The 3 P’s: A Simple Technique I Use with Clients to Help Rewire the Brain

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One of the simplest exercises I often share with clients is something I call the 3 P’s. It’s a small daily reflection that helps people notice positive moments from their day. The three P’s stand for Positive Actions, Positive Interactions, and Positive Thoughts.

At the end of the day, I encourage clients to take a moment to think about one example of each. It might be something they did, a moment they shared with someone else, or a helpful way they responded to a situation in their own mind.

When people first hear about the exercise, they sometimes think it sounds too simple to make a real difference. But this small habit is actually grounded in how the brain works. Over time, regularly noticing these positives can help the brain shift away from constant problem-scanning and toward a more balanced and constructive way of thinking.

This is particularly important for people who are experiencing stress, anxiety, low mood, or negative thinking patterns, which is why the 3 P’s work so well alongside hypnotherapy.

Our brains evolved to keep us safe rather than to keep us happy. For thousands of years, survival depended on spotting threats quickly. Because of this, the brain developed what psychologists call a negativity bias. In simple terms, we are naturally better at noticing problems than we are at noticing positives.

You might recognise this in your own life. At the end of the day, the mind may replay an awkward conversation or a small mistake, even if many things went well. The brain often holds on to the one thing that didn’t go as planned rather than the many things that were perfectly fine.

This isn’t a personal failing. It’s simply how the brain developed over time. However, in modern life this pattern can lead to cycles of overthinking, stress, and anxiety. When the brain constantly scans for problems, it can become stuck in a loop where worries feel larger and solutions feel harder to see.

The encouraging news is that the brain is capable of changing. Modern neuroscience shows that the brain has an ability called neuroplasticity, which means it can adapt and form new pathways throughout life. In other words, the way we think and what we focus our attention on can gradually reshape how the brain responds to everyday situations.

A phrase often used in neuroscience is that neurons that fire together, wire together. The more often we think in a particular way, the stronger those pathways become. If someone spends a lot of time worrying, the brain becomes very good at worrying. If someone regularly focuses on progress, connection, and helpful thinking, the brain becomes better at noticing those things too.

This is where the 3 P’s come in. By taking a moment each day to notice Positive Actions, Positive Interactions, and Positive Thoughts, we begin to gently retrain the brain’s attention. Instead of only noticing problems, the brain starts to recognise progress and positive experiences that might otherwise be overlooked.

The first of the 3 P’s is Positive Actions. This simply means something you did during the day. It does not need to be a big achievement. In fact, the smaller and more ordinary the action is, the better. Examples might include going for a walk, completing a task at work, cooking a meal, tidying something at home, helping someone, or doing something you had been putting off.

When people feel anxious or low in mood, the brain often creates a story that nothing is being achieved. People can feel stuck or unproductive, even when they are actually doing many things during the day. By recognising positive actions, we help the brain see evidence of progress. Each action becomes proof that you are capable of moving forward, even if the steps are small.

Acknowledging these actions can also activate the brain’s reward system, releasing small amounts of dopamine, which helps reinforce motivation and confidence. Over time, this can shift the way the brain views everyday effort.

The second of the 3 P’s is Positive Interactions. Human beings are social by nature, and our brains are wired for connection with other people. Positive interactions can be very simple moments such as having a friendly conversation, sharing a laugh, receiving a kind message, offering support to someone else, or feeling listened to.

These moments often trigger the release of oxytocin, sometimes called the connection hormone. Oxytocin helps reduce stress and increases feelings of trust and safety. However, when people are struggling with anxiety or low mood, the brain may overlook these positive moments. Instead, it may replay the one interaction that felt awkward or uncomfortable.

By consciously noticing positive interactions, the brain begins to recognise the many moments of connection that occur throughout the day. Over time, this helps people feel less isolated and more aware of the support and kindness around them.

The third of the 3 P’s is Positive Thoughts. This is about recognising moments when your thinking moved in a helpful direction. For example, you might have reminded yourself to take something step by step, realised you had handled a situation better than before, or chosen not to dwell on a negative thought.

Our internal dialogue has a powerful influence on how we experience life. When the brain repeatedly produces thoughts such as “I can’t cope” or “something will go wrong,” those pathways become stronger. When we begin to notice constructive thoughts, we start strengthening different pathways in the brain.

These thoughts might sound like “I’ll take this one step at a time,” or “I handled part of that well.” They are not about forcing unrealistic positivity, but about recognising balanced thinking that supports resilience and problem solving.

In solution-focused hypnotherapy, this kind of reflection supports the work we do during hypnosis itself. Hypnosis helps the brain move into a deeply relaxed state where it can step away from constant problem scanning. In this calmer state, the brain becomes more open to new patterns of thinking.

The 3 P’s reinforce these patterns between sessions. By regularly noticing positive actions, interactions, and thoughts, clients strengthen the same mental pathways that hypnotherapy encourages. The brain receives repeated evidence that progress, connection, and helpful thinking are possible.

Another benefit of the 3 P’s is that they help people notice progress. Many people who come to hypnotherapy feel stuck and may struggle to see improvements happening. Yet when they begin reflecting on positives each day, they often realise that small changes are taking place. They may notice they are sleeping a little better, responding more calmly to situations that previously caused stress, or feeling slightly more confident in everyday moments.

Recognising these changes builds momentum and motivation. Instead of focusing only on difficulties, the brain begins to notice signs that things are improving.

It’s important to remember that the positives do not need to be big. Some of the most powerful examples are very small moments. Getting out of bed when it felt difficult, finishing a small task, taking a few minutes to relax, or choosing not to react to something stressful all count as positives.

The brain does not measure the size of the event. What matters is where our attention goes. You can think of attention like a spotlight. Wherever the spotlight shines most often becomes what the brain sees most clearly. If the spotlight constantly shines on worries and problems, the brain becomes very good at finding things to worry about. When the spotlight begins to shine on progress, connection, and helpful thinking, the brain gradually becomes better at noticing those things too.

Many people find it helpful to reflect on the 3 P’s before going to sleep, while others prefer to write them down in a journal. Some simply think about them during a quiet moment in the evening. What matters most is consistency rather than perfection.

At first, it may take a little effort to identify positives, especially if the day has been challenging. That is completely normal. Even the smallest positives count. Over time the brain becomes quicker at recognising them, and what once required conscious effort gradually becomes a natural habit of attention.

For people experiencing anxiety, depression, or chronic stress, this shift can make a meaningful difference. The brain begins to move away from constant problem scanning and toward a more balanced state where solutions and possibilities are easier to see.

The 3 P’s are a simple practice, but when used regularly they can help support the brain in building healthier patterns of thinking. Combined with hypnotherapy, they form part of a gentle but powerful process that helps people move forward and create the changes they want in their lives.

Sometimes meaningful change begins with something very small. Simply pausing for a moment at the end of the day and recognising three positive things that happened can be the first step in helping the brain learn that progress is possible.