The Happiness Jar: A Simple Practice to Keep a Positive Mindset

Updated: May 2026.

Animago is an online team of highly qualified therapists who work with children and coach parents using evidence-based methods. For children ages 3–7, Animago therapists meet as animated characters over live video.
We help with common childhood challenges — fears, anxiety, low confidence, shyness, and more — and support healthier parent-child relationships. The Animago team has already helped more than 2,500 children build resilience!

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Why is it difficult for a child to find reasons to be happy?

It happens that a child does not notice joyful moments, rarely expresses gratitude, or is often in a depressed mood. This may be due to:

• high anxiety;
• difficulties in expressing emotions;
• stress due to school, communication with peers or family situations;
• lack of skill to notice the good;
• age crises;
• emotional burnout (yes, it occurs in children too!).

In such cases, independent practice of the “Jar of Happiness” can be difficult. This is where a specialist comes to the rescue.

Come check-out at Animago — our psychologists working within the framework of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) will help you understand the situation and select an individual support plan.

What a checkup will help:

1. Conducts a diagnosis of the child’s emotional state. Using game techniques and conversations, the specialist will find out what exactly prevents the child from being happy and expressing gratitude.
2. Reveals hidden feelings. Sometimes the reason for a depressed mood is not obvious: it could be a conflict at school, fear of not living up to expectations, or difficulties in communication.
3. Will give recommendations to parents. The psychologist will tell you how:
   1. create an atmosphere at home where it is easier to notice the good;
   2. support the child without pressure;
   3. integrate the practice of gratitude into daily life.
4. Draw up a plan for further work. If necessary, the specialist will offer a series of classes to work through the underlying causes of depressed mood.

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“Jar of Happiness” is not just a collection of notes, but a powerful tool for working with emotions. It teaches you to notice the joy in little things, strengthens psychological resilience and helps you maintain a positive attitude even in difficult times. Start today – and within a few weeks you will notice how your attitude towards life changes!

Read our articles about other useful psychological techniques:

“Exercise to relieve stress”

“Garden of Desires”

The Happiness Jar is a psychological practice of collecting and multiplying joy in everyday life. Its essence is to capture positive moments and create a personal source of pleasant memories.

The concept of “Jars of Happiness” was presented by Elizabeth Gilbert (author of the best-selling book “Eat, Pray, Love”). The idea quickly gained popularity: people began to collect memories of small joys – delicious food, good weather, travel, or just a day when they managed to sleep well.

What can this technique help with?

It is difficult to notice the good in the flow of everyday life. Even when we see positive moments, we quickly turn to problems. The “Banks of Happiness” technique helps:

• Reduce anxiety. Returning to pleasant memories is calming and reduces stress levels.
• Strengthen your positive attitude. Regular attention to joyful events changes the focus of perception – you begin to notice the good around you more often.
• Increase motivation. Memories of successes and pleasant moments charge you with energy and inspire you to new achievements.
• Maintain resource state. In difficult periods, a collection of happy moments becomes a support and helps restore strength.
• Learn to notice bright moments. Practice teaches you to appreciate the little things: a stranger’s smile, the aroma of coffee, a beautiful sunset.
• Develop gratitude. The habit of thanking life for what you already have is formed.

Application of the technique: step-by-step instructions

How to start the “Banks of Happiness” practice? It’s simple – follow three steps:

• Find a storage container. It could be:
  • glass jar;
  • beautiful box;
  • box;
  • digital analogue (folder with notes or photos on a smartphone).
• Create your first note. Start it with the words “I am grateful for…” or “Today I was pleased with…”. Examples:
  • “I’m grateful for a delicious breakfast with my family.”
  • “Today I was pleased with the sunny morning.”
  • “I’m grateful for the call to my friend that lifted my spirits.”
• Add new notes regularly. Try to capture at least one positive moment a day. It could be:
  • small achievement (finished the project, did exercises);
  • a pleasant surprise (received a compliment, found a lost item);
  • a moment of relaxation (watched a good movie, took a warm bath);
  • natural phenomenon (rainbow, snowfall, sunset).

Additional tips:

• Use bright stickers or colored paper – this will make the process more enjoyable.
• Involve the family: Have each family member add notes.
• Once a month or quarter, re-read the contents of the jar – this will give a powerful charge of positivity.
• In difficult moments, open the jar and read the notes – this will help you remember how much good there was in life.