Feeling lucky?

The internet is awash with 'Lucky Girl Syndrome', but is there any science behind the trend, and can you really think yourself lucky, asks Yasmina Floyer

- Yasmina Floyer

 

When I worked in the theatre in my early 20s, I attended a talk where the speaker began by posing a question: are you a lucky person? We were given a moment to consider our response and I decided that, yes, I am a lucky person. The speaker went on to explain that people who consider themselves lucky are in fact lucky, because this belief makes them more likely to take chances and create opportunities that will result in the manifestation of their goals. As I reflected on this, I could see that while there is an element of chance involved in all things, perhaps I had been more of an active participant in my achievements than I had previously given myself credit for.

I recently found myself thinking back to that talk when I stumbled upon the TikTok trend 'Lucky Girl Syndrome'. The idea is that by believing in your own good fortune, you will be able to attract it. So, can you actually think yourself lucky? Well, perhaps. Having an awareness of our luck can make us feel as though we are lucky, because when we believe something to be true, our minds look for ways to confirm this. Health psychologist and therapist Dr Sula Windgassen explains: 'We know from positive psychology practices such as gratitude and cognitive therapy that targeting thought processes can be powerful for changing mood. We also know that this can create a positive feedback loop into changing our thought processes. If a person identifies something to focus on, that can create a mental filter that allows the brain to prioritise information that is congruent with that.' When it comes to 'mental filters', I have experience. When I was trying to have a baby, it felt as if my little world became populated almost entirely with pregnant women and newborns.