“I’m good” is easy to say. Feeling good is something you have to notice while it’s happening.

The automatic answer runs whether it is accurate or not, so you can go a long time without checking what is actually true. Fine is a word, not a reading. The odd thing is that this works in both directions: people miss the bad weeks and they also miss the genuinely good afternoons, because nothing prompts them to look.

Once a day, take an actual measurement instead of a reflex. Just ask what is going on in there right now and let the honest answer come, including when the answer is good. Naming a decent mood while it happens is how you get the use of it.