Negativity Bias Got You Down?

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Why is it that we can hear 20 pieces of positive feedback, one piece of negative feedback and the negative one is what sticks with us the most? I was listening to a podcast about a ‘negativity bias’ that exists in human beings and I was interested in finding out why this is our default setting. A quick Google search brought me to Psychology Today which says our brains are simply more sensitive to negative or unpleasant experiences. That negativity also creates a larger electrical reaction in our cerebral cortex compared with neutral or happy information. This all goes back to survival. Historically, it’s REALLY important that we pay attention to things which could cause death. So that’s where all this tendency towards negativity comes from.

In the year 2018, we’re not typically facing life and death situations on a regular basis, so we could afford to skew the ratio of positive and negative thinking. I don’t want to belabor this point or state the obvious (which has already been stated ad nauseum) that positive thinking is optimal- but I will share what I think is a helpful and slightly bigger interpretation of this concept.

Focus on what you want to happen rather than what you don’t want to happen. It’s a small shift in semantics and a big shift in perspective. For example, if I’m leading an event I will more easily tell myself the following: ‘What if nobody signs up?’, ‘I’m worried I won’t remember the content and deliver it well’. It’s less natural to focus on ‘Whoever is meant to be there will be there.’ ‘I’ll be well prepared, at ease and the time will all flow seamlessly.’

Each set of thoughts is creating my inner environment which will also impact my mood, actions and color how I interact with others and operate throughout my day. In short, my thoughts create everything. Why wouldn’t I choose the latter? It takes more effort to push through the negative bias habit, but ultimately it’s my choice of what I want to create my emotional environment as. Also, I feel more relaxed and I think I have a better chance at things actually turning out the way I want them when I focus on thinking about what I want! Makes sense, right?

My homework is to notice when I am thinking in avoidance or fear mode about what I DON’T want and then consciously shift to instead focusing on what I DO want to create.

Connect with Jennifer: jen@lop.today @ http://lop.today

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