Consuming More “Healthy Facts” for Emotional Well-being

“The brain is like Velcro for negative experiences, but Teflon for positive ones.”  Rick Hanson, PhD

It happens again … and again.  One small glitch while using our electronic health record (EHR) can quickly send my emotions spinning out of control and have me experiencing “potty brain” and sometimes even “potty mouth.”  I suspect some of you can relate.  Or perhaps you’re often derailed by a negative patient interaction?  Yeah, those get me as well.

I’m left wondering why I have such strong and predictably negative reactions under particular circumstances?   The explanation, according to neuroscience research, is that our brain has a pre-programmed “negativity bias” that evolved over millions of years as a survival mechanism.   Once we have labeled something as negative, we have an implicit memory that is made up of our previously imprinted emotions and unless we do something different, we will likely continue to get more of the same.  

As I have experienced just how powerful this negativity bias is in my own life and watched it play out in the lives of others, I have started to consider how I can better discipline myself to emotionally consume more of the “good facts” and avoid the “bad facts.”   After all, despite the frustrations I experience with our EHR, for example, I’d never want to go back to paper charts (for those who can even remember such a thing!).  And when I’m honest with myself, some of my more “challenging patients” have also become some of my favorites.  So this reframing of my “emotional diet” is not about denial, but rather about perspective.  By knowing my pre-programmed tendency to reach for those “bad facts,” particularly in certain circumstances, I can be more conscious about choosing a more balanced emotional diet. 

Psychologist Rick Hanson recommends 3 steps to help with this process.  First, he suggests that we be on the lookout for the good facts of positive events and turn them into good experiences by consciously noticing and allowing good feelings as they are happening.   Second, we should hold those positive emotions in awareness for 20-30 seconds and really enjoy the experience.  By staying with your positive feelings and allowing them to “fill you up,” you are reinforcing positive synaptic connections in your brain.  Finally, we should intend and visualize our future consumption of these “good facts” that are indeed all around so over time we can build stronger positive connections.       

Breaking the habit of our often mindless consumption of “negative facts” seems like a wise investment for a healthier emotional future.  This week, consider how you might look for opportunities to “consume” more positive experiences.  I suspect you’ll experience a lot less emotional heartburn ….