This New Year, affirm the wonderful qualities you already possess with this meditative writing practice called "I Am."

How to Do This Practice:

1. Take a moment to sit still and take a few deep breaths, and notice how you’re feeling right now.

2. Open your eyes, and on a sheet of paper, write “I am ____,” and then fill in that blank.

3. Set a timer for 1 minute, and repeat step 2 until the time is up.

4. Take a moment to observe what you’ve written. Where did you begin? Where did you end? What can you glean about how you’re showing up today, from what you’ve written? Look for patterns.

5. Take a few more mindful breaths. Consider how what you’ve just written might influence what you’ve just written and the rest of your day.

Today’s Happiness Break host:

Chris Murchison is an artist and meditation teacher.

Check out Chris’s website: https://chrismurchison.com/

Follow Chris on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chrismarcellmurchison/

Follow Chris on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/chris.m.murchison

More resources from The Greater Good Science Center:

How to Be a Remarkable Boss During Lockdown (by Chris Murchison): https://tinyurl.com/yypps3aw

Can Self-Awareness Help You Be More Empathic? https://tinyurl.com/eefds36s

Do You Have a True Self? https://tinyurl.com/3xasurwp

Ten Habits of Highly Creative People https://tinyurl.com/yt83udz6

Make Self-Compassion One of Your New Year’s Resolutions https://tinyurl.com/ymn6m5pp

The Dark Side of Self-Help: https://tinyurl.com/4jajdfum

We love hearing from you! Tell us about your experiences with self-insight or self-affirmations. Email us at happinesspod@berkeley.edu or use the hashtag #happinesspod.

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We're living through a mental health crisis. Between the stress, anxiety, depression, loneliness, burnout — we all could use a break to feel better. That's where Happiness Break comes in. In each biweekly podcast episode, instructors guide you through research-backed practices and meditations that you can do in real-time. These relaxing and uplifting practices have been shown in a lab to help you cultivate calm, compassion, connection, mindfulness, and more — what the latest science says will directly support your well-being. All in less than ten minutes. A little break in your day.