7 Practical Ways You Can Reduce Negativity Bias in Your Life

“Negativity is the surest way to tear yourself down, and the surest way to ensure you won’t be able to get back up.”

— Patrick Bisher, Navy SEAL

If you find yourself skimming over positive experiences in your life but dwelling on the negative then you are not alone.

Negativity bias is our unfortunate disposition to be more affected by negative stimuli than positive stimuli. Furthermore, we dwell on these negative events and experiences for far longer.

Negative stimuli can be internal or external; something we can control or can’t. Essentially, anything negative that can be controlled should try to be reduced if you want to increase positive stimuli in your life.

Here are six ways that I have made small changes in my life to reduce negativity bias and promote positivity.

1. Buy new bedsheets

For about six months, I had the same duvet set on my bed. As a result, I needed to wash, dry, and make the bed all in the space of a day because I didn’t have a spare. But that wasn’t the problem.

My room looked the same all of the time. Given I spend most of the day there, it subconsciously brought my mood down. There was no variety in my life.

I decided to fix that.

I bought a lighter-colored, patterned duvet set. It’s spruced up my room and added a bit of change to my life.

Sometimes, that’s all you need.

A new and different duvet set can act as a fresh filter for your life. A small positive change can lift your mood and promote more positive changes.

2. Get changed into comfortable clothes as soon as you get home

Whenever I see my dad lounging around in jeans, I think to myself, “How can he possibly do that?!” But it’s easily done.

You may go into autopilot when you arrive home. However, leaving your work clothes on carries the outside world with you, or rather, on you.

Work clothes, and even jeans, feel uncomfortable when at home. Leaving them on might encourage feelings of discomfort and annoyance when your home should be a place of relaxation.

Instead, get changed as soon as you get in.

I’ve done it for as long as I can remember. Comfortable clothes signal relaxation. It’s time to take the outside world’s baggage off and put it in the drawer. As one Reddit user puts it:

“As soon as I walk through the door I go from Business Woman to the Braless Wonder in a matter of seconds.”

A nice pair of tracksuit bottoms, slippers, and a baggy jumper is, in my opinion, just as vital as a pair of jeans or a suit. There’s nothing quite like the feeling of slipping into something comfortable after a long day.

Even if you work from home, it might be a good idea to put on work clothes during the day and then changing once you clock out. That way, you’re subconsciously signaling a change in mindset. You’re telling yourself it’s time to switch off.

3. Plan your gym and meal schedule on a Sunday

Life can feel quite stop-start when you don’t plan ahead. I’ve caught myself saying phrases like this far too often:

“What am I going to eat for dinner?”

“When will I workout this week?”

“What should I train today?”

“Should I make lunch or buy it at work?”

However, taking the time to plan your week takes away the worry and pressure of deciding on the spot. Most importantly, you can enjoy the time you’ve freed up. You’re lending out a helping hand to your future self. The gym can become cathartic and meals can be devoured stress-free.

Once you do it a few times, you’re more likely to repeat the process down the line. So, every Sunday (the day I prefer), take 30–60 minutes and plan your week’s meals and exercises. This way, you’re reveling in the time you’ve saved and can put it to good use.

4. Listen to some binaural beats.

A while back, I came across something called binaural beats. They’re specific soundwaves designed to affect your brain in various ways. The set I came across was a 10-hour ‘lucid dream’ version on Youtube.

I gave it a whirl.

I soon felt like I was laying on a marshmallow. The beats cozied up with my brainwaves and let all of the tension flow out of me. It’s no wonder, as Healthline states binaural beats promote positive thoughts, reduce anxiety, and increase relaxation. It’s an easily accessible way of positively changing your mood. Think of it as a shower for your negative thoughts. Binaural beats help you wash them away.

5. Watch a poorly-reviewed movie and laugh at it.

The funniest films I’ve seen are also the worst.

Watching a comically poor film lowers your expectations. You’re not expecting it to be good, so you’re not putting any pressure on yourself to enjoy it. But because it’s hilariously poor, you probably will anyway.

My friends and I have watched the famously awful film The Room at least ten times, and every time we forgot about the stresses of university work. My face went fuzzy from laughing so much. Even thinking about it now makes me smile.

Here’s a list of so-bad-it’s-funny movies to try with IMDb ratings:

• The Room — Tommy Wiseau. 3.7/10. (The Disaster Artist is an excellent follow-up. It hilariously tells the story of how The Room was made.)
• The Happening — M. Night Shyamalan. 5/10.
• Best F(r)iends Vol 1 & Vol 2— Justin McGregor. 5.4/10 & 5.1/10.
• Catwoman — Pitof. 3.4/10.
• Batman & Robin- — Joel Schumacher. 3.8/10.

I’ve seen them all, and they are absolutely terrible. In a good way.

6. Look for new music each week.

An eNeuro study found that pathological gamblers were more likely to curb their betting impulses when asked to think about a future experience. They chose long-term gratification over short-term gratification.

That works in a short-term sense too.

Adding new music to your library has a similar effect to changing your bedsheets. But this time, you’re bringing some freshness to your ears.

Every week I go through Spotify’s ‘Discover Weekly’ and ‘Release Radar.’ Usually, I find some good songs, occasionally some great ones. When that happens, I can alleviate any self-imposed pressure on myself by listening to the new music throughout the day.

It’s like finding pockets of excitement in amongst the ordinary.

While it’s tempting to listen to a good song on repeat when you first hear it, I like to restrain myself. I’ll plan moments I can listen to it, such as a dog walk or gym session. It helps give me something to be excited about.

After all, who doesn’t love new music?

7. Read someone else’s story.

Sometimes, it’s easy to focus on what’s wrong with your world; you get lost in your story. Before you know it, all aspects of your life, no matter how small, are infecting your thinking. However, getting lost in and admiring a stranger’s story can help leave you in a sense of awe and wonderment for a while.

As I write this, I have Matthew McConaughey’s new book Greenlights sitting on my shelf. It was a birthday gift, and I am excited to get stuck in his life.

While I love fiction, the true story element always catches my eye. When reading non-fiction, you can often ask yourself, “This actually happened?!” The disbelief helps ease the pressure you’re putting on yourself.

Perhaps you might write your autobiography someday.

Take it easy on yourself, one small step at a time.

I know what it’s like to beat yourself up despite knowing you’re doing well. Left unchecked, negativity bias can be easy to miss. To fix the issue, I don’t believe you need anything revolutionary. In fact, the simpler the better.

Your inner critic can be difficult to silence, so be patient with yourself. Use the techniques above or find your own small ways to curb negativity and promote positivity. Even small changes can make a big difference.

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