How to Rewire Your Brain to Take BOTH Negative AND Positive

By Karima Leslie

Image by Ryan McGuire from Pixabay

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The Problem: Science Says We’re Kind of Suckers for Pain

Our brains are wired to seek out- and pay more attention to- unpleasant news. Termed “Negativity Bias” in Psychology, this pursuit of knowledge of negative things has helped us survive life threatening situations for generations. 
But as our society evolves and the accessibility of information grows, we become bombarded by everything that’s going wrong in the world which can leave us thinking that the world is an awful place.

But I Have Good News: 
In reality, the world is filled with just as much beauty & compassion as it is with ugliness & hate. It’s all a matter of what we pay attention to and what we’re fed. Reporting on positive news is rare in occurrence because bad news sells, not because there’s less of it. The world is still a wonderful place, the end is not nigh, and our planet is not past the point of saving. 

Step 1: Be Realistic
If we want to be informed, then we have to open ourselves up to the good as much as we do the bad.
Having a “realistic” view of the world does not equal cynicism or skepticism but a balanced understanding that both good and bad events occur all the time. Be mindful of your thoughts this week and be honest about acknowledging if you’re biased towards negativity. 

Try This Exercise to Find Out If You Have A Bias
Read the following scenarios and close your eyes as you think about your reaction. Really envision each scenario and go through possible thoughts & emotions that you would have:

• This week your boss told you you’re doing great and to keep up the good work, your partner left you a love note, your neighbor yelled at you for not cutting the grass often enough and for coming and going at weird hours, and your coming down with the flu
• In this month’s news a young entrepreneur designed a machine that can extract trash & debris to safely clean up the ocean, measles are a thing again, riots in India escalate amidst police brutality scandals, and a non-profit has found a way to turn saltwater intro drinkable water 

How did the above scenarios make you feel? Were your thoughts & emotions mostly negative, positive, or neutral?

The happiness, love, & beauty in the world can be overshadowed by the anger, darkness, & sadness which has a bigger platform. Because of this we must be diligent in seeking out joy. Below are some great resources to get you started and remember that for every bad news, there is good. Check in again next month for the next step you can take to make 2020 your best year yet!

• Positive.News https://www.positive.news/
• The Good News Network: https://www.goodnewsnetwork.org/
• The Happy Newspaper https://thehappynewspaper.com/shop/

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Karima Leslie

A chronic illness warrior herself, Karima Leslie has battled with debilitating chronic conditions as well as anxiety & depression that came along with them.  
Now a champion for mental, spiritual, & emotional health care, Karima Leslie practices as a Spiritual Life & Business Coach providing one-on-one online and in-person coaching sessions to help women kill overwhelm, boost confidence, & conquer fear. She is currently running online sessions & workshops on how to gain more energy, simplify recovery, find new joy in forgotten passions, and healing of the mind, body, & soul.
Founder of Arise and Thrive Co., check out her services & resources
on  Facebook https://www.facebook.com/AriseandThriveCo/,  Instagram https://www.instagram.com/ariseandthriveco/ , 
or contact her directly at karima.author@ariseandthriveco.com to get in on a free session and find out your next step is to making 2020 a better year!