Sometimes – especially in uncertain times – it is difficult for us to perceive what is good. A trick that can help with this doesn’t require much effort. This is how you put happiness in your pocket.
Beautiful moments sometimes pass almost unnoticed. A simple exercise can help to sharpen your focus on the positive moments in everyday life and thus develop more gratitude. The so-called “bean exercise” comes from the area of self-care.
All you need is a few beans, for example coffee beans. Also important: a conscious awareness of your surroundings and the willingness for new experiences.
The bean exercise: This is how it works
Here are the quick instructions for the bean exercise, which should help you appreciate the little things in everyday life.
- In the morning, put a handful of beans in your right trouser pocket.
- For every positive experience during the day, put a bean in your left pocket.
- In the evening, take the beans out of your left pocket and remember the beautiful moments. “As you do this, touch the ‘wandered’ bean. And you might also want to write down your experiences,” recommend the authors of the book “Therapy Tools Self-Care,” from which the exercise comes.
The exercise takes about 10 to 15 minutes and can be easily integrated into everyday life. It is intended to encourage people to pay more conscious attention to positive experiences and thus counteract a negative attitude and to build up resources, explained the experts Margarete Malzer-Gertz, Cornelia Gloger, Claritta Martin and Helga Luger-Schreiner, specialists and psychotherapists and art therapists: “ Research shows that gratitude has positive effects on mental and physical health and strengthens interpersonal relationships.”
Tip: If you want, you can of course record the beautiful moments, experiences and thoughts of the day in a small booklet – and preserve them for even longer.
The book “Therapy Tools Self-Care” is available online from Thalia or Amazon
Read more on Techzle\.com:
- 3 tips on how to become more satisfied with yourself and your life
- Joy of life: How to learn to enjoy your life
- Positive affirmations: How to help yourself gain motivation and self-confidence
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