Your brain is incredibly intelligent. It’s designed to keep you safe, aware, and alive. That’s its primary job, and it does it well.

But there’s a catch.

Because your brain is wired for survival, it naturally leans toward what could go wrong. This is known as negative bias—the tendency to notice, remember, and give more weight to negative experiences than positive ones.

What Negative Bias Actually Looks Like

It’s not always obvious. It often shows up in very normal, everyday moments:

  • You receive mostly positive feedback… but one critical comment sticks
  • You have a great week at work… but one off meeting replays in your mind
  • You remember an awkward interaction from years ago like it just happened (call me guilty!)

Even when the positive far outweighs the negative, the negative feels louder.

That’s not a personal failing. It’s how your brain works.

Research has consistently shown that negative experiences tend to have a stronger psychological impact than positive ones. Your brain is essentially scanning for risk, trying to protect you from future harm.

Useful? Yes.
Accurate? Not always.

Why This Matters for Wellbeing and Work

If left unchecked, this bias can shape how you see yourself, your work, and other people.

It can lead to:

  • Overthinking and self-criticism (the not-useful kind)
  • Hesitation to take initiative after one mistake
  • Teams focusing more on what’s wrong than what’s working
  • Leaders unintentionally creating environments where feedback feels heavier than recognition.

Over time, this doesn’t just impact performance, it also impacts wellbeing. Because what feels “neutral” isn’t actually neutral. Left alone, your mind tends to drift negative.

Balance Isn’t What You Think It Is

We often think balance means treating everything equally. But when your brain already overweights the negative, equal attention doesn’t create balance—it reinforces the imbalance.

A more helpful way to think about it is this:

Balance is more balanced when you focus on adjustment.

Just like your body might need more time stretching one side than the other simply by nature of how our bodies hold tension differently on different sides, your mind may need more intentional focus on the positive to actually land somewhere balanced.

Not forced positivity. Not ignoring problems. Just recalibrating through attention and intention.

How to Work With Your Brain (Not Against It)

The goal isn’t to eliminate negative thoughts. It’s to change your relationship with them.

Here are a few practical ways to start:

1. Actively Notice What’s Going Well

This sounds simple, because it is. But it’s not automatic. You have to catch it on purpose.

That might look like:

  • Acknowledging progress, not just outcomes
  • Noticing small wins in your day
  • Recognising effort (yours or others’), not just results.

If you don’t actively notice it, your brain won’t prioritise it.

2. Give More Positive Input Than Feels Necessary

This is where people get uncomfortable. But if your brain naturally leans negative, then what feels like “too much” positive input might actually be closer to balanced. This isn’t about being over the top or false. It’s about being intentional.

Especially in leadership, this matters:

  • Recognition shouldn’t only show up alongside criticism
  • Positive feedback needs space to stand on its own.

Otherwise, it loses its impact.

3. Get Specific With Recognition

Vague positivity doesn’t land.

Instead of:

  • “Good job”

Try:

  • “You handled that conversation really clearly and calmly. That made a notable difference”

Specificity helps your brain actually register the experience.

4. Slow Down Your Assumptions

When something feels off, your brain fills in the gaps, often negatively.

A simple question can interrupt that pattern:

“Is this true, or is it just loud?”

Sometimes the thought isn’t more important, it’s just more intense. That small pause can create a surprising amount of space (and grace).

This Isn’t About Ignoring Reality

This isn’t about pretending everything is fine. It’s not about toxic positivity or bypassing real issues.

You can still:

  • Address problems
  • Feel frustrated
  • Have emotional reactions.

But you’re not automatically letting the loudest voice define the whole picture.

A More Accurate Perspective

Your brain will always have a bias, but you get to decide what you reinforce. With awareness, intention, and small consistent shifts, you can move closer to something that feels more like true balance—not a version of reality skewed by what feels loudest.

And in a time where many people feel stretched, overwhelmed, or uncertain, this difference can be the difference.

You can listen to episode 204 of the Get Jasched podcast to explore more about this topic.