Negative Bias
As it happens my reticence isn’t just down to stubbornness. As a species we have an in-built ‘negativity bias’; a propensity to remember, cling to and learn from negative experiences more readily than positive ones, according to neurology research. It made sense that our earliest ancestors should be risk averse – they were too busy dwelling on the what might go wrong if they went up against that saber-tooth – because it would ensure the survival of the species.
But as neuropsychologist and author Dr Rick Hanson explores in his book, Hardwiring Happiness, nowadays that bias is completely out of step with modern life. When a bad experience is highly unlikely to be life threatening, a propensity to constantly rake up bad memories, see ourselves through a negative prism or belittle ourselves in a way we would never dream of doing to a friend can cause us to become unnecessarily fearful and depressed.
Positive affirmations
Enter: affirmations. “They challenge our negative self-talk and negative self-image,” says psychologist Dr Sarah Crawford. Positive thoughts have also been shown to help us respond better to stressful situations by regulating the stress hormone cortisol. Basically, the more positive our outlook, the less likely our brains are to go into fight-or-flight mode when we encounter a stressful situation. Which means we have to talk ourselves up.
But it’s not as easy as looking in the mirror and chanting a mantra; if you don’t really believe what you’re saying, the whole process can do more harm than good, according to researchers at the University of Waterloo and the University of New Brunswick. “Affirmations need to be realistic, otherwise your brain rushes in to try and disprove them,” agrees Dr Crawford. “Instead of ‘everything is amazing’, try something more neutral like ‘stop, and breathe, I can do this’.” What’s more, several studies have found that in order to override our brain’s natural tilt towards negativity, we’d need five times as many positive experiences and thoughts for it to learn from and absorb. “This means taking action in the moment,” explains Dr Crawford. “As soon as a negative voice pipes up, you tell it stop and then counter it with a more positive, or neutral, statement.”
I find this particularly tricky. Throughout my week-long experiment, I can’t help but slip back into the old negative thought patterns. ‘Oh, I’ve forgotten to reply to this person, I hate how forgetful I am’. Or ‘I can’t believe I just ate that bar of chocolate, why can’t I stick to a healthy diet’. Taking Dr Crawford’s advice, I attempt to counter each thought as it happens (for instance, ‘I’ve been busy, so it’s understandable that I’ll forget’.) As she points out, it’s a slow process, but I do find that by day five it’s easier to look at a negative situation in a more balanced way.
Changing brain structure
This is likely because, as Dr Hanson explains, our thoughts change our brain structure – the more positive thoughts we have, the more positive neural pathways we build in the brain, making it easier to think positively in the future. He advocates a practice whereby every time we have a good experience – no matter how small (i.e. sending the email we’ve been putting off) – we take 12 to 15 seconds to stop and appreciate the good feelings it prompts. This is how long it takes for the experience to be stored in our long-term memory, Hanson says. Even without saying anything, this allows us to build more positive neural pathways in the brain.
By the end of the week I do find myself feeling generally more optimistic and brighter; I’m definitely less stressed, possibly because as soon as I start to worry about something, I tell myself that I’m capable and will work it out. “Thoughts lead to moods,” says Dr Crawford. “If you can bring your negative thoughts into line, your moods are likely to follow.” I’m not going to be posting my affirmations on Instagram, but I might just keep telling myself that I’m doing a good job.
Five affirmations to try:
- I can only go forwards, I can never go back
- I can learn from this and it’ll be easier next time
- I recognise that I feel down, and know that this will pass
- Today is the first day of the rest of my life and I will take notice of the many positive things this day has to offer
- I have a lot to be proud of
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