A Blissful Life 8/20/24: Negative To Positive

Have you ever heard of something called, Negativity Bias? Negativity Bias is our innate tendency to pay greater attention to bad things and jump to negative assumptions, while largely overlooking the good things.

You may be wondering why we would be wired to think the worst. Science suggests that Negativity Bias is likely a result of evolution. Thousands of years ago, early humans had to pay close attention to environmental dangers in order to survive. Those who were most attuned to negative threats were more likely to stay alive and pass on their genes, which included being more attentive to danger. Therefore, this perspective suggests that Negativity Bias is simply the brain trying to keep us safe.

However, in today’s modern society where we are not regularly running from tigers, this propensity can end up having a detrimental effect on our wellbeing. I invite you to take a moment and reflect on the automatic thought patterns that run on a loop in the background of your mind. Are they helpful, encouraging, and uplifting? Or, are they harmful, hurtful, and destructive? Whatever your findings reveal, do not fret! The cool thing is that with awareness and repetition, we can effectively change our negative focus to a more positive one.

Before we dive into that, it is important to understand that not only do we have Negativity Bias where we reinforce negative ideas and beliefs in our minds, but we also have a Confirmation Bias, which causes us to unconsciously go through our day proving that our statements are correct. This fortifies the ideas and patterns even more, which in turn drive our entire being and life.

So, what to do? Step one is to bring awareness. Catch yourself in a negative thought. Step two is to intercept that thought. A quick and effective way to do this is by taking a few deep inhales through the nose and long, sighing exhales out of the mouth. This type of breathwork lowers the stress hormones in your body and puts you in a calmer, more present state, which is important because it is impossible to reason with yourself when you are in a state of stress. Finally, step three is to reframe your statement to something more neutral. It can be difficult and unhelpful to go from negative to positive because they are such polar opposites. Instead, use something that your mind could potentially wrap itself around. For example, if you are trying something new and feel like you are incapable, instead of telling yourself that you stink and you’re no good, you might say something like, “I’m not great at this yet because this is brand new, and I will learn and improve each day with practice.” Focus on the journey of learning the new skill, instead of needing to master it right now. Start to see what you are tackling as an exciting adventure and trust that it will lead you where you need to go.

The brain loves repetition, so the more you practice the above, the quicker you will change your thought patterns. I also like to put little post-it mantra reminders around my home or on the lock screen of my phone to remind me of my intentions and keep me on track.

The yoga room is a great place to work on flipping your negativity bias. Join Ocean Bliss Yoga for yoga classes, Pilates classes, soundbaths, mini-retreats, workshops, and more. We offer a variety of classes for different levels. All are welcome. Sign up at oceanblissyoga.net. Call me with any questions at 917-318-1168.