Negativity is often a product of depression or insecurity. It can stem from illness, life events, personality problems, and substance abuse. Like many things in life, negativity too, can become a habit. Frequent criticism, cynical thoughts, and denial can create neural pathways in the brain that encourage sadness.
It's natural to feel more pessimistic when things aren't going so well in our lives. Regular or even constant negative thinking can also be a sign of anxiety, depression, stress or low self-esteem. This sounds a bit strange, but negativity can also be contagious.
Negative emotions stop us from thinking and behaving rationally and seeing situations in their true perspective. When this occurs, we tend to see only what we want to see and remember only what we want to remember. This only prolongs the anger or grief and prevents us from enjoying life.
The human brain has a natural tendency to give weight to (and remember) negative experiences or interactions more than positive ones—they stand out more. Psychologists refer to this as negativity bias. “Our brains are wired to scout for the bad stuff” and fixate on the threat, says psychologist and author Rick Hanson.
Our brains have been hardwired through evolution to focus on the negative. Traced back to prehistoric days, primitive man had to be able to register threats to avoid danger and increase survival rates. Individuals who were more attuned to danger (negative stimuli) stayed alive longer and passed on their genes.
Constant worrying, complaining about anything and everything, lack of confidence, gloom and anxiety can be soul-destroying. These are the traits common among negative people. In life, as they say, there will be always good times and bad times too.
What Is Negativity Bias? Negativity bias refers to our proclivity to “attend to, learn from, and use negative information far more than positive information” (Vaish, Grossmann, & Woodward, 2008, p. 383).
If you have a negative attitude, you're more likely to negatively impact everything around you. By taking active steps to cultivate positivity, you can counteract and change a negative attitude. Let go of expectations. Negativity often begins with expectations of yourself or others.
Whilst everyone experiences negative thoughts now and again, negative thinking that seriously affects the way you think about yourself and the world and even interferes with work/study and everyday functioning could be a symptom of a mental illness, such as depression, anxiety disorders, personality disorders and ...
Affirm your positivity by doing nice things for a negative person on occasion. These don't have to be huge. Compliment them for something they genuinely did well. Remind them of a moment when they were happy and things were going well for them.
Negative people don't know that they are negative. They believe that they are completely rational, that they are realists.
You can learn to turn negative thinking into positive thinking. The process is simple, but it does take time and practice — you're creating a new habit, after all. Following are some ways to think and behave in a more positive and optimistic way: Identify areas to change.
Depressive disorders can make you feel exhausted, worthless, helpless, and hopeless. Such negative thoughts and feelings may make you feel like giving up. It's important to realize that these negative views are part of the depression.
"It is too cold to take a walk." "I do not have the willpower." "I should have eaten less dessert." "I haven't written down everything I eat." "It was my choice. Next time I can decide not to eat so much." "I'm writing down everything I eat because it helps me make better choices."
A toxic person is anyone whose behavior adds negativity and upset to your life. Many times, people who are toxic are dealing with their own stresses and traumas. To do this, they act in ways that don't present them in the best light and usually upset others along the way.
A: Negative thinking makes you feel blue about the world, about yourself, about the future. It contributes to low self-worth. It makes you feel you're not effective in the world. Psychologists link negative thinking to depression, anxiety, chronic worry and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD).
Don't give it! Instead, be direct and say something like, “I'm not OK just reassuring you over and over because it drains me and doesn't help you or you wouldn't keep asking.”
Spending time with negative people can be the fastest way to ruin a good mood. Their pessimistic outlooks and gloomy attitude can decrease our motivation and change the way we feel. But allowing a negative person to dictate your emotions gives them too much power in your life.