it was really nice to chat to Mary as I haven’t really spoken all that much to her before.
Drank enough water. It sounds small, but it makes me feel like I’m looking after myself properly and generally winning at life.
These aren’t dramatic moments. But in their own way, they show self-care, courage, balance, and progress. Repeated daily, this practice helps you build a steady foundation of resilience.
How Handwriting Your Three Good Things Makes It More Powerful
You might be tempted to type your Three Good Things into your phone, but research suggests you’ll get more benefit from writing them by hand.
Writing manually engages more areas of the brain involved in memory, learning, and sensory processing. Studies show that handwriting improves retention and understanding compared to typing. It also slows you down, encouraging mindfulness and deeper emotional reflection.
The tactile sensation of pen on paper creates a physical connection; what psychologists like to call “embodied cognition.” This means the act of writing influences how you think and feel. You literally embody your reflections, which makes them more meaningful and memorable.
Four reasons handwriting helps
Deeper emotional processing: You slow down and engage more fully with your thoughts.
Greater retention: The brain is more likely to remember the positives you’ve written.
Enhanced sense of control: Writing “why” something went well highlights your role in making it happen.
A wellbeing ritual: Ending the day with pen and paper helps your body wind down and can even improve sleep.
Why Writing Your Three Good Things Daily Supports Therapy and Can Change Your Brain
Most people come to therapy because they want change: a shift in mood, mindset, or life direction. That often means facing old patterns or difficult experiences. Having a daily record of positives gives you something solid to lean on. It reminds you of your strengths, your small wins, and the ways you already influence your own outcomes.
This growing bank of evidence builds confidence. It helps you feel more capable of facing the bigger challenges without being knocked back.
Longer Term Impact Of Writing Down Your Positives
While most formal studies look only at short-term use of the protocol, we know from neuroscience that repeating small, consistent actions builds long-term neural pathways. In simple terms: what you do regularly becomes what your brain expects.
By choosing to notice positives, you’re priming your brain to scan for them automatically. Over time, this creates a mindset shift that supports resilience, motivation and wellbeing.
How To Get Started
It takes just five to ten minutes a day.
Choose a quiet moment before bed.
Pick up a pen and write down three things that went well.
For each one, write why it went well and notice your own role.
Be specific. For example:
I had a really productive team meeting because I prepared thoroughly and delegated. It meant I felt calmer and my team felt involved.
My partner surprised me with a cup of tea while I worked late. He noticed I was stressed and wanted to help. It reminded me of all the nice little things we do for one another.
Over time, you’ll train your brain to look for positives as they happen, not just in hindsight.
Ready to Try It Yourself?
It’s easy to overlook small, intentional and repetitive rituals, often favouring the big, but ultimately unsustainable, gestures. Habits will always win, because that's how your brain is set up to work. Small things done repeatedly make a big difference. The Three Good Things exercise, especially when written by hand, is one of those rare practices that is both scientifically backed and deeply human.
It’s simple. It’s free. And it might just change how you see yourself and your life.
Sometimes the biggest transformations start with the smallest steps. All it takes is a pen, some paper, and a little willingness to look for the good every day.
Whether you’re already working with me in therapy, or simply looking to improve your mood, resilience and wellbeing, this simple practice can make a real difference.
P.s. if you're looking for another wellbeing practice to add to this you can request your free hypnosis download 👉 click here
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