“Reflect on your present blessings, on which every man has many. Not on your past misfortunes of which all men have some.” Charles Dickens 1897
I don’t know how happy you are on a scale of 1-10. I’m probably a 6.5 on average. As a new fan girl follower of the scientist Hannah Fry, I’ve come across an apparently fool-proof way of increasing your happiness levels.* It has nothing to do with whether you have won the lottery or been involved in a terrible accident. These lottery/accident levels of happiness/despair apparently tend to slowly recalibrate to our natural fairly constant happiness level after a while, despite the unforseen peaks and troughs of life.
So here’s the wonderfully magic thing. It’s just 5 words that you repeat on a daily basis. It’s as simple as this “These are the good days”. That’s it. 5 monosyllabic, life affirming words. It sounded too good to be true to me. But I’ve been trying it, and it seems to confirm in my brain a sense of gratitude for the good things in my life. Charles Dickens was onto something. How amazing if that’s all it takes to significantly improve our sense of wellbeing, but also, according to the research, improve our coping mechanisms and health. The brain is so infinitely complex, but can be changed by something as simple as 5 words. I’m in awe.
Having said that, the argumentative part of my brain says “That’s all very well, but what about those living in current war zones? How can you possibly expect them to repeat this mantra?” I don’t know and don’t have the answers. I really wish I did. I hope and pray that very soon they too will be living in peace and be able to speak “these are the good days” with truth.
Until then, I will continue to repeat my neon post-it note stuck to the mirror. Hopefully the 6.5 will be a thing of the past. I’m hoping for at least an 8.
*”Lottery winners and accident victims; Is happiness relative?” Brickman 1978
“Counting blessings versus burdens”. Emmons and McCullogh 2003,
Live Longer Live Deeper 