Happiness Break: An Affirmation Practice for the New Year

The Science of Happiness

PRX and Greater Good Science Center

Social Sciences, Science

4.5 • 2K Ratings

🗓️ 8 January 2026

⏱️ 8 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

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

How To Do This Practice:

Settle your body and breath: Find a comfortable seat. Close your eyes or soften your gaze. Take a few slow, deep breaths. Feeling your belly and lungs expand. Bringing your attention into the present moment.
Notice what’s here: Briefly tune in to what’s moving through you right now: thoughts, emotions, sensations in your body, and the space around you. There’s nothing to change—just notice.
Begin with “I am…”: Open your eyes and place your pen at the top of the page. Write the words “I am…” and complete the sentence with whatever feels true at this moment.
Keep writing continuously for one minute: On each new line, write “I am…” again and complete it. Keep your pen moving for a full minute. Don’t edit, judge, or overthink. Just let the words come.
Pause and reflect: Put your pen down. Read what you’ve written. Notice where you started, how your responses shifted, and where you ended. Look for patterns, themes, or surprises.
Carry it forward: Take a few mindful breaths. Consider how this clearer sense of your present self might shape how you move into the next moment with more awareness and care.

Scroll down for a transcription of this episode.

Today’s Happiness Break Guide:

CHRIS MURCHISON is an artist and meditation teacher.

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

Follow Chris on Instagram: https://tinyurl.com/4nyjahj4

Related Happiness Break episodes:

The Healing Power of Your Own Touch: https://tinyurl.com/y4ze59h8

A Self-Compassion Meditation For Burnout: https://tinyurl.com/485y3b4y

How to Be Your Own Best Friend: https://tinyurl.com/y5kbecej

Related Science of Happiness episodes:

How to Stick to Your Resolutions in 2024: https://tinyurl.com/mub9z9z4

How Holding Yourself Can Reduce Stress: https://tinyurl.com/2hvhkwe6

How To Show Up For Yourself: https://tinyurl.com/56ktb9xc

We’d love to hear about your experience with this practice! Share your thoughts at happinesspod@berkeley.edu or use the hashtag #happinesspod.

Find us on Apple Podcasts: https://tinyurl.com/2p9h5aap

Help us share Happiness Break! Leave a 5-star review and share this link: https://tinyurl.com/2p9h5aap

Transcription: https://tinyurl.com/2d595rz3

Transcript

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0:00.0	Hi everyone, I'm Dacker Keltener, and this is Happiness Break, where we share practices to cultivate calm, resilience, connection, and joy all in just a few minutes.
0:13.9	Before we start today's practice, I want to wish you a happy new year from all of us here at the Science of Happiness.
0:19.6	If you're a new listener, welcome. We're happy you're here. And if you've been with us a while,
0:25.2	thank you. We're so grateful to have had you as part of our community this past year.
0:29.3	And we're really excited about all the great things we're creating for you in 2023.
0:37.0	And I know this time of year can be a lot, be it good, bad, or both.
0:41.8	So today's happiness break is all about self-affirmation, supporting yourself in whatever
0:47.1	way you need.
0:50.3	We'll be guided by artist and meditation teacher Chris Murchison, who will lead us through a short writing practice called I Am.
1:01.0	When we see ourselves clearly and understand what we're feeling and doing in the present, it can benefit so many areas of our lives.
1:13.6	It helps us use our emotions in wise ways.
1:16.6	It helps us become better decision makers.
1:19.6	We communicate more effectively when we know what we're feeling.
1:23.6	And it actually relates to being given higher status as leaders
1:28.3	and being afforded more trust within relationships.
1:32.3	We're going to really tap into our present self by writing for one minute straight.
1:37.3	Taking the extra step to write out our affirmations has been shown
1:41.3	to not only be able to help us better fulfill them, but it also helps us be less anxious in the here and now. So grab a pen and a piece of paper, whatever you have nearby. You can also pause this happiness break if you need a moment to find something to write with.
2:11.6	Here's Chris.
2:20.3	Let's begin by taking a few mindful breaths. So please close your eyes or avert your glance.
2:25.3	Just breathe deeply, a full belly breath, full lung breath,
2:31.3	and bring your attention to this moment.
	...

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