Episode #10 Negativity Bias

Hey there, and welcome to Journey Around the Pole. I’m Kitty For those of you who are new to the podcast, let me tell you a little bit about what this journey—and this podcast—is all about. At its heart, it’s about my journey into pole dancing, the creative process, and all of the lessons I’ve picked up along the way. But there’s another piece of my story that I bring into this space. I’m a retired psychotherapist with over 15 years of clinical experience, and I’ve taken that experience and morphed it into my work as an Integrative Wellness and Performance Coach, Trainer, and Consultant. So we're going to talk about all kinds of things—mindset, motivation, performance, mental health, anxiety, mindset blocks, those pesky roadblocks that get in our way, and all the other things that impact how we show up in our lives. I love taking these topics and making them real, relatable, and something we can actually talk about. And honestly, one of my favorite parts is connecting with people, hearing their stories, and having those conversations about how we can move through the things that sometimes hold us back. So whether you’re here for the pole, the mindset stuff, the wellness, the performance, or maybe a little bit of all of it, I’m really happy you’re here. Welcome to Journey Around the Pole. Let’s get started. So today I want to talk about something that is built into our brain. That is supposed to keep us safe. But sometimes, It can hinder our process. It can keep us stuck in our tracks. And what is that? - negativity bias. We all have it. From an evolutionary standpoint, the negativity bias is meant to keep us safe. It says, hey, you don't wanna step off that curb into traffic because there's cars coming and you will be flat like a waffle, which is a pancake with abs. I love telling that joke. But that's what the negativity bias does. It keeps us safe. It’s the brains voluntary safety mech to keep us safe. There are several mechanisms in our brain and body that will alert us to keep us safe. Those systems produce body sensations, thoughts and feeling and then we either go into action or inaction for safety purposes. Again, that brain wants to keep the body safe. Here's a quick break down of how that happens and then I will give you one of my examples: The Mind (software of the brain): Threat detection: the amygdala acts faster than the lower rational part of your brain the prefrontal cortex. This is your emotional alarm system think anxiety and fear. Create or retrieval of memories: Negative memories will come up faster than those positive ones and if it’s a first-time event that memory is stored. If you’ve been triggered, it because of an encoded memory that’s been retrieved. It’s quite fast. And those negative memories can be brutal and visceral. The Body: Stress Response: the body/brain and systems release stress hormones like cortisol and adrenaline. Physical Response: heart rate increase, tingling sensations, sweat and other system shut down- this prepares for you to duck and cover or fight it out against that perceived threat. THOUGHTS: Ruminate much? Your mind can get trapped in a vicious cycle, replaying embarrassing, mistakes, or criticisms over and over again. Involuntary: The initial trigger is usually automatic. When you are at rest or stressed, your brain activates the Default Mode Network (DMN). This network automatically surfaces past memories, regrets, and anxieties without your conscious permission. Voluntary: Once you become aware that you are ruminating, the process becomes voluntary. You make a subconscious or conscious choice to keep feeding the thought loop rather than shifting your attention elsewhere. Mental Filtering: Thoughts that are actively editing out the positive so you can see what can only happen negatively or what has happened negatively. Did you know that as we age, we begin to remember more positive events… there’s research study on nostalgia…. It was quite interesting. Emotions: Bring on the negative: Unpleasant emotions like, fear, anger, anxiety and sadness will come up faster than joy and calm. Again that negativity bias. Feedback: Lingering stress or emotional distress or dis-ease keeps our brains on high alert for future threats. We will see it first and foremost before we see the good stuff. Tips on getting out of the loop: • Reframe the story • Limit your Intake • Gratitude – Thanks a Thousand A.J. Jacobs • What went well instead of what went wrong Remember as much we are wired for safety we can also experience joy and calm. We can rewire our brain and create new neuro networks in our brains. It takes effort but it’s possible through neuroplasticity. Another fun topic I love to discuss. I love the brain. Well I think that may be it for this. I truly wanted to this to be short. If you want to talk more about this let me. You can DM and schedule a call for a training or coaching session. If you like what you’re hearing please feel free to like and subscribe. If you are hearing this on Buy Me a Coffee, feel free to buy me a coffee. It not only supports my coffee addiction but also helps me produce the work you’re hearing. With that being said, Namaste and Live Long and Prosper. See ya round the pole.