Is it bad luck or pessimism?
Being negative is easy. Let’s learn how to beat that, and cultivate a more positive mindset.
I used to be someone with the worst luck. I mean, seriously, it was a running joke in my friend group that if anything could go wrong, it would happen to me.
As funny as that may sound, "bad luck" became a part of my identity. I would never allow myself to get too hopeful while waiting for positive news, and even in joyful moments, I'd perpetually anticipate the other shoe dropping.
The question was – Am I truly cursed with some sort of bad luck juju, or was I, in some way, attracting negativity with my mindset? Now, I'm not suggesting that having a bad day is your fault, but it's intriguing how many people connect through negativity and drama.
Study: negative words dominate language
In a 2005 study by Robert Schrauf, an unexpected result emerged. Two sets of participants, one in their 20s and the other in their 60s, were asked to list as many words as they could in two minutes that express emotion from their working memory.
"I found this surprising result,” Schrauf says. "Half of the words that people produce to express emotion – are negative. 30 percent are positive, and 20 percent are neutral." Even without this study to support it, I think it's safe to say that it's often easier to be negative than positive. However, let's not overlook the ways in which society conditions us to view the world in a negative light.
“1. Angry
2. Sad
3. Afraid
4. Happy”
Consider the daily news, for example. About 90% of the time, it's focused on crises rather than the positive happenings in the world and don't get me wrong; I know it's crucial to stay informed about global issues. But starting your day on a negative note has more adverse effects than we may realize.
How pessimism is conditioned.
It wasn't until I understood the effects of the Reticular Activating System (RAS) that I became more motivated to think positively.
Your RAS is a cluster of nerves in your brainstem that filters what you consider important in life. Essentially, what you consume in the news, on social media, and what you converse about becomes the focal point of your attention.
It's like someone asking you to watch for only the red cars on the highway for a minute and then having to recall only the blue ones.
Where your focus goes, energy flows. So, if you fixate on the negative, the negativity becomes amplified.
Your action for the week.
Your brain is at its most priming state right before bed and right when waking up. Meaning, you change the negative affects of RAS conditioning way faster.
This week, you have the choice do any of these before bed and right after waking up;
⚡️Level one: Listen to happy (or frequency) music.
⚡️⚡️Level two: Listen, or write out positive affirmations. Here’s an audio example I’ve recently tried :)
⚡️⚡️⚡️Level three: Meditate for positive mindset. I love Boho Beautiful Yoga, so I would recommend this one !
Just make sure…
☀️ In the morning: has to be done before scrolling on social media or watching the news.
🌙 At night: has to be done right before sleep.
Hi! I’m Bianca Venchiarutti. I started this blog fresh out of university (and in the midst of an identity crisis). To regain a sense of purpose in my life I dove into multiple personal development books and they humbled me in the profound amount of information I must still learn—and unlearn.
That’s where the “detox” came from! Unlearning is becoming even more valuable for us “twentysomethings” than just acquisitive learning. Although I don’t know everything, I will share with you the knowledge I gather along the way :)
