How To Handle Your Negativity Bias

One of the biggest stumbling blocks to developing a happy outlook on life can be our tendency to dwell on negative experiences from the past. It can be easy to blame and get annoyed with ourselves for doing this. So why don’t we think more often about the pleasant things in life?

You may be relieved to know that this pattern of thought is a well-recognised natural human tendency, which is known as the negativity bias. It is thought that humans instinctively pay more attention to negative events, both in our personal lives and in the wider world, because our brains are hard-wired to keep us safe from harm.

This has a useful evolutionary function; in the past, humans had to be constantly alert for predators, in order to survive and protect their families. Any situation which presented a potential threat was foregrounded, at the expense of more benign and pleasant happenings.

Of course, it is still useful today, especially for young children who are still learning to navigate the world safely. However, it can become unhelpful as we get older, leading us to ruminate for hours over things which don’t matter in the wider context, and take criticism to heart instead of using it constructively.

Negativity bias is also played out in the media, and never more so than in recent years, when events seem to lurch from one crisis to the next with no breathing room. Research has shown that humans are naturally drawn to more negative stories, which only fuels the supply.

With 24 hour live news available at the touch of a screen, it’s no surprise that some people become addicted to ‘doomscrolling.’ This can be seen as another manifestation of negativity bias. But is there anything we can do to tackle it?

A simple step that we can all take is learning to recognise the positive moments, and allow ourselves to enjoy them more fully. This doesn’t have to be anything major, it could just be noticing the first daffodils or crocus of the year, or a friendly exchange you had with a shopkeeper or neighbour that day.

It can help to actively make time for mindful meditation, which teaches you to focus on the present moment, rather than let your mind wander over past events, or worry about what might happen in the future. It allows us to see ourselves and our emotions more objectively, and we become less pushed around by external events.

Sometimes, a negative thought can linger long past its useful purpose. Acknowledge the thought in a neutral manner, and tell yourself that this is just your brain doing its job and trying to keep you safe. Then think about all the unbiased evidence to support the negative thought; usually, there is none, or it is firmly in the past.

By learning to reframe our negative thoughts into neutral or positive thoughts, we can keep our negativity in the background. Often, confronting unhelpful thoughts can motivate us to make some changes that have a lasting improvement on our lives.