One explanation for this human tendancy is that the so called ‘negativity bias’ serves an evolutionary function. You will have more chances to be eaten by a lion hiding in the bush if, instead of being on guard and fearful, you continue to enjoy the view.
Our brain continually monitors for threats (it is trying to help us!), even though we don’t have many physical threats around us in this day and age. The problem is that our brain doesn’t distinguish between an actual threat (a lion) and a perceived threat (being fired because your boss is not happy).
If you encounter a lion, the threat is short lived – you are either dead or alive and can continue with your caveperson business. However, the perceived threat in your head can continue for days and trigger a cascade of physiological reactions that exhaust you, contribute to your lack of sleep and overall level of stress. Unfortunately, our ancient threat system has not adjusted well to the realities of the contemporary world.
A qualified psychologist can help you to deal with a negativity bias in many different ways:
- helping you to become aware of your threat system
- learning to distance yourself from your unhelpful thoughts
- bringing your attention to the present moment and into your senses
- teaching you to challenge your unhelpful thoughts so you can see the situation in a more realistic light.
