One way to feel more thankful for things is to imagine life without them. We explore a practice shown to help you see the bright side, even when you feel down.

We know gratitude is good for us, but what if we’re struggling to feel it? This week’s guest, author and podcast producer Stephanie Foo, finds herself missing her close-knit “chosen family” in California since moving to New York. Foo tries a practice called mental subtraction, where she imagines her life without New York.

Later, gratitude researcher Ernst Bohlmeijer shares how gratitude practices can reshape our emotions and possibly our whole outlook, and how the Mental Subtraction of Positive Events practice can be antidote to taking things for granted.

Practice:

1. Take a moment to think about a positive event in your life. It could be a career or educational achievement or a special trip you took.
2. Imagine yourself back in the time of this event. Think about the circumstances that made it possible.
3. Ponder on the ways in which this event may never have happened. For example, if you hadn’t learned about a certain job opening at the right moment.
4. Write down all of the possible events and decisions - large and small - that could have gone differently and prevented this positive event from occurring.
5. Imagine what your life would be like now if you had not experienced this positive event and all the fruits that came from it.
6. Remind yourself that this positive event did happen and reflect upon the benefits it has brought you. Allow yourself to feel grateful that things happened as they did.

Find the full Mental Subtraction of Positive Events practice at our Greater Good in Action website: https://ggia.berkeley.edu/practice/mental_subtraction_positive_events

Today’s guests:

Stephanie Foo is a radio producer and author of the book What My Bones Know: A Memoir of Healing from Complex Trauma.

Learn more about Stephanie and her book: https://www.stephaniefoo.me/
Follow Stephanie on Twitter: https://twitter.com/imontheradio
Follow Stephanie on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/foofoofoo/
Follow Stephanie on Facebook:https://tinyurl.com/yx6pwdnf

Ernst Bohlmeijer is a psychology professor who studies gratitude at the University of Twente in The Netherlands.Learn more about Ernst and his work: https://tinyurl.com/2p92p6vn

Science of Happiness Episodes like this one:

• Four Great Gratitude Strategies: https://tinyurl.com/2p9buvkd
• Tips for Keeping a Gratitude Journal: https://tinyurl.com/3jdbe52u
• Five Science-Backed Strategies for More Happiness: https://tinyurl.com/bd4ussjt

Transcript: https://tinyurl.com/4r84778r

Indigenous scholar Dr. Yuria Celidwen guides us in a reflection on our interconnection with water, encouraging us to see it as more than just a vital resource, but as kin.

How to Do This Practice:

Last week we explored the scientifically backed healing qualities of water, focusing on how connecting with water through sound, sight, and touch can support our well being. This week, indigenous scholar Dr. Yuria Celidwen guides us in a reflection on our interconnection with water, encouraging us to see it as more than just a vital resource, but as kin.

1. Find a quiet space where you can engage with water— a nearby river, ocean, or even the faucet at home.
2. Focus on the sound of water. Whether it’s the gentle drip from a faucet or the sound of waves, listen deeply to how water calls to you.
3. Contemplate how water transforms between solid, liquid, and gas. Let this remind you of your own potential for transformation.
4. Imagine the water flow, guiding you to feel its presence within and around you, awakening memories, imagination, and a sense of belonging in this shared world.
5. Take a few moments to reflect on how different manifestations of water connect with you.

Today’s Happiness Break Host:

DR. YURIA CELIDWEN is an indigenous scholar of contemplative studies, and author of the new book, Flourishing Kin: Indigenous Foundations For Collective Well-Being.

Read more on Yuria: https://www.yuriacelidwen.com/#about

Follow Yuria on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/yuriacelidwen/

Read Yuria’s work on kin relationality: https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/psychology/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2023.994508/full

If You Enjoyed This Happiness Break, You Might Also Like:

• Experience Nature Wherever You Are, with Dacher
• How to Ground Yourself in Nature, With Yuria Celidwen

Check Out These Episodes of The Science of Happiness:

• The Healing Effects of Experiencing Wildlife
• How to Do Good for the Environment (And Yourself)
• How to Use Your Body to Relax Your Mind (The Science of Happiness)

We’d love to hear how this practice goes for you! Let us know how you connect with water in your life.

Email us at happinesspod@berkeley.edu

Find us on Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/6s39rzus

Help us share Happiness Break! Rate us and copy and share this link: https://tinyurl.com/6s39rzus

Transcript:

Discover how connecting with water through all five senses can support well-being.

A growing body of research shows that connecting with water through things like sight and sound and touch can have a positive impact on how we feel, how we think, and even the state of our bodies. This week, we activate all five senses through connecting with water in hopes of applying that research into reality. We hear from an environmental psychologist about the many proven benefits of spending time by water, as well as an indigenous scholar about the view of water not just as vital resources, but as kin that need protecting.

Transcript: https://tinyurl.com/mt4sfdbh

This episode is supported by Tianren Culture, whose vision is “One Wisdom, One Health.” Tianren Culture is a next-generation social platform that acts as a catalyst to foster positive global values and lifestyles.

Practice:
This practice is all about connecting your five senses: taste, sight, sound, touch, and smell– all through water. Here are five steps that could help improve your daily routine.

1. Taste: Create a daily ritual of mindfully drinking water.
2. Sight: Recenter yourself by seeing bodies of water in person, virtually, or even in your mind's eye.
3. Sound: Listen to the sound of rain, the sounds of waves crashing to reduce stress, or the faucet dripping.
4. Touch: This could be swimming, showers, even placing your hands in water
5. Smell: Take in the different smells of water bodies in nature.

Today’s guests:

TARANEH ARHAMSADR Based out of Oakland, Taraneh is a mother of two who’s worked in nonprofit communication for over 20 years, all the while being a part time blogger. A little under four years ago, she also co-founded Piper + Enza, a media venture dedicated to empowering families on their health journeys through storytelling.

Read more on Taraneh: https://piperandenza.com/our-team/
Read some of Taraneh’s work: https://www.mother.ly/author/taraneh-arhamsadr/

DR. MATHEW WHITE is a social psychologist researching the relationships between natural environments, physical health, and psychological health. White has worked at the European Centre for Environment and Human Health for nearly 10 years, and is currently continuing his research at the University of Vienna.

Read more on Mathew: https://env-psy.univie.ac.at/about-us/mat-white/
Read more on his research efforts: https://www.ecehh.org/person/dr-mathew-white/

DR. YURIA CELIDWEN is an indigenous scholar of contemplative studies, and author of the new book, Flourishing Kin: Indigenous Foundations For Collective Well-Being.
Read more on Yuria: https://www.yuriacelidwen.com/#about

Science of Happiness Episodes like this one:
The Healing Effects of Experiencing Wildlife: https://tinyurl.com/49pkk6eu
How to Do Good for the Environment (And Yourself): https://tinyurl.com/5b26zwkx