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116. Overcome the Negativity Bias with Ease

• Kathie Owen

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Do you often find yourself focusing on the negative and struggling to maintain a positive outlook? It's easy to get caught up in the challenges we face. Which can exacerbate our natural tendency toward the negativity bias. Today, we're going to explore the origins and effects of the negativity bias. As well as practical strategies to overcome it and cultivate a growth mindset. From gratitude practice to mindfulness meditation we provide actionable steps and techniques to help you shift your perspective and develop a more positive and optimistic outlook. Plus we include book recommendations to help you continue your growth mindset journey. Don't let that negativity bias hold you back from achieving your goals and let's get into the episode. You're listening to Kathie's coaching podcast. I'm your host, Kathie Owen. On this channel, we talk about having a growth mindset, healthy habits, fitness, and even some Reality Transurfing. Let's get into the episode. We're going to discuss a topic that affects us all that dang negativity bias. As successful business people, we know that maintaining a healthy mind and positive outlook are critical to our success. However the negativity bias can hold us back by causing us to focus too much on negative experiences and thoughts. Today, we're going to explore the concept of the negativity bias it's impact on our lives. And most importantly, how to overcome it. By understanding and overcoming the negativity bias, we can develop a more positive outlook, make better decisions and achieve our goals. So let's dive into this fascinating topic and learn how to harness the power of positivity and speaking of fascinating topics, have you read The Art of Possibility? It has two authors. There's a link to it in the show notes and description below, but this book offers an insightful and inspiring perspective on cultivating a growth mindset. One anecdote from the book that has stayed with me is about a shoe factory that sent to salesmen to Africa. One of them reported back. There is no market here. Nobody wear shoes. The other reported back. There is a huge market here. Nobody wear shoes. It's all about perspective. My friend. All right. So what is the negativity bias? This cognitive bias affects our perception of the world and refers to the tendency that we have to focus more on negative information than on positive information. The negativity bias has evolutionary roots. As our ancestors had to be constantly vigilant for potential dangers in their environment. Today, this bias can lead to anxiety, depression, and lack of motivation. To counteract the negativity bias we need to understand it and develop a growth mindset. One book that offers practical advice for doing so is called The Happiness Advantage by Shawn Anchor. In the book, Anchor shares an antidote about a man who was stuck in traffic and became increasingly agitated. Oh my goodness. We all can so relate. However, when he noticed that the driver next to him was in a worse situation, his perspective shifted and he felt more grateful for his own situation. It's a great reminder that perspective is everything. So let's learn more about this negativity bias and how to overcome it, to achieve our goals. Why do we focus on the negative? You know, as entrepreneurs, we often face numerous challenges and obstacles on our journey to success. Unfortunately, our brains are wired to prioritize negative information. Over positive information, which can lead us to focus more on negative experiences and thoughts. The negativity bias has its root in both cognitive and emotional processes. Our brains are designed to protect us from harm and negative experiences and thoughts have greater impact on our survival and wellbeing than positive ones. I know. That just sucks. Additionally social and cultural factors can reinforce the negativity bias such as a tendency for media outlets to focus on more negative news stories. Uh, yuck. To counteract the negativity bias. We need to develop a growth mindset and become aware of when we are focusing too much on negative experiences and thoughts. One book that offers practical advice on doing so is learned optimism. In the book, Siegelman shares an antidote about a group of soldiers who were able to overcome the negativity bias and improve their performance through a program of positive psychology interventions. So what is a positive psychology intervention? It comes from the book. Flow by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi and. Positive psychology. Is one of the basis that I work off of as a coach. And it's just teaching us that we need to learn this optimism as opposed to thinking the negative thoughts all the time. So it's our thought habits that affect us. And we want to focus on the positive. By understanding the origins and effects of the negativity bias. We can take steps to overcome it and develop a growth mindset, that empowers us to succeed. In the next section we'll explore the specific effects of the negativity bias on our mental health, our relationships, our decision-making, and our workplace productivity, and how to overcome it. So the effects of the negativity bias can have a range of negative effects on our lives as entrepreneurs, including our mental health, our relationships, our decision-making, and our workplace productivity. Mentally the negativity bias can lead us to anxiety, depression, and other mental health issues. But by focusing more on negative experiences and thoughts we may become more pessimistic and negative overall. Which can have a detrimental effect on our wellbeing. In terms of relationships, the negativity bias can also have a negative impact. If we focus too much on negative experiences and thoughts, we may become more critical and less forgiving of others, which can damage our relationships. When it comes to decision-making, the negativity bias can lead us to be more risk averse. And less likely to pursue opportunities that could lead us to success. We may focus too much on potential risks and drawbacks, which can prevent us from taking necessary risks to achieve our goals. Finally the negativity bias can also have a negative impact on workplace productivity. If we focus too much on negative experiences and thoughts, we may be less motivated and less productive at work. To overcome the negativity bias and develop a growth mindset it's important to develop an awareness of our negative thought patterns. And replace them with more positive and realistic ones. One book offers practical advice for doing so is called Mindset. And the book Dweck shares an antidote about how an Olympic gold medalists are often not the most talented or gifted athletes, but rather those who have a growth mindset and are willing to put in the effort to improve. By understanding the effects of the negativity bias and taking steps to overcome it. We can cultivate a more positive and optimistic outlook that empowers us to achieve our goals as entrepreneurs. So how to overcome the negativity bias. The big question of the day. Overcoming the negativity bias and developing a growth mindset requires effort and practice. But it is definitely achievable. Here are some effective strategies to help you cultivate a more positive and optimistic outlook. Number one awareness. The first step in overcoming the negativity bias is to become aware of it. Pay attention to your thoughts and emotions, and try to identify when you're focusing too much on negative experiences and negative thoughts. Number two, a gratitude practice. Practicing gratitude is a powerful way to counteract the effects of negativity bias. Take some time each day to reflect on the things you are grateful for. No matter how small they may seem. Number three, a mindfulness meditation. Mindfulness meditation can also be helpful in overcoming the negativity bias. By practicing mindfulness, you can learn to observe your thoughts and emotions without judgment. And let go of negative thoughts and feelings. Number four cognitive restructuring, cognitive restructuring involves identifying and challenging negative thought patterns. When you notice a negative thought, try to reframe it in a more positive and realistic way. And number five positive psychology interventions. There are many positive psychology interventions that can help you develop a growth mindset and overcome negativity bias. Some examples include visualization, positive affirmations. And acts of kindness. In addition to these strategies is important to make self care a priority. This includes getting enough, sleep, eating a healthy diet and engaging in regular exercise by taking care of your physical and mental health, you'll be better equipped to overcome the negativity bias and succeed as in your dreams. And visions. If you're interested in learning more about these strategies and how to cultivate a growth mindset, I highly recommend the book, the positive shift. In the book, Sanderson shares an antidote about a young woman who was struggling with negativity bias and was able to overcome it through a combination of positive psychology interventions and self-care practices. Remember overcoming the negativity bias is a process, but with effort and practice, you can cultivate a positive and optimistic outlook. Then empowers you to succeed at your dreams. Here's some frequently asked questions about the negativity bias. What is an example of the negativity bias? An example of the negativity bias can be seen in how we react to negative news stories versus positive ones. We pay more attention to negative news stories and remember them more vividly while positive news stories may not have the same impact on us. For example, if you read 10 news stories about positive developments in your city, and one news story about a crime, the crime is more likely to stick out in your mind and affect your mood and perception of the safety of your community. Frequently asked question about the negativity bias. Number two is why do people have a negativity bias? And we discussed this in today's episode, but the negativity bias has evolutionary roots that helped our ancestors survive in dangerous environments. Our brains are wired to prioritize negative information over positive information. Because negative experiences and thoughts have greater impact on our survival and wellbeing. In addition, Social and cultural factors can reinforce the negativity bias. Such as the tendency for media outlets to focus on negative news stories because the negative news gets more attention than the positive. How do you stop a negativity bias is the next frequently asked question. Overcoming the negativity bias requires effort and practice, but it's definitely achievable and here's some effective strategies that can help you. As we spoke about in today's episode, we talked about awareness, gratitude, practice, mindfulness, meditation, cognitive restructuring, and positive psychology interventions, as well as self care. And I would be amiss if I didn't mention toxic positivity. Oh, what is toxic positivity? Well, toxic positivity is. Excessive and unrealistic belief in the power of positive thinking. To the point where negative emotions and experiences are ignored or invalidated. Well, having a positive outlook and mindset can be helpful. Toxic positivity can be harmful and dismissive of people's genuine emotions and struggles. For example, telling someone who is going through a tough time, just think positive, or just look on the bright side. That can be dismissive of their emotions and invalidating of their struggles. It can make them feel like they're not allowed to express their negative emotions and that their feelings are not valid or important. It's important to acknowledge and validate that all of our emotions, including the negative ones in order to have a healthy and balanced perspective. A growth mindset involves recognizing the challenges and obstacles we face while also believing in our ability to overcome them. I talk about a lot about toxic positivity in my blog and in my videos and episodes because some of my messages have been labeled this toxic positivity. But. My mindset is more of validating those emotions and saying, yes, you are very valid to think them. And feel them, but don't live there. Don't stay there. And during the pandemic, this went on so many times. So many people looked at the negative side of everything that was going on. That it was overwhelmingly negative. So my thought process was, is toxic positivity related to the negativity bias. And that's my next frequently asked question is toxic positivity related to the negativity bias. While related toxic positivity and the negativity bias are not the same thing. Negativity bias refers to our tendency to give more attention and weight to negative information or experiences. While toxic positivity. Is an extreme focus on the positive that can lead to invalidation of negative emotions. So recently I did an episode and wrote an article about. Authentic positivity as opposed to toxic positivity because. To me, toxic positivity is a force positivity, through the book power vs force by Dr. David Hawkins, it's forcing positivity or doesn't belong. We're as authentic positivity is power positivity. And toxic positivity can be a reaction to a negativity bias. As people may feel pressured to suppress their negative emotions and put on a positive front and response to the pervasive negativity around them. And it's important to strike a balance between acknowledging and processing negative emotions while also cultivating a positive and growth oriented mindset. So, again, it's authentic positivity as opposed to forcing positivity on somebody. And I'm so glad that that word is dying out in the culture nowadays because people are back to normal and everything is fine. And so they're focusing more on the positive and they're not like. Getting all offended when somebody says, Hey, this is, this is authentic positivity here. Can you see that? Yeah. All right. That's my episode for today. I trust that you found that helpful and thank you for spending part of your day with me. If you know someone who can benefit from this, please share it with them. And until next time I will see you next time, peace out and Namaste.