Martin Seligman, author of more than a dozen books and father of the positive psychology movement, says that "happiness-building exercises" can increase contentment because they can change a person's memory and perception of the past. To boost your own happiness factor, consider these three exercises.

Exercise One

The Three Blessings: Every night before you go to sleep, write down three things that went well that day and why they went well. After one week, continue to do the exercise (but you don't have to write it down).

Results

"What we find is when people do [the exercise], they are less depressed and happier one month later, three months later and six months later," Seligman says. "I now find myself during the day looking for things I can think about before I go to sleep. So I go around processing the day for things that will be fun to call up to mind at 11 p.m. It seems to change memory, attention and the way you go through the day."

Exercise Two

The Gratitude Visit: Think of someone who did something important for you earlier in your life, someone whom you haven't properly thanked and who is still alive. Write a 300-word testimonial about how that person touched your life, then call the person and ask to visit. Go to that person's home and read your testimonial aloud.

Results

"Most people fall into each other's arms and weep. It's very cathartic," Seligman says. "We correlate life satisfaction with different personality characteristics—there are grateful versus ungrateful people and we quantify that. Gratitude is most highly related to life satisfaction statistically, so it's a good idea to do this exercise or some version of it. The less gratitude you have in life, the more unhappy you are."

Exercise Three

Savor A Beautiful Day: Set aside a block of time—an hour, a half-day or a full day—to indulge in your favorite activities. Block that time on your calendar and do not let anything interfere. Next, carry out the activities just as you had planned. Savor each activity by being completely aware of the pleasure it brings you.

Results

"Savoring refers to our awareness of pleasure and our deliberate attempt to make it last and to make it more intense. This exercise is about taking time out to appreciate and indulge yourself in the things in life which give you pleasure. This is a fun and important step to achieving happiness."

Additional Related Links:

Positive Thinking Can Bring Good Health

AARP.org's Health Channel

Subscribe to the AARP Health and Wellness eNewsletter

To find out how happy you really are visit Reflective Happiness

Back to Main Article: Seeing the Sunny Side of the Street