Brett Goldstein Credits Gratitude Journal for Overcoming Depression Before Ted Lasso

British actor Brett Goldstein revealed how maintaining a daily gratitude journal helped him overcome severe depression before achieving fame with the Apple TV+ series Ted Lasso.

Goldstein, 46, who plays Roy Kent, a retired footballer turned assistant coach in the comedy, said his therapist advised him to list 10 positive moments each day, which eventually rewired his mindset toward optimism.

Before Ted Lasso, Goldstein struggled with his mental health and career setbacks, including failed pilot seasons in Los Angeles and doubts about his future in acting, as reported by Men's Health UK and independent.co.uk.

"I was depressed," Goldstein said. "Every day she made me write a list of 10 things that happened that day that I was grateful for. In the beginning, when you're so, so depressed, it's like, 'Nothing'.

But you have to put 10 in. 'The sun was up.' That's one. You start so small.

But by day 30 of doing that, you've started training your brain to look for the positive, and I could write a list of 100 things. I'm the luckiest guy in the world! Everything's f****** amazing!"

Goldstein acknowledged that while he still experiences darker days, the habit of gratitude remains a vital tool for his mental well-being.

"It really had changed me, built new synapses, whatever it is. You can look for the good. It's a f****** skill – or, something you have to work at.

I don't always achieve it. I still have darker days. But gratitude helps," he said.

The actor also discussed societal pressures around masculinity, noting that although his family never discouraged emotional expression, he felt wider social expectations to suppress feelings.

"I definitely grew up with the feelings of, 'Men aren't supposed to show emotions.' But then I got older, and my experience with women was whenever I was accidentally vulnerable it went very well," Goldstein said.

He added, "My trainer in New York, he was a professional bodybuilder and there are pictures of him on the wall in amazing shape. He said, 'Men love it. Women hate it.' There are all these things where I think most people don't know what they're doing, they have been behaving how they think they're meant to behave."

Goldstein’s career included work as a stand-up comedian and small acting roles before breakthrough success with Ted Lasso, which debuted in 2020 and became a critical hit, earning a record number of Emmy nominations for a first-season comedy. He won Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy in both 2021 and 2022.

Aside from Ted Lasso, Goldstein has appeared in the series Shrinking, the film All Of You, and the romantic comedy Office Romance alongside Jennifer Lopez.