The 'happiness jar' wellness hack can make you happier in 2020

From Country Living

Simple ways to boost our mood and be more grateful for what we do have, instead of focusing on what we don't have, are always welcome – and according to researchers, starting a 'happiness jar' could be a great way to improve our wellbeing.

Put simply, a happiness jar is a glass jar in which you put a daily note of gratitude. On a piece of paper, write down one good thing that has happened or one thing you are grateful for that day, fold it up and pop it into the jar. Continue this throughout the year, and when 2021 rolls around, you'll have plenty of wonderful memories to reflect on.

Happiness jars were a project first introduced by Elizabeth Gilbert, author of Eat, Pray, Love. Since then, many people around the world have used it as a simple reminder of the joys in the everyday — whether it's a nice meal, good weather, your train being on time or a good night's sleep.

It may be a simple act, but the process has been backed by doctors. "I have quite a few patients that do this," Daniel Fryer, a qualified psychotherapist and author, told Stylist.

"On New Year's Eve they get a bell jar and throughout the year every time something nice happens they write it on a post-it note. Then, in the January of the next year, they pull out a post-it note every day and remind themselves of the nice things that happened over the year – and that sails you through what is supposed to be the most depressing month of the year."

During this time of year, many Brits experience Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), so it's a brilliant way to help boost your mood and kick-start the year with gratitude.

Want some inspiration on how you can make your own? Take a look at how people across Instagram found doing theirs...

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