17 Dec 2025 · 4 min
Brian Johnson explains grateful flow, a technique to shift negative feelings by noticing small things around you to appreciate. Writing down five things you're grateful for once a week boosts happiness up to 25%. You cannot be grateful and miserable at the same time.
Up to 25%.
If you like the audio version of the Optimize podcast, we think you'll really like the new video podcast. Search for Optimize with Brian Johnson in the video podcast section of iTunes and get Video Ones, PNTVs and more. You're listening to the Optymyze with Brian Johnson podcast. Unlock the full Optymyze experience and join over 10,000 premium members at Optimize Me.
Hi, this is Brian. Welcome back to another Optimize plus one. In our last plus one, we chatted about the scientifically proven power of gratitude. Simply writing down five things you're grateful for as little as once a week can boost your happiness up to 25%. That's crazy. Well, here's another way to practice the magic of gratitude right in the moment when you need it most. The tools guys call it grateful flow. And it's one of their ways to deal with any negative feelings you might be experiencing, like overwhelm, depression, and that sort of ick sauce. Here's the quick take on how to put the tool into practice. The moment. Right in the moment, you're aware that a cloud of ick is floating into your day. Step back, take a deep breath, and simply look around you and notice things you can be grateful for. For example, right now, I'm grateful for the studio in which I'm filming this, for Jared, who's rocking it with me, and for you for making all of this possible and so much more. That's grateful flow. Tiny little things in our life that we could either take for granted or appreciate and note. It's impossible, literally impossible to be in a state of gratitude and be in a state of misery at the same time. If you don't believe me, try it out. So the next time you're starting to feel a little stressed, take a deep breath and turn on the grateful flow. And how about some practice right now? What tiny things can you appreciate? Let's live right from that place. Plus one. Plus one. Plus one. Be grateful. Get your flow on. Hey, this is Brian with a quick question for you. Do you know what the word optimize literally means? It's from the Latin optimus, which means the best. In our case, we're talking about helping you create the best version of you. So another quick question. What's the best version of you look like? How does that version of you show up in the world? Helping you be that version of yourself all day, every day, you is what our optimized membership program is all about. Now, we obviously give away a ton of content for free and we give our 10,000 plus premium members a ton more members get hundreds of philosopher's notes, which are 20 minute book summaries that help you apply the best big ideas from the best optimal living books to your life today. Plus members get dozens of hour long optimal living 101 masterclasses. More wisdom in less time for your busy life on everything from the science of setting and achieving goals, how to optimize your energy via the fundamentals of nutrition, movement, sleep and meditation, and how to be super productive day in and day out, while of course enjoying the whole process. Every facet of your life optimized equals you at your absolute best.
