Train yourself to view your day more positively

Photo by Scott Grahamon Unsplash

How do you judge your day?
I think it’s a natural human tendency to judge our day by what we haven’t done. I often catch myself looking down my “to do list” and beating myself up on what I should have finished, rather than noticing all the things I actually achieved. This inclination to focus on the negative is what Psychologists call the cognitive negative bias.

What is cognitive negative bias?

There is a default survival setting within us to scan for danger to keep us safe. We have evolved to shoot first and ask questions later. A case of better to be sure than sorry. So, we have this natural tendency to let the bad stuff outweigh the good. Studies show “Bad is stronger than good” (Roy F. Baumeisteret al., 2001) Simply put bad news carries more weight than good news – look what has happened to Oxford Astra Zeneca. By being aware of this little human trait, being conscious of our inclination to dwell on the negative, we can look how this affects our behaviour and our mood. We can teach ourselves to stand back, to try and catch ourselves being this way and come up with alternatives that may be more helpful. To know that we have a choice that this way of thinking is not the only way.

“No one can make you feel inferior without your consent.” Eleanor Roosevelt

Here is a simple exercise to view your day more positively
When you come to the end of your day, practice writing down all your achievements large and small. Anything from finishing a project, closing a deal, giving a presentation, working out, making dinner, or even calling your mum. The more you do this, the more you are teaching yourself to focus on the positive even if you don’t feel like it. It’s a practice, and with time it will become second nature. Acknowledging what you have achieved each and every day can give you a sense of accomplishment and a little happy hormone hit. It may also provide you with some clarity about what you are doing and perhaps with some reflection can help you to shake things up. So, pat yourself on the back and realise how much you have done rather than what you haven’t.

• Write down what you have achieved at the end of the day, reflect on the progress that you have made and acknowledge it as something good
• Avoid focusing upon the things that were on your list but you did not get to. These can be included in the list for tomorrow
• Applaud and value what you have done

“With the new day comes new strength and new thoughts.” Eleanor Roosevelt