Gratitude Anchor
When attention locks onto what’s missing — rebalance gently.
Your brain evolved to prioritise threat. Under strain, this bias intensifies. Noticing what’s working restores perspective.
The Micro-practice: Name three small things that went well.
How:
- At the end of the day, identify three things that were steady, helpful, or positive.
- Spend 10–15 seconds recalling each.
- Write them down if helpful.
Time: 3–5 minutes.
When: Daily, ideally as a wind-down. Or in moments when you notice the spiral starting.
Why this works: Noticing what’s working doesn’t erase the problems. It recalibrates your attention. Your brain has a built-in tendency to give problems more weight than positives—it kept our ancestors alive. But when you’re depleted, that system gets stuck. Regular practise of noticing what’s actually working trains your brain to register positive information with the same weight it gives to difficulties. Over time, you start seeing the full picture again.
Deliberate positive recall strengthens neural pathways associated with reward and safety.
You’re not ignoring problems. You’re restoring balance to perception.