How To Overcome Your Own Negativity Bias

How many times you have encountered situations in which one negative thing stuck in your mind. Imagine if you did something for which everyone praised you except one person who discouraged you. Your mind will constantly think about that negative comment overlooking the positive feedback; such an attitude is called negativity bias.

Having a negative bias can affect your life mentally and socially. It is the idea of focusing more on negative things instead of positive or neutral things. The matter of fact is that many people do that. They tend to remember the bad experiences more often than the positive ones.

For a negativity-biased person, all good things fade whenever they encounter something adverse. Keep reading to learn more about the negativity bias and ways to overcome it.

What Is the Cause of Negativity Bias in People?

According to the experts, our ancestors built this attitude in us. The people in old times lived with constant terror. They had to be extra cautious while doing their tasks like gathering food. So, they developed a certain mindset to adapt to hard situations like natural disasters. Subsequently, they transferred such genes to the next generations.

Ways To Overcome Negativity Bias

Following tips will help you to overcome negativity bias and focus on positive things.

Be Aware of Your Thoughts

The most important thing to do is to be self-aware. Do not get caught up in your thoughts. Stay alert and present and know what is coming in your mind and how it is affecting you. In this way, you are more likely to distract yourself.

Review your Negative Thoughts

Whenever negative outcomes of a situation come into your brain, think again. To fight the negative thoughts that come to your mind after some encounter, turn the tables around by thinking about positive outcomes. For example, if your boss calls you in their office, you may think about what you did wrong. Think the other way, like maybe your boss has some good news to tell you. So, you will be able to change your negative thoughts into positive ones.

Note Happy Moments

Remember the positive in every situation. One negative thing may stand out in your brain while minimizing a hundred positive moments. So, in any scenario, try to remember the positivity whenever you think about bad things that happened. Focus more on what went well instead of what went wrong. If something goes completely wrong, develop a constructive mindset of learning from your mistakes.

Remember Your Achievements

Whenever you get a positive comment or message from others, save them! Create a folder of all your achievements and certificates to remind yourself how worthy you are. Go through these when you are drowning in negative thoughts.

Keep A Good Company

Surround yourself with people who lift you. The negative energy of some people can drain you. Remove all the toxic people from your life.

Conclusion

To conclude, with these simple tricks, you can overcome negativity. Remember that negative thoughts do not go away on their own. You have to be mindful and put in a little effort to become optimistic.