The human species is hard-wired for survival, and the negativity bias is a phenomena of our biology. That said, we look for and focus on negative events at a rate of seven times more than we do positive ones.
So, if you find yourself always on the look out for the next shoe to drop, don’t despair, it’s not your fault, you were born that way.
There is a bright side however. For one thing, the negativity bias is a key characteristic that has enabled the evolution of our species despite being one of the smaller, less mighty creators on the planet. That, and our unique ability to “know thy self” and reflect upon knowing thy self.
We humans have been given a gift unlike any other. We have the ability to know our weaknesses (and our strengths), and use this knowledge to transform ourselves.
Neuroscience tells us that there are things we can do to counteract this negativity bias. It just requires a whole-hearted commitment and dedicated practice on our part to disrupt our automatic negative response.
Dr. Rick Hansen, neuropsychologist, mindfulness teacher, and well-being expert tells us to “take in the good”. He asserts that by spending just a few extra seconds (20) to “take in the good” when something good happens, or we accomplish a minor goal, we are building positivity. We can actually use our mind by developing the practice of pausing to “take in the good”. In doing so we are training our brain by creating new neural pathways, which in turn trains our mind to see life in a more positive light.
As a performance improvement coach I challenge you to invest in yourself.
- Take a few minutes each Sunday evening to make a list of your accomplishments each week that led to positive outcomes.
- Each time you catch yourself having a “good” experience – take it in and savor it for at least 20 seconds.
- Train yourself to look for miracles that happen throughout your day. A miracle is a surprising and welcome event that is seemingly unexplainable. It is something that leaves you feeling inspired and in awe.
Thank you for reading, and be well.
Jennifer
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