Accumulate Positives
Increase positive events and emotions in your life, both short-term and long-term
Accumulate Positives is the practice of intentionally increasing pleasant events in your life. It works on two levels: building enjoyable moments in the short-term and working toward a life worth living in the long-term.
Accumulate Positives is the "A" in ABC PLEASE. Together with Build Mastery (B) and Cope Ahead (C), these skills reduce your vulnerability to negative emotions over time.
Short-Term: Pleasant Events
Do at least one pleasant thing each day. Be mindful during the activity — focus on the positive experience without worrying about when it will end or what comes next.
- Take a walk in nature
- Listen to music you love
- Cook or eat a favorite meal
- Spend time with people who make you feel good
- Watch a movie or read a book you enjoy
Long-Term: Building a Life Worth Living
Work toward goals that align with your values. A life built on meaning generates positive emotions naturally and provides resilience against difficult times.
- Identify your values — what matters most to you?
- Set goals that align with those values
- Break goals into small, achievable steps
- Take one step at a time — focus on progress, not perfection
Avoid avoiding. Avoidance shrinks your life and reduces positive experiences. Say yes to activities and opportunities even when you don’t feel like it.
Real-Life Examples
Scenario: You realize your life has become all obligations — work, errands, chores, sleep, repeat. You can't remember the last time you did something just because you enjoy it. Skill in action: You start Accumulating Positives in the short term: you commit to one pleasant event per day, no matter how small. Monday: 10 minutes reading fiction with coffee. Tuesday: walking a different route through the park. Wednesday: texting a friend a funny meme. None of these "fix" your stress, but after two weeks you notice your baseline mood has lifted.
Scenario: You've been so focused on survival mode that you've lost sight of what you even want your life to look like long-term. Skill in action: You use Accumulate Positives (long-term): you identify one value that matters — let's say creativity. You sign up for a $15 pottery class on Tuesday nights. It's small, but it's building a life aligned with your values. Over months, these choices compound into a life you actually want to live.
Scenario: You notice you keep saying "I'll do fun things when I'm less busy / less stressed / when I earn it." The conditions are never met. Skill in action: You recognize this trap and start Accumulating Positives NOW: you put three non-negotiable pleasant events on your calendar this week — a walk in nature, cooking a real meal, calling a friend. You stop treating joy as something you have to deserve and start treating it as medicine for emotional health.