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Do you ever catch yourself thinking, “Everything sucks”? Or worse, “I suck. Everything I do seems to go wrong." You are not alone in this. At times, it can feel as though there is simply no path forward. Think about scrolling through the news—we are often more drawn to depressing headlines. Or when we receive criticism, we may dwell on what went wrong rather than what we did well. It is not always a case of being a negative person; there is a term for this pattern of thinking, and it is called negativity bias.

Psychologists define negativity bias as the human tendency to focus more on the negative aspects of an experience or circumstance than the positive ones. This is a skill that evolution trained us with to stay alert to danger so that we could better prepare for it.

But modern society no longer places us regularly in the paths of predators or environmental threats. (At least, not nearly as often as early humans had to face.) In today’s world, negativity bias may help us learn adaptation and survival as children, such as not touching something hot or not sticking a finger into an electric socket. However, we don’t consciously unlearn this bias as we grow into adulthood.

For example, we may react more emotionally or uncontrollably to negative situations. Or when something bad happens during an otherwise decent week, our mind can become fixated on that.

At that point, negativity bias is no longer helping you survive or protect yourself in any meaningful way. So, how do we deal with it? The answer is simple, though putting it into practice may take time: we learn to refocus our thinking toward the more positive aspects of things.

There is an obvious and accessible place to begin—self-reflection. Check in with yourself regularly throughout the day, and you may begin to notice the less helpful thoughts that arise. Sort through them and reflect on them. Albert Ellis’ ABC technique can be useful here. It suggests that it is not external events themselves that drive our emotions, but our beliefs about those events.

Let’s say a negative situation occurs, and you react strongly to it. Pause. Become aware of your behaviour and the consequences of that reaction. Then work backwards to understand what may have caused it. Ask yourself what you were focusing on before experiencing a so-called negative emotion such as anger, resentment, or frustration. Consider whether you may have unconsciously allowed negativity bias to take the wheel, and then look for ways to replace those thoughts with more balanced or constructive ones.

It is easier said than done, of course. But with consistent effort and practice, the brain can learn to rewire itself. It may not be possible to stay positive at all times, nor should that be the goal. But understanding where our emotions come from, and learning to respond to them better, can slowly and steadily lead us toward healthier lives.