Understanding Our Natural Bias Toward Negativity
Research in evolutionary psychology and neuroscience suggests we have an inherent tendency to pay more attention to and remember negative experiences more readily than positive ones. This negativity bias likely evolved as a survival mechanism – being hypervigilant to potential threats was more crucial for survival than noticing positive experiences.
Our ancestors who were more attuned to danger (like potential predators) were more likely to survive and pass on their genes. However, in our modern environment, this same bias can lead us to overweight (find another word for overweight) negative experiences and underappreciate positive ones.
How This Plays Out in Daily Life
Let me share a personal story that illustrates this bias in action. For years, I had a special connection to Christmas cacti, remembering one that bloomed beautifully in my New England childhood home. After moving to San Diego, I struggled to keep them alive despite the region being perfect for succulents.
Recently, I discovered a Christmas cactus left behind by my home’s previous owner. When it bloomed, instead of simply enjoying its beauty during my yoga practice, my first thoughts focused on the negatives: the crooked patio table, the oversized water basin. Catching myself in this moment of negativity became a perfect reminder of how this bias operates in our daily lives.
The Science of Changing Our Patterns
While we can’t eliminate our negativity bias, neuroscience research shows we can work with our brain’s neural plasticity – its ability to modify its structure and function based on experience. This happens through several mechanisms:
1. Repeated experiences strengthen neural connections through a process called spike-timing-dependent plasticity
2. Emotional experiences trigger the release of neurochemicals that can enhance memory formation
3. Focused attention combined with positive emotional states can help encode new experiences more effectively
The key isn’t to suppress negative experiences, which could be counterproductive. Instead, we can deliberately enhance our awareness of positive experiences while allowing them to be processed more fully.
A Practice Based on Neuroplasticity
Here’s an exercise that leverages our understanding of how the brain processes and stores experiences:
1. Begin with focused attention:
(this activates your prefrontal cortex and helps regulate emotional processing)
Inhale though your nose; Exhale through your mouth
Take a few rounds. If it feels ok, place a hand on your belly to notice that on the inhale your belly rises and on the exhale that your belly falls
Notice what it is like to take this moment for yourself
2. Recall a positive experience from your week, no matter how small:
The smell of your favorite beverage; coffee, tea, a turmeric latte
A warm shower or bath
A moment of laughter with a friend
A good night’s sleep
An accomplished workout
Completion of a challenging task
Seeing a tree in full bloom or a tree naked of its leaves
3. What do you notice?
Tune in to how you feel in your body right now.
What emotions or feelings are present for you?
What thoughts are in your mind?
How might you create more of these moments?
4. Take a deep breath and savor the feelings in your body.
Stay with each positive experience for at least 15-20 seconds. This isn’t arbitrary – research suggests this duration helps with memory consolidation.
The Science Behind the Practice
This practice works with several neural mechanisms:
Focused attention helps activate the prefrontal cortex, supporting emotional regulation
Positive emotional states can help facilitate neuroplasticity
Combining attention with emotion enhances memory consolidation
Regular practice supports the development of new neural pathways through experience-dependent plasticity.
Remember: Neural change requires consistency and repetition. Just as learning any new skill takes time, reshaping our emotional patterns is a gradual process.
Be patient with yourself as you develop this new habit.
The goal isn’t to achieve a perfect state of positivity, rather to develop more balanced emotional processing. Our negativity bias will remain – and it serves important functions – and we can complement it with enhanced ability to recognize and internalize positive experiences.