Back in 2012, I came up with the idea of Three Good Things in Nature (3GTiN)—a nature-based twist on the popular positive psychology intervention Three Good Things (3GT). Since then, several papers have explored its benefits, but our latest study, published in the International Journal of Wellbeing, offers the most comprehensive comparison yet – plus some unexpected benefits.

We ran a preregistered study with 330 participants, randomly assigning them to either the standard 3GT or the nature-focused 3GTiN intervention. For one week, participants noted three good things each day—either general good things (3GT) or good things noticed in everyday nature (3GTiN). We measured a range of wellbeing and nature-related outcomes before and after the intervention.

The headline result? 3GTiN was statistically equivalent to 3GT in boosting emotional balance and life satisfaction. That’s important—it means that simply noticing good things in nature is just as effective as the well-established 3GT intervention in improving these core aspects of wellbeing.

Plus, as expected, engagement in 3GTiN also increased nature connectedness, which emerged as a strong predictor of intention to engage in pro-environmental behaviour. This matters. While traditional wellbeing interventions focus on personal benefit, 3GTiN offers a pathway to planetary wellbeing too. It’s a regenerative approach—supporting both people and the planet.

But what’s even more compelling are the additional benefits of 3GTiN.

Participants in the 3GTiN condition only reported significantly greater ‘transcendent connectedness’—a sense of being connected to nature, but also other humans and to life itself. This is a powerful finding. In a world where disconnection is increasingly common, especially in urban and digital environments, a simple daily nature noticing practice can help people feel more part of something bigger.

Those in the 3GTiN group also experienced more elevation—a composite emotion that includes feeling deeply appreciative, profoundly touched, and morally uplifted. These kinds of self-transcendent emotions are linked to greater pro-social and pro-environmental motivations. In other words, noticing nature doesn’t just make us feel good—it can make us better people.

Interestingly, these benefits weren’t due to participants spending more time in nature. The gains came from simply paying attention to the nature already present in their daily lives. This aligns with our earlier work showing that moments, not minutes, in nature are what matter most for wellbeing.

When we looked at what participants actually noticed in nature during the 3GTiN intervention, the richness of everyday nature stood out. Across more than 5,000 entries, people highlighted flora—trees, flowers, and leaves—over 1,100 times, closely followed by wildlife, such as birds. Weather was another frequent source of joy, with mentions of rain, breezes, and snowfall appearing over 1,000 times. The sun and sky were celebrated too, from warm sunlight to cloud patterns and starry nights. These themes show that nature’s “good things” are everywhere, even in ordinary settings, and noticing them can spark appreciation and wonder. It’s a reminder that connection doesn’t require wilderness—just attention to the life around us.

In the 3GT group, most people mentioned nature at least once in their responses, but overall 88% of the good things were not nature related. The dominant themes—making up over 70% of responses—were work or study, food, socialising, entertainment, daily living, and physical activity. So, while socialising was a popular topic, it didn’t translate into feeling more connected to others. This contrast highlights a key finding: simply listing good things from our more human lives doesn’t foster the deeper sense of connection that noticing nature does.

In sum, 3GTiN is a simple, accessible intervention that boosts wellbeing, deepens connection, and nudges people toward caring for the natural world. It’s a small daily act with big potential. As one participant put it, “The more I was asked to think about the good things in nature, the more I had intentions to protect the environment.”

That’s the kind of shift we need.