One awkward comment, difficult meeting, or frustrating moment can sometimes overshadow everything else that happened that day. Better Moment Bookmarks is a simple practice for intentionally noticing the moments that are okay, good, calm, meaningful, or simply worth remembering, so they’re easier to come back to later.
The hardest moments shouldn’t get to tell the whole story.
QUICK PRACTICE
Better Moment Bookmarks
The moment doesn’t need to be amazing. Maybe your coffee tastes especially good. A coworker makes you laugh. You finish something you’ve been working on. Someone checks in. The sun comes through the window just right. When that better moment comes:
1. Notice It
Pause long enough to recognize that something feels good, calm, meaningful, or simply okay.
2. Use Your Senses
What can you see, hear, touch, smell, or taste? Let yourself notice the details.
3. Bookmark It
“I want to remember this.” You don’t need to turn it into something bigger than it is. Just let the moment register.
4. Come Back To It
At the end of the day or week, revisit the bookmarks you placed. Doing this regularly start to rewire your perspective to focus on the positive more.
← Go deeper
HOW THIS HELPS
Notice more of what’s actually going right.
Build a more balanced picture of your day by remembering good and neutral moments alongside difficult ones.
Train your attention to notice what’s working while it is happening, not only what feels wrong.
Carry a fuller perspective into stressful periods by giving yourself more experiences to draw from.
Gradually build a habit of seeing the whole picture, rather than letting the hardest moment define you.
MORE RESOURCES
If this resonates, explore these next →
Emotion Wave Surfing
Make room for difficult emotions without letting them take over what happens next.
Practice choosing where your attention goes instead of letting stress choose for you.
Drive Your Attention
Regular Unpacking
Being aware of what you carry, and how much capacity you have, is key to making sure you carry enough positive.
That’s just the start! We use 12 custom tools, which one is most useful to you?
WHAT WE DO
The Center for Trauma & Stress Education is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that provides practical, evidence-informed training that helps teams of people understand stress, navigate emotion, communicate more effectively, and work together in healthier ways.
CTSE helps teams learn tools they actually use →
STEP
The Stress & Trauma Education Program
Our full suite of tools, adapted for your team, delivered in an unforgettable way.
LEAP
The Learning, Engagement, and Action Program
Focused workshops on topics like conflict, relationships, uncertainty, and communication.
Flexible Delivery
Custom Training, Consultation, and more…
We meet our partners where they are, whether virtual, in-person, a small group of leaders, or the whole organization at once. We’ll spend the whole day with you, or sneak in a quick hour at the end of the day.
Or learn more about our people, our nonprofit mission, and how we developed our evidence-based tools.
Organizations just like yours. People just like you.
“STEP was a wonderful opportunity. I would repeat this training again without hesitation.”
Mary Pat O’Leary - Senior Planning & Development Specialist, City of Seattle
“I could not start the weekend without letting you know how wonderful today’s STEP presentation was received. My email is saturated with social workers who attended virtually and in-person about how much they appreciated your work.”
Tina Puccio - Director, United Federation of Teachers
“STEP is well scaffolded, easy to digest, and has easy to implement tools. Even those that have done this work can benefit greatly from the way this material is laid out and the re-focus.”
Channing Dr. Samantha Armstrong - Dean of Students, Eastern Washington University
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