Most of us know that our brains have a natural negativity bias – a tendency to focus on the things that aren’t going so well. But what if we forced ourselves to focus on the positives for a change?

“We’re so drawn to the dark side because of our negativity bias,” says Beth Stallwood, a careers coach and author of WorkJoy: A Toolkit For A Better Working Life. “We make mountains out of molehills, forget all the good stuff and overthink the smallest things.”

Whether you’re tech-savvy or more of a pencil-and-paper person, try journaling all the joy you’ve found in your workday.

“Keep a log of all the good stuff that happens (however tiny),” advises Stallwood, “and refer to it often to realign your focus towards the joy.”

You might be surprised how much positivity you can find – it could be a quick chat with a colleague in the loo or some praise from your boss – it all counts. And when you’re having a bad day, you can go back and remind yourself of these moments.

5 simple ways to boost your work joy, no matter what job you have