Our brains are wired for a negativity bias.
Bummer, huh?
We all, by default, tend to be natural Eeyore’s, looking for the cloud, the crack, the fault, the rolled eyes, the raised eyebrow, the implied criticism, the pursed lips, the blemish, the deficit etc.
There is a way out…and that is to work to change the wiring of our brain. That is done by multiple choices, a discipline to create a world that notices the positive. There are five steps that leading neuroscience researcher Rick Hanson suggests to create increased positive space in your brain.
The strategy:
- Mull over a pleasant stimulus for a prolonged period (and we’re talking 5-10 seconds, rather than just a fraction of a second…this is still not a long time, eh?)
- Have it be as embodied as possible…the sensations, the emotions…let them fill you
- Help it to be as intense as possible
- Focus on novelty…observe at the fresh/new aspects of the experience so it doesn’t become stale
- Experience the sensation as personally relevant…how is this important food for my soul?
I like this specific plan that has us work to change our brains so that they have greater resilience and ability to handle life.
Don’t we all want to be able to value and appreciate life? Don’t we all want to increase our capacity for joy? Wouldn’t it be wonderful to have a clear strategy to put “emotional gas in your tank” for the inevitably rough moments in the day?
This is a discipline that’s worth practicing…and even in the practicing, will be pleasurable
Can you imagine:
- finding pleasure in smelling, feeling and looking at the wet hair of a child after a bath
- looking at, smelling, tasting the fresh green crunch of a Granny Smith apple
- luxuriating in the sound and picture of a co-worker’s belly laugh
- feeling the pleasant soft crunch of newly fallen snow beneath one’s feet
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