Gratitude & Happiness · 2 min read
How to Write a List of 100 Things That Make You Happy
Why writing a list of 100 things that make you happy works, prompts to help you reach 100, and how to use the list on hard days and in ordinary weeks.
In short
Write down 100 small and large things that make you happy, from smells and songs to people and places. Use prompts by category to get past the first twenty, then use the list to plan more of those moments and to lift hard days.
Ask someone what makes them happy and they'll usually mention a few big things: family, friends, holidays. Ask for a hundred and something interesting happens. After the obvious answers, the list fills with small, specific pleasures: the smell of rain, the first sip of coffee, a cat asleep in a sunbeam, a song that makes you dance in the kitchen.
This page once held one person's list. Here's how to write your own.
Why it's worth doing
It trains attention. Writing a list makes you more likely to notice these moments in daily life.
It reveals patterns. You may discover that many of your happiest moments involve nature, music, people or creativity, which points to what deserves more room in your life.
It's a resource for hard days. When you're low, it can be hard to remember what lifts you. A list does the remembering for you.
It encourages savouring. Psychologists Fred Bryant and Joseph Veroff, who studied savouring, describe it as the capacity to notice, appreciate and enhance positive experiences. Thinking about what brings you joy is a form of savouring in itself.
How to reach 100
Set aside thirty to forty-five minutes. Start with whatever comes to mind, then work through categories:
Senses - Smells: fresh bread, cut grass, a favourite perfume. - Sounds: rain on a roof, a particular song, children laughing. - Tastes: a favourite meal, ripe fruit, hot chocolate. - Textures: clean sheets, warm sand, a soft jumper. - Sights: a sunset, autumn leaves, a tidy room.
People - Specific friends and family members. - Particular kinds of moments: long dinners, inside jokes, being hugged.
Places - Favourite spots at home, in your town, in nature, on holiday.
Activities - Hobbies, sports, games, crafts, cooking, reading, dancing.
Small rituals - Morning coffee, Sunday papers, an evening walk, a bath.
Achievements and progress - Finishing a project, learning something, ticking off a list.
Giving - Helping someone, giving a gift, volunteering.
Seasons and times - First warm day of spring, snow, long summer evenings, cosy winter nights.
Unexpected joys - Finding money in a coat pocket, a stranger's kindness, a perfect parking space.
Be specific
"Music" is fine. "Singing along to my favourite album in the car" is better. Specific items are easier to notice and recreate.
Using your list
Schedule more of them. Look for items you could easily do more often, and put them in your calendar.
Make a "bad day menu". Highlight ten items that are quick, free and reliably lift your mood. Turn to them when you need a boost.
Share it. Swap lists with a partner or friend. You'll learn what makes each other happy, which is useful for gifts and everyday kindness.
Add to it. Keep the list somewhere accessible and add new items as you notice them.
If you get stuck
It's normal to stall around thirty or forty. Take a break and come back. Ask people who know you well. Think back to childhood. If you're finding it very hard to think of anything that brings you joy, that might be a sign of low mood worth talking to a doctor about.
Try this
Write at least fifty things that make you happy today. Aim for a hundred over the next week. Then choose three to do this week.
Related: the five keys to happiness, start a gratitude journal and 100 ways to improve your life.
Sources and further reading
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