Training Your Brain to Battle Your Negativity Bias
The negativity bias can happen to anybody. Most of humanity is predisposed to favoring negative sensory input and memories over the positive. This can often hardwire us for issues like depression and a lack of motivation. It can be highly discouraging when we begin to believe that more negative things happen to us than positive things, whether true or not. We start to feel like the entire world is against us, and no matter how hard we try, the cards will always be stacked out of our favor.
However, when you think about it, the truth is that we undervalue positive experiences and tend to overvalue the -ones. This can make it very difficult for us to move on and let go of the adverse events that happen to us. We find ourselves reeling from negative events for days and days, while positive events often become forgotten by the end of the day, and we no longer find any value in them or their memory. In a way, the mind is an ingrate like that.
Most of this happens because of the training of our neural pathways. These are the synapses in our brains that connect and help us to process information and react appropriately to the input that our mind is receiving. For example, if somebody treats us negatively for an extended period, and we can predict their behaviors, our neural pathways will fire off the appropriate response to that stimulation. This can be great at the moment, but our negativity is unwarranted if our brain is misinterpreting cues that seem close to what we are used to but do not have malicious intent. And yet, we can’t seem to help ourselves when it comes to our reactions.
This is similar to what happens when we are traumatized. Anybody who undergoes this type of conditioning will likely have specific responses to certain situations that others wouldn’t.
Thankfully, the human body is magnificent and can be rewired to change how we interpret sensory input. Suppose we interrupt and replace our negative thoughts with positive ones. This can help us remap our neural pathways so that we can change our response to negativity and remain optimistic despite the circumstances we are faced with.
If you are a negative thinker or tend to overvalue negative situations over progress, this can hold you back. Start interrupting your negative thoughts with active attempts to remind yourself that you are making great strides toward success. Every step you make toward progress is a huge deal, and allowing yourself to feel pride toward your accomplishments is a great way to combat your negativity bias and prime yourself for even more success down the road.
We can all rewire our brains, no matter the situation. Use this knowledge to your advantage and start retraining your mind today!
