This 2-Minute Journaling Exercise Is Scientifically Proven To Boost Happiness

I've never been one for journaling. Don't get me wrong, I love to write (I write literally every day for work), but for some reason, the act of writing solely for myself has never been something I could stick with. I think it's because I'm overly ambitious and start out writing pages upon pages, only to find the whole process unsustainable after a few days. So I stop.

But lately, my life has felt like it's whizzing past me. Every time I blink, another week goes by, and I'm often left wondering, what have I even been doing with my time? How is it almost my birthday—again?! The fact that I can't slow things has been a bit of a buzzkill that's left me feeling more morose than I'd like to admit. So, I was pretty intrigued when I came across this insanely simple daily journaling exercise that would take about two minutes to complete and basically guaranteed I'd end up with a smile on my face.

All you need to do: Every night, write down three funny things that happened during your day. That's all. The really cool part, though, is that this has been scientifically proven to boost happiness. In one study, researchers found1 that when people did this every day for a week, it enhanced happiness for up to three months and reduced depressive symptoms for up to six months after the intervention week.

Not only did I learn that peanut butter is a predominant theme in my life, but every time I would flip through my notebook and reread these humorous little nuggets, I would smile. It was nearly impossible not to. 

Of course, some days things just weren't funny, no matter how I tried to spin it. On those days, in an effort to not lose my journaling momentum, I would switch over to a gratitude practice, writing out three things I was particularly grateful for that day (like a supportive boyfriend who ran out to grab my favorite kombucha when I was feeling extra frazzled about meeting a deadline) or something unexpected (like seeing a groundhog on my morning walk—they're so cute!). Fun fact: There's actually scientific evidence that it's impossible to feel stressed and grateful simultaneously.