Stop and Enjoy Life is the 25th most popular habit on Lift. 12,000 people take time to appreciate something positive in their day.
“Went on a walk with my wife”
“Soaked up warm sun rays while stopped at a light”
“Ate tacos with mom and brother.”
“Watched my 1 year old playing with a cardboard box.”
“Cooked sweet potato fries for the first time. They’re delicious!”
It makes sense to make time in your day for positive experiences, but what’s the value of tracking them?
Taking time to think about positive experiences wires your brain to focus on the positive
Our brains are instinctively wired to remember negative experiences more easily than positive ones. This negativity bias evolved so humans could recognize threats to our survival. It also makes it harder for us to let go of negative thoughts or remember positive ones.
Being more mindful of positive experiences is one way to overcome the bias and wire your brain toward positive thinking, which has been linked to increased health and happiness. Dr. Rick Hanson explains in the book “Buddha’s Brain: The Practical Neuroscience of Happiness, Love & Wisdom”:
The remedy is not to suppress negative experiences…[but] to foster positive experiences…There are three simple steps: turn positive facts into positive experiences, savor these experiences, and sense them sinking in.
That’s what people who check-in to Stop and Enjoy Life do.
Who knew that acknowledging the good things in life could bring you even more happiness?
How to start the habit:
Right now: Take 30 seconds to think about something that made you happy today: Did you enjoy a good lunch with colleagues? Did you finish a work project on time? Did you fit in a good run this morning?
Then: Join the Stop and Enjoy Life habit on Lift.
