When I was small and distraught about some setback in life, I remember my mum telling me to cheer up and  “count your blessings”.  Far from cheering up, I told her I “couldn’t think of any blessings to count” and fell into an even blacker mood.  It’s tough, even for an adult, to remember the good things in life when floored by sadness or depression, but our new book  (Grumpy Ness Finds Happy Ness) has a suggestion that children may find a little more fun, and therefore effective: a Happiness Jar. It’s a simple enough idea. Find and clean an old jar with a lid. At the end of each day write down something that made you happy and pop it into the jar.  On those days when you seem to have your own personal rain cloud, open the jar and read through the happy memories.  In other words, count your blessings!

You can order your advance copy of Grumpy Ness Finds Happy Ness here.