There is a good chance you have experienced it today without even realizing it. You pick up your phone to answer a text message and, twenty minutes later, you are deep into doomscrolling, moving from one difficult client interaction to another burnout statistic and reminders that everyone seems to be counting the hours until Friday. Mixed into the feed are humorous observations about surviving childhood with garden hoses and questionable supervision, but even the jokes tend to circle back to one familiar theme: life is exhausting.

It is not an accident. Social media algorithms are remarkably good at paying attention. Every click, pause and extra second spent reading teaches them what to show us next. They do not decide whether something is good or bad. They simply learn what captures our attention and offer more of it.

The surprising part is that our brains have been doing something similar for thousands of years. Psychologists refer to it as negativity bias. Human beings naturally notice problems more quickly than pleasures, criticism more readily than compliments and threats more readily than moments of peace. From an evolutionary perspective, it makes perfect sense. Our ancestors who paid attention to danger were more likely to survive. The world has changed dramatically since then, but our brains have not.

Today, that same instinct often means replaying a difficult client conversation during the drive home while forgetting the family who thanked you for taking extra time with their pet. It means remembering the one procedure that did not go as planned instead of the dozens that did. The algorithm did not invent negativity. It simply learned how to amplify what our brains were already inclined to do.

Fortunately, neuroscience tells us something equally important. While our brains naturally notice the negative, they are also remarkably adaptable. What we repeatedly pay attention to shapes how we experience the world around us.

That is why researchers have spent decades studying gratitude, not as wishful thinking or an invitation to ignore difficult realities, but as a deliberate practice of noticing what is already present. A 2023 systematic review and meta-analysis examining 64 randomized clinical trials found that gratitude interventions improved mental health, reduced symptoms of anxiety and depression, and increased positive emotions. Another randomized study demonstrated that intentionally reflecting on gratitude after a positive experience helped people hold onto those emotions longer while increasing resilience and confidence in their ability to cope with future challenges. Veterinary-specific research reached a similar conclusion. Professionals who incorporated simple daily well-being practices experienced significantly greater compassion satisfaction over six months, even though burnout and secondary traumatic stress remained part of their professional reality.

The research is not suggesting that gratitude eliminates burnout. It points to something more practical: when we intentionally recognize moments of meaning, connection and appreciation, difficult experiences no longer become the only memories our brains hold onto.

Perhaps that explains why the moments that sustain Veterinary professionals are so often the smallest ones: the child who hugs her new puppy after hearing everything is going to be okay; the receptionist who diffuses a difficult conversation before it reaches the treatment area; the first cool morning after a long summer; or the maple tree outside the clinic quietly exchanging green leaves for brilliant shades of yellow, orange and gold. None of those moments erase grief, compassion fatigue or the extraordinary pressures facing the profession. They simply deserve to occupy the same space.

For Kelly Haskins, founder of Do It For Hunter, noticing yellow has become a daily practice after losing her son, Hunter. She finds it in sunrises, changing leaves and, often, in the yellow clothing she deliberately chooses to wear. The color does not lessen her grief. It gives her a way to keep looking for hope within it.

“People often ask me why I wear so much yellow. It isn’t because every day feels hopeful. It’s because every day I choose to look for hope. After losing Hunter, I realized I could let grief become the only thing I saw, or I could intentionally look for the moments that reminded me life was still beautiful. Sometimes it’s a flower, sometimes it’s a butterfly, sometimes it’s simply someone showing kindness. Finding my yellow doesn’t take away the pain. It reminds me that hope still exists alongside it,” Kelly says.

Project StiThe research isn’t asking us to ignore what’s hard. It’s asking us to notice what’s also true. When something good happens, even if it’s something small, pause for a moment. Let yourself really experience it. Ground yourself in it. Hold onto it just a little longer before rushing to the next task. Those moments are how we begin to retrain our brains to recognize hope, connection and meaning, even in the middle of difficult days.

That philosophy has quietly become the foundation of Tell Us Something Good, which Project Sticker launched in May. The initiative creates a place for the stories that restore us to stand alongside the stories that challenge us.

Tell Us Something Good reflects what is happening to one person, one practice and the profession as a whole. A personal story might come from a patient interaction. A practice story might be a moment that brought laughter across the team. A profession-wide story might highlight a program that offers a sign of meaningful progress.

September is Suicide Prevention Month, making it the perfect time to begin looking for our own yellow. Not because the challenges facing Veterinary medicine suddenly become easier, but because what we choose to notice often shapes what we remember. This month, find your yellow. Hold onto it a little longer than you normally would. Then share it. Join Tell Us Something Good. Share your story at https://stickwithus.vet/tell-us-something-good/

References

1. Diniz G, Korkes L, Tristão LS, Pelegrini R, Bellodi PL, Bernardo WM. The effects of gratitude interventions: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Einstein (São Paulo). 2023;21:eRW0371. doi:10.31744/einstein_journal/2023RW0371.
2. Klibert J, Rochani H, Samawi H, Leleux-LaBarge K, Ryan R. The Impact of an Integrated Gratitude Intervention on Positive Affect and Coping Resources. International Journal of Applied Positive Psychology. 2019;3:23-41. doi:10.1007/s41042-019-00015-6.
3. Alwood AJ, Ferrentino DA, Olson SA, Rodriguez VI. The positive impact of daily well-being practices on individual Veterinary professionals’ professional quality of life self-assessment scores within an emergency and specialty hospital. Frontiers in Veterinary Science. 2024;11:1381090. doi:10.3389/fvets.2024.1381090.
4. Hazlett LI, Moieni M, Irwin MR, Byrne Haltom KE, Jevtic I, Meyer ML, Eisenberger NI. Exploring neural mechanisms of the health benefits of gratitude in women: A randomized controlled trial. Brain, Behavior, and Immunity. 2021;95:444-453. doi:10.1016/j.bbi.2021.04.019.