POV: You prefer negativity

Hey y'all.

How's your Mental Health Awareness month going so far? To bring in the awareness, we laid foundation with metacognition — the idea that we don’t have to be passive passengers in our own minds. But, this week, our focus will be on how even though humans aren't innately designed to be a bunch of negative Nancie's, we're still hardwired with negativity bias, an adaptive trait that makes negative information and events more intense, urgent, and memorable than positive ones, & how we can move forward with that truth in mind. 

Negativity bias is an ancient alarm system running on modern software, and unless you learn to override it, it will run your life. Back in the day, a heightened sensitivity to potential threats was essential, but now, a simple post you don't agree with is enough to set you on edge.

Our environment has changed, but this bias still persists and largely influences how we react in several ways, like:

• When losing $20 stings more than finding $20 feels good.

• One critique outweighs a week of compliments.

• Media outlets thrive on fear because fear grabs attention faster than joy ever will.

• Algorithms amplify outrage because outrage keeps you scrolling.

We put more weight behind the negative because we all subconsciously PREFER NEGATIVITY.

None of this is personal failure, by the way — it’s biology. But biology isn’t destiny. That’s the part we have to remember.

So, I've got to ask, if we're really talking that 'growth' talk, but you're STILL feeding into all the negativity around you, the talk is just that, talk. You're just performing growth at this point.

If you really want to start practicing, I'm challenging you to lock in the rejooov way:

KNOW YOURSELF:

Cause ain't shit happening unless you,

1. Know your triggers.

2. Know your patterns.

3. Know what sets you off before it sets you off.

Self-awareness isn’t soft work — it’s strategic work. It’s the first line of defense against your own wiring.

BE PRESENT

Negativity bias thrives on autopilot. Presence interrupts it.

1. Pay attention to what’s actually happening, not what your brain is predicting.

2. Choose not to engage with rage bait.

3. Recognize when something is designed to provoke you and refuse to play along.

Presence is power because it gives you the space to choose your response instead of reacting on instinct.

BE MINDFUL:

Mindfulness isn’t about being calm — it’s about being conscious.

1. Breathe before you respond.

2. Notice your emotions without judging them.

3. Let the feeling pass through instead of letting it take over.

Mindfulness is how you keep your internal world from being hijacked by external nonsense.

PICK YOUR BATTLES

This is the part people think they’re good at… until they’re not.

Ask yourself:

1. “Is it even that deep?”

2. “Will this matter in a week?”

3. “Does this deserve my energy or am I just conditioned to react?”

Most things aren’t worth the cortisol spike.

PRACTICE GRATITUDE

This is the antidote to negativity bias — not because it’s cute or trendy, but because it literally rewires the brain.

• Train your mind to register the good.

• Let positive moments linger.

• Make joy memorable on purpose.

Gratitude is not ignoring the bad — it’s refusing to let the bad dominate the narrative.

If you’re feeding negativity every day — through your habits, your attention, your reactions — you can’t claim you’re committed to growth. Growth requires discipline, not just desire.

If you want a different life, you have to train your mind like it matters.

Start rejooov'n with me today! Join the collective and have your first order of business be to start finding your glimmer moments! If you haven't joined our weekly newsletter, I highly recommend it if any of this resonated with you. We do a deeper dive into these rejooovisms, share more wellness tips, suggestions, and journal prompts to help you along your wellness journey.

Thanks for reading! Like, share, & tell me your thoughts below.

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Love & Light,

- Cina