Harvesting the Good Things

It’s a lovely time of year to celebrate and acknowledge the gifts of Summer as we experience our Harvest Moon, the Equinox and the start of Autumn.  Harvest Festivals are a time when we show gratitude for what we have been given so it seems apt to take stock of all the good things that we have.   To do a recce of all those good things we may not pay attention to each and every day.  To take time to notice, to acknowledge, to savour and  enjoy all the good things in our lives.

With my solution focused approach I ask clients to write down what’s been good about their day not what they are thankful for. Similar I know but different. Subtly different.

What’s been Good about your Day?

What’s been good about your Month?  your Year?  Not, What have you Done?  but simply what’s been good – subtly different.

When we do this, when we harvest all the good things in our world by noticing them we are strengthening that positive memory. We engrave those good thing more deeply in our memories as we recall them and write them down.

And of course, you’ll be noticing and thinking about what’s been good so you have things ready to write down, won’t you…….

Noting down what’s been good about your day is good for your well-being, training your mind to notice all the good things and good people happening to you. When you recall and record it,  you’ll feel that happiness all over again, as if that thing, that person has just taken place once more.  How fab is that?  Boosting your serotonin levels and leaving you feeling happy and positive.

Key Tips to Harvesting What’s Good

• Make it part of your Night time Routine

Recalling what’s been good about your day at bedtime rewards you with serotonin which helps you go to sleep positive and happy increasing the likelihood of a good night’s sleep.

• Find 10 Things that have been Good

If  you look for them you’ll find them.  They may be shrouded under a veil of negativity but they are there and as you look you’ll find they appear. Don’t stress over it. Simply tell yourself you’ll find 10 things and don’t give up after one or two.  Gradually you’ll train your mind to focus on the positive, to bring your attention actively to what’s good during your waking hours so you have already collated a list ready to write down.

• Write it Down 

Each night before you go to sleep write it down with pen and paper. Yes pen and paper! Not because I like us to do things the old fashioned way but because it makes a difference. One client persisted for weeks in recalling what had been good about her day but not writing it down. Finally, and I am sure just to appease me, she wrote it down every night for a week. Did it make a difference? Yes and she was so surprised and delighted!

So as we head into Autumn why not do a recce of all those good things happening to you, taking time to notice  and  enjoy all the good things in your life. You’ll be glad you did!