In 2012 Elizabeth Gilbert, author of Eat, Pray, Love and City Of Girls, (I highly recommend both of these books if you've not already read them) launched a project she named the "Happiness Jar". You can read all about it here, on her website, but in a nutshell the purpose of a Happiness Jar is to train your brain to look for the positives and in doing so, protect your mentel health, by reminding yourself of the good things that happen to you every day.
Our country is not at peace right now, and the chaos of it is in our faces and infused into our daily life. It's easy to focus on the negative and overlook all the good we still have in our lives. So I started a Happiness Jar. I view it as a cousin to a Gratitude Journal. I bought myself a lovely jar (photo, above) on Amazon and a stack of post-its and right before I go to bed each night, I write down my happiest moment of the day. I date the post-it and deposit it in my jar. I intend to read them on either my birthday in October, or New Years Day 2026.
I combed the internet and compiled the following list of tips and suggestions if you'd like to start your own Happiness Jar.
TIPS:
Keep the notes or pieces of paper nearby. If you have to start looking for scraps of paper to write on, then you will be less likely to add a note to your jar.
Date the notes so you can know when these moments took place, similar to a diary entry.
If you have a good moment during the day and don’t want to forget it, then write it on your phone and add it to your jar when you get a chance.
Try to do this at the same time each day. This will help you make it part of your daily routine. For example, when you get home from work each day or before you to go to sleep each night, will write a note.
Make happiness jars for your friends. They make great gifts.
How to use a Happiness Jar:
- At the end of each day, take one of the notes and write down your happiest moment that day.
- Fold up the note and stick it in your jar.
- When you are feeling down, you can pick a note out of the jar. But you don’t have to wait until you are down, you can write a new note each day and read one old note.
- Read them at the end of the year, perhaps as a New Year’s Eve tradition; reminding yourself of all your happy moments throughout the year is a great way to end a year.
- You can add memories from special moments such as a pebble from a walk on the beach or in the mountains, a ticket stub from a great movie or concert, or a photo of a beautiful sunset.
- Write about compliments you received or things people said to you that touched you or motivated you.
Things to write for a Happiness Jar:
Happy moments that you experienced.
Things you are looking forward to.
Things you are proud of.
Your accomplishments and achievements (no matter how small).
Nice things people did for you or things you did for others.
Things that make you happy.
Positive quotes.
Pretty pictures or pictures that inspire you.
Photos of people you love and appreciate or people who make you happy.
Good things that happened to you, or your family and friends.
Things you are grateful for.
Jokes.
