Calvin is completing his internship at Quest Clinical as he pursues his degree in Counseling.
Martin Seligman, Ph.D., and Tracy Steen, Ph.D. have recently garnered evidence that counting your blessings, using your strengths regularly and expressing gratitude can increase happiness and reduce depression.
Volunteers who helped with the study first took a battery of happiness and depression surveys. Next, they were randomly assigned a placebo exercise or one of the interventions they were testing. All interventions required two to three hours over the course of one week, and are described as following:
- The Gratitude Visit
This intervention required volunteers to write and present a letter of gratitude to someone they have never properly thanked.
- Three Good Things
Those who received this exercise were asked to write down three good things (big or small) that happened during the day each night for one week. Next to each good thing listed, individuals addressed the question, “Why did this good thing happen?”
- You at Your Best
Volunteers assigned to this intervention were asked to write about a time when they were at their best. During the week, they reflected on their story and considered the following questions:
- What personal strengths did I display when I was at my best?
- In what areas of my life might I use these strengths to my advantage?
- Top Strengths
Individuals were asked to take the Values in Action Signature Strengths Survey, write down their top five strengths, and then “use them more often and in new ways” during the week.
- Using Your Top Strengths
This was an expanded version of exercise 4. In addition to learning their top 5 strengths, volunteers received detailed instruction about how to use them in new ways, and were asked to do so in new ways every day for one week.
- Placebo
Volunteers who received the placebo intervention were asked to write down an early memory every night before bed for one week.
The Results:
Seligman and Steen followed 576 volunteers for three months.
The Gratitude Visit, Three Good Things, and Using Your Top Strengths produced substantial and lasting benefits. People were significantly happier and less depressed one month later (for all techniques), and three months later for Three Good Things and Using Your Top Strengths.
Maybe you can benefit from one of these exercises?
