Feeling a Bit Down? A Brain Scientist Has a Fun Bedtime Trick for You!
Hello everyone, John here! It’s great to have you back on the blog. Today, we’re going to talk about something we all experience: our mood. Some days we feel on top of the world, and other days, well, not so much. Many of us have heard about keeping a “gratitude journal” to feel better, and that’s a wonderful practice. But what if there was a slight twist on that idea, a more active and playful approach that could actually rewire your brain for long-term happiness? Let’s dive into a simple yet powerful technique a neuroscientist calls the “treasure hunt.”
So, What Exactly Is This “Treasure Hunt”?
Imagine you’re a real treasure hunter, but instead of searching for gold coins, you’re searching for golden moments in your day. That’s the core idea! It’s a simple exercise you do right before you go to sleep to train your brain to focus on the good stuff.
Instead of just listing things you’re thankful for, like “I’m grateful for my cat,” this method asks you to actively search for three specific things that went well during your day and understand why they went well. It’s about finding evidence that good things are happening for you and around you. It turns a simple reflection into a fun little game you play with yourself each night.
Your 3-Step Guide to the Nightly Treasure Hunt
Ready to try it? It’s incredibly easy and takes just a few minutes before you drift off to sleep. All you need is a notebook (let’s call it your “Treasure Journal”) and a pen.
- Step 1: Take a Moment to Reflect. Lie in bed or sit somewhere comfortable and just let your mind wander back over your day. Think about your morning, your afternoon, and your evening. Don’t judge anything, just let the memories float by.
- Step 2: Hunt for Your Treasures. Now, start the hunt! Your mission is to find three specific things that went well. These don’t have to be huge, life-changing events. In fact, the smaller and more specific, the better! Maybe you nailed a presentation at work, a stranger smiled at you, you enjoyed a delicious cup of coffee, or you finished a chapter of a good book.
- Step 3: Write Them in Your Journal. This is the crucial part. Open your Treasure Journal and write down your three discoveries. For each one, also write down why it went well or why it made you feel good. This helps to truly lock in the positive feeling.
For example, your journal entry might look something like this:
- Treasure 1: My boss praised my report today. This felt great because I worked really hard on it, and it’s nice to have my effort recognized.
- Treasure 2: I tried a new recipe for dinner, and it was a huge success! I felt creative and proud that I made something so tasty for my family.
- Treasure 3: I went for a short walk during my lunch break. The fresh air cleared my head and gave me a boost of energy for the rest of the afternoon.
See? Simple, specific, and positive!
The “Brain Magic” Behind This Simple Habit
This all sounds nice, but you might be wondering, “How can writing three things down possibly change my mood in the long run?” It’s a great question, and the answer lies in how our amazing brains work.
Lila: “Wait a minute, John. You’re saying this little game can actually change our brains? How is that possible?”
That’s right, Lila! It’s thanks to something called neuroplasticity.
Lila: “Neuro-what-now? That sounds like something from a science fiction movie!”
Haha, it does sound complex, but the idea is simple. Neuroplasticity (Neuro = for the brain, Plasticity = meaning it can be shaped) is just a fancy term for the brain’s ability to change and reorganize itself. Think of your brain like a grassy field. When you walk the same path over and over, you create a clear, easy-to-follow trail. In your brain, when you think the same thoughts repeatedly, you strengthen the connections for those thoughts. By intentionally focusing on positive “treasures” every night, you’re building and strengthening the “happy paths” in your brain, making it easier and more natural for your brain to think positively over time.
Training Your Brain’s Bouncer
There’s another cool brain part at play here called the Reticular Activating System, or RAS for short.
Lila: “Whoa, another big word! Reticular Activating System? What on earth does that do?”
Great question, Lila! Think of the RAS as the bouncer or filter for your brain. It stands at the door and decides what information gets your attention. Your brain is bombarded with millions of pieces of information every second, and the RAS’s job is to filter out the noise and only let in what it thinks is important to you.
Have you ever decided you want to buy a specific type of car, say, a blue one, and then all of a sudden you start seeing blue cars everywhere? That’s your RAS at work! You told your brain “blue cars are important now,” so your RAS started pointing them out to you.
The treasure hunt technique does the same thing, but for positivity. By telling your brain every night to look for things that went well, you are training your RAS to spot positive opportunities and happy moments throughout your day. You literally start to notice more good in your life because your brain is now actively looking for it!
A Boost of Happy Chemicals
Finally, when you recall these positive memories, your brain releases feel-good chemicals like dopamine and serotonin.
Lila: “Oh, I think I’ve heard of those! Aren’t they the ‘happy chemicals’?”
You got it! They are like little messengers in your brain that boost your mood, create feelings of pleasure, and help you feel content. Getting this little chemical boost right before bed can not only make you feel happier in the moment but also lead to better, more restful sleep. And we all know how much a good night’s sleep can improve our mood the next day!
How Is This Different From a Regular Gratitude Journal?
While a standard gratitude practice is fantastic, the treasure hunt offers a subtle but powerful shift. Gratitude is often about being thankful for the things you have (your health, your home, your family). The treasure hunt is more active; it’s about finding evidence of good things happening.
It shifts your mindset from passive appreciation to active searching. This trains your brain to believe that good things are not just present, but actively occurring in your life, which can build a powerful sense of optimism and control. You become a detective looking for clues of success and happiness, which is an empowering feeling!
Our Final Thoughts
John’s View: I really like this approach. It feels proactive. Sometimes, just saying “I’m grateful” can feel a bit abstract. But hunting for three specific, positive events makes it concrete and real. It’s a small, simple habit, and those are often the ones that stick and make the biggest difference over time.
Lila’s View: I’m definitely trying this tonight! It sounds so much more fun than just making a list. Calling it a “treasure hunt” makes it feel like a game, not a chore. I’m excited to see what little golden moments I can dig up from my day!
This article is based on the following original source, summarized from the author’s perspective:
A Neuroscientist Says Do *This* Before Bed To Improve Your
Mood Long-Term