Humans are wired to be pain averse, and we fear rejection and loss much more than we are excited by gain. This likely has an evolutionary component – the person who more often assumed that the rustling behind them was a predator rather than just the wind would likely have a higher chance of survival, and being more in tune with social cues that threaten one’s potential success with a mate or social circle is also likely to have its benefits. 

There are of course moments when we feel more optimistic. When we feel grateful for the people in our lives, for the food on our plate, for the opportunities at our work, whatever it may be.

More and more research is being done on how intentionally cultivating gratitude can have tremendous benefits on our day to day well-being. There are three formal exercises I often hear about in positive psychology. Gratitude journaling, what went well journaling, and the gratitude visit. 

In this episode we'll discuss these three exercises and the enormous impact cultivating gratitude can have on our day to day well-being