Negativity Bias Explained:

The negativity bias refers to a fundamental tendency to notice threats more than we see good things. We are naturally drawn to adverse events more than positive ones. The explanation is that focusing on threats increases the chance of survival. This also causes us to see threats often when they do not exist. Nature wants us to err on the side of caution to help ensure survival. It is better to think there is a tiger in the bush, even if there is no tiger, than not to think there is one when one is there. In the former scenario, you are negative, worried, and anxious; in the latter, you no longer exist.

The negativity bias shifts attention away from healthy, positive experiences toward more exciting, flashy, funny, emotional, or even mean experiences. Social media takes advantage of this by highlighting controversial or emotionally charged information because these companies understand that, ultimately, we pay more attention to adverse events than to positive events.

Students in school overreact, pay more attention to fights, and worry about humiliation because of this bias. If ten things happen during the day, nine are positive, and one is negative, we will likely think more about the one negative than all nine positives together. We might notice that it is a beautiful day outside, yet this bias may encourage negative thoughts, such as wondering how many of these days I have left or thinking about all of the things we must do today.

The negativity bias makes us hypervigilant and makes it difficult to relax and enjoy life. The lower, more powerful part of the brain is programmed to prioritize behaviors that increase our chances of survival. Because of this, we take threats seriously and pay more attention to any adverse events that threaten our survival. This may be perfectly natural and helpful for physical survival, but this bias is powerful and can contribute to maladaptive adjustment problems like sadness and negative ruminations, and it can increase depression and anxiety.

This negativity bias may have been helpful or adaptive a few hundred or thousands of years ago, but times have changed, and threats are very different today. This natural selection toward hypervigilance likely accounts for the higher level of anxiety that many people experience today. We are constantly bombarded with negative, emotional, controversial, and even false information designed to capture our attention and influence our opinions, beliefs, and spending habits.

To balance this bias, we must focus more on the positive things and savor or illuminate small daily positive events by noticing the little things that make life more enjoyable. The idea is to train yourself to notice and hold on to positive daily events and learn to savor small things, take in the good, and allow goodness to sink into your heart and mind. If we briefly notice positive things and let them pass without notice, we tend to regress toward paying more attention to negative events.

The idea is to form positive intentions toward noticing small good things, hold on to good things longer (maintain attention), and allow them to sink in to help you develop more feelings of gratitude and appreciation. This means developing a daily practice of focusing on little things like how good the shower feels in the morning, the first cup of coffee, the drive to work, what may be happening in nature, our pets, our friends, noticing coworkers and loved ones, and actively smiling and saying good morning to everyone. You know, savoring the little things that make your life meaningful if you notice.

. The "Three-to-One" Ratio

Neurobiology suggests that our brains have a negativity bias—we are hardwired to notice threats more than rewards. Research by Dr. Barbara Fredrickson suggests we need a specific ratio to stay resilient.

• The Practice: For every one negative "automated" thought you have, intentionally identify three small, positive "micro-moments" (e.g., a good cup of coffee, a green light on the way to work, a funny text).

• The Goal: This isn't about ignoring the bad; it's about training your brain to notice that the good exists simultaneously.

  This also means celebrating small accomplishments by giving yourself kudos when you take even a small step toward a more complex behavior pattern you may be trying to establish. When you notice others or intentionally focus more on positive things in your life, you shift your brain out of the “selfing” mode and into the task-positive mode that exists in the real world, outside your head.

There are several other common biases that can influence thoughts.

Availibity Bias

Confirmation Bias

Relying too heavily on the first piece of information that comes to mind when making decisions.

When you rule out a situation or location because you feel it is in the “dying end of town.” It takes a person looking at the situation differently to see the area or situation as a place with potential that can be revitalized and turned into a place of growth. Perhaps there are already great folks and stores there that you wouldn’t know about unless you took the time to explore the area.

When we make ourselves aware of these automatic decisions, we can look at the situation at a deeper level, ensure we have thoroughly considered the facts, ask questions, and then make an informed decision.

Have you truly considered the person or the situation as a whole, or did you let your brain categorize something for you as you attempt to move on?

Detecting your biases is the biggest step—your biases come from how you’re made and how you’re raised, but catching them in the moment and questioning them is who you truly are, not those reactions themselves. That’s how you grow.