Science is showing that gratitude is important.

From Action for Happiness:

…consciously spend a few minutes each day focusing on some of the good things that happen to us. By doing this we start to notice what goes right as well as wrong in our lives. Even on a bad day there are some good things that happen, however small.

Every night – before you go to bed, think back over your day and remember three good things that happened – things that went well, that you enjoyed or were grateful for. These can be small (e.g. a delicious sandwich or a child smiling on the bus) or of bigger importance for you. You’ll probably find it varies. Try doing this for a week to start with.

Note them down – this is important. You may want to get a small notebook just for this purpose – or you can track them online using a website like Happy Rambles.

Think about why – for each thing you’re grateful for, write down why it happened and why you feel good about it. This may feel a bit tricky at first but you’ll soon get the hang.

Look back – after a week, have a look back on what you’ve written. How does it feel when you look at all these good things? Do you notice any themes?

Keep it up – try keeping it up for another couple of weeks at least. Many people find it becomes a bedtime habit. After a while you may find that you don’t need to do it every night. Three times a week or even once a week might be enough. You may also find that you start to appreciate the good things more as they happen.

I like this idea. Not convinced?