We often see messages encouraging happiness and positivity while blocking out negative things. According to life and careers coach Helen Dillon, this mindset isn’t beneficial. As she tells Healthline, it hinders us from critically analyzing our current situation.
“Positivity is a good mindset to have, but embracing the negative moments in our lives is what keeps us real,” she said.
As psychotherapist Gillian Fagan points out, negativity is also innate in humans. It is called a negativity bias, where we naturally expect the worst to come.
Fagan states that catastrophizing is rooted in our instinct for survival, and focusing too much on the positive may magnify feelings of failure when things don’t go our way.
Unpleasantries are a part of life, and it’s all about embracing their presence. Motivation Science Professor Dr. Bobby Hoffman notes that people who are more inclined to accept the negativity around them have better mental health. It all comes down to emotional regulation.
In an article for Psychology Today, Dr. Hoffman defines this as the conscious alteration of the appraisal and assessment of the emotion, which, in effect, neutralizes the negative consequences.
So, what is the shortest path to emotional regulation? Dr. Hoffman suggests restructuring our feelings and responses via simple acts of positive self-talk. It’s also about accepting that bad things happen to everyone, regardless of their personality and the existence of bad karma.
“Repeatedly accepting one's negative thoughts and emotions, rather than judging them, may allow individuals to repeatedly experience less negative emotion,” he wrote.
We’d also like to hear from you, readers. How do you process negativity? Is it something you avoid at all costs? Or do you recognize it as a part of life? Comment below!
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