You are listening to the Overthinkers Guide to Joy, episode 88. Today we're diving
deep into a topic that affects us all, and it's called Negativity Bias. Let's dive
in. This is a podcast for overthinkers, overdoers, and overachievers who are tired of
feeling overanxious and just want to feel better. I'm your host, certified life coach
Jackie de Crinis.
Hey there and welcome back So today I want to talk about another habit that many
of us don't realize is going on in our brains This is something called negativity
bias And it's basically the tendency for our brains to focus more on negative
experiences than positive ones Now it's one of those psychological Phenomenons that
has intrigued researchers for years, But the question is, why does it exist? Well,
let's break it down. Like so many things, negativity bias is rooted in our
evolutionary history. Back when our ancestors were roaming the savanna, paying more
attention to potential threats and dangers was simply a matter of survival. Those who
were hyper -aware of negative stimuli were more likely to avoid harm, but they also
passed on these genes. Now fast forward to today, while we may not face the same
life or death situations, our brains are still wired to pay attention to negativity
more than positivity. In fact, according to the National Science Foundation,
an average person has 12 ,000 to 60 ,000 thoughts per day. But of those thoughts,
80 % are negative. And 95 % of those thoughts are just repetitive.
Therefore, if we repeat those negative thoughts, we think negatively way more than we
think positively. So here's another interesting statistic. Studies show that it takes
about five positive events to counteract the psychological impact of one negative
event. So this is true of something as simple as a compliment. You might need to
hear five compliments to get rid of that one negative criticism, or maybe even more.
As many of us know from social media, we tend to not focus on all the accolades
or all the likes, we tend to focus on that one troll who makes a negative comment
or contradicts what we've written. Negativity bias not only influences our perception
of events, but it also affects our decision making, relationships, and overall well
-being. So how can we avoid falling victim to the clutches of negativity bias?
Well, here's some strategies. First one, awareness is key. Recognizing when negativity
bias is at play allows us to take a step back and evaluate situations more
objectively. It's like putting on a pair of glasses that filter out the negative
tent. So when those negative thoughts or words start flowing, catch yourself. Ask
yourself these questions. Is this helpful? Am I solving a problem?
Am I being creative? Am I helping myself or someone else with these thoughts or
words? And if the answer is no, then I want you to do what I always tell you to
do, which is imagine a stop sign or say to yourself, not now.
This is one of my favorites. When I find myself going down that rabbit hole of
negative thoughts or worry or obsessive thinking, I don't beat myself up. I don't
call myself names or chastise myself with additional, unhelpful thoughts like you
should know better. I simply say in my mind, or sometimes even out loud, not now.
If something truly needs my attention, then I come back later to it. All right,
what's next? Gratitude. For those of you who listen to this podcast regularly, you
are either rolling your eyes because of how often I talk about this, or you're
nodding your head in agreement because you know it works. Cultivating a daily
gratitude practice can help shift our focus towards the positive aspects of life.
Taking a moment each day to reflect on the things we're thankful for can rewire our
brains and counteract the effects of negativity bias. Now,
there are a number of ways to implement a gratitude practice, but here are just a
few suggestions. I, of course, love the practice of gratitude first thing in the
morning. You can do this before you get out of bed. Just simply take a moment and
think about a few things you're grateful for. When I first wake up, I spend a
minute or two noticing the softness of the sheets or sometimes the cozy blanket that
I'm under. Or maybe I'll listen for birds outside. Maybe they're making chirping
noises or they're singing outside my window. Or when my dog gleefully jumps in the
bed for his morning snuggle. Sometimes I'm simply grateful for indoor plumbing, being
able to splash cool water on my face or being able to brush my teeth. This may
sound so basic. Just spending a few moments in gratitude can change my whole outlook
before I start my actual day. Instead of when the alarm goes off, thinking,
"Oh, I have to get up now," or, "Oh, I have so much to do today," or thinking,
"I have nothing to look forward to today." I spend a moment unfeeling grateful for
what I get to do as a choice. But there are many other gratitude practices. If
morning gratitude is not your thing, there's meditation. You can be grateful as you
sit down and meditate five minutes a day, or journaling, or just taking a moment to
tell someone one thing that you're grateful for today. This is so powerful because
not only do you benefit from saying it out loud, but you may be unconsciously
reminding someone else to notice something they're grateful for without having to tell
them to do it. I know that I get this from my guided meditations. A lot of my
meditation teachers will talk about what they're grateful for, just them telling me
what they're grateful for reminds me to search for what I'm grateful for. So by you
showing up and practicing this, you're actually helping others do it too. Another
effective strategy is mindfulness. By being present in the moment and observing our
thoughts without judgment, we can break free from the automatic negative thought
pattern that negativity bias tends to reinforce. So one way to ensure practicing or
mindfulness is building strong social connections. And look, you can do this in
person, on the phone, or even on a Zoom call. But by surrounding yourself with
positive influences and supportive relationships, we buffer against the impact of
negative experiences. It's like having a team that helps you stay resilient in the
face of challenges. Or I think I did an episode, I don't remember if it was an
episode or a blog post about redwood trees needing to live in a circle. And by
doing so, their root system helps each other stay strong in strong winds,
which is why they live hundreds of years. So if you think of yourself as a
redwood, you need other redwoods around you as a support system for when things are
tough. Now according to motivational speaker Jim Rohn. We are the average of the
five people we spend the most time with. So if you're spending time with people who
are negative or you're spending time with people who are reinforcing your negative
thoughts and beliefs, you are further cementing your negativity bias in your neural
wiring. Now for those of us who tend to be more empathetic, we are even more
vulnerable to the negativity bias, because we take on the emotions and problems of
others if we're not careful. This is especially true when consuming too much news
and /or social media. News is important and it's wonderful in small doses,
but you cannot forget that it is a business, whether it is broadcast news,
cable news, newspapers, magazines, or online news. Tragic headlines,
catastrophe, and sensationalism sells. And the same is true for social media.
But in that case, there are these very sophisticated algorithms to put you into a
feedback loop. So whatever you watch, like scroll, read, follow,
comment, you are bound to see more of it. So if you're already struggling with of
thoughts and /or if you have trouble filtering out the endless events around the
world or even in your community, it's important to limit your intake of both news
and social media to maintain the impact on your well -being. Now, having said all of
this, I want you to remember that negativity bias is a natural part of the human
experience. So no one is telling you to eradicate it from your life. The last thing
I want you to do is let the pendulum swing so far in the other direction that we
go into something called toxic positivity. This is where a person rejects all
difficult emotions in favor of a cheerful and often falsely positive facade. This is
definitely not the solution. I am simply suggesting bringing an awareness,
to the propensity for negativity bias. And by bringing that awareness,
we can be on to that default setting of our reptilian brain because sometimes when
we understand the origin of a pattern or a behavior, we can be on to ourselves and
then we can implement practical strategies to empower ourselves to navigate life with
a more balanced perspective. And I know this is something that I need a constant
reminder of as well. So friends, just to recap, three tools to stop negativity bias
in its tracks. Number one, awareness. This is the recognition and the choice to
think differently. Number two, gratitude. This is shifting to the present and focusing
on what you have that is good. And number three is mindfulness. This is simply
making choices in your social circle, your words, your actions, and your consumption
of things that reinforce the negativity or positivity that you want to keep and
balance. So I hope you found this information helpful and that you take away some
valuable tips for overcoming the effects of negativity bias. And as always, I thank
you for listening and for sharing. And if you're loving these episodes, please leave
me a review on wherever you're getting your podcasts because it helps others find
the podcast as well. So until next time, I wish you an awesome week.
Take care and bye for now. Thank you for listening to this episode of the
Overthinkers Guide to Joy. If you're enjoying these episodes, please subscribe or
follow this podcast so you can always be in the know when the next episode drops.
If you would like to learn more about working with me as a coach, you can connect
with me through my website at jackiedecrinis.com. That's J -A -C -K -I -E -D -E -C -R -I -N -I -S .com.
