Challenging Negativity Bias

If you’ve heard the term negativity bias before, you might know that it is a psychological phenomena. It basically asserts that negative events have a greater impact (in some research, even three times greater impact) on our brains than positive ones.

In these particularly challenging times, it’s very difficult to steer clear of the news that surrounds us. Harder still, is to find the positive in each day. However, if we don’t take measures to protect ourselves from this barrage of negativity, it can have a powerfully destructive effect on our behavior, decisions, and our relationships.

When someone says something that doesn’t happen to line up or fit with our ego identity, we aren’t able to hear it.

Part of the purpose of a spiritual path is to unmask and remove the armour of our fixed identity.

In this video, we explore the practices that help us build the facility to pause and notice our inner dialogue and our behaviors as they are happening.

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It’s only when we are aware of our thoughts that we have any shot at changing them. 

The Practice

This week, I’d like you to practice noticing when your mind might immediately favor the negative perspective as opposed to allowing you to entertain the positive possibility.

Over time and with practice, you will become more adept at noticing what your internal dialog is telling you.

Remember, this is not about seeking perfection. What we are doing is creating practices of awareness so that we can become more present to our behaviors in the moment over time. In essence, in an effort to ultimately become more responsive as opposed to reactive.

Commend yourself for being on the path. Allow yourself some breathing room, and be compassionate with yourself as you practice.


As a life, business and spiritual coach, meditation practitioner and spiritual teacher, Maggie Kelly has helped hundreds uncover, discover and discard their conditioned existence, habitual patterns and limiting beliefs which prevent them from living the life they envision. Join Maggie for a Complimentary 30-Minute Life Coaching Session today.