Cultivating flow with positive emotions

- When we're feeling overwhelmed, it's really hard to see the positive things happening around us. This is one of my primary areas of research, understanding the impact of what we call negativity bias, or a heightened awareness of what's potentially threatening in our environment. The human brain seems primed to pay more attention to what's bad than what's good. Consider the fact that we have about five times more fear-based circuits in the brain than reward circuits, and that on average we react much more quickly to negative faces or situations than positive or neutral. We also know by looking at brain scans in action that when we're focused on threats we limit our ability to use our most important cognitive capacities, things like creativity and collaboration. Unfortunately, when we feel overwhelmed, it can lead to a negative spiral where we feel bad and we see bad, and then we feel worse and we see worse. But on the flip side, positive psychology research has expanded our appreciation of just how quickly positive moments can break the cycle. Shifting your attention to something you appreciate, feel grateful for, or are looking forward to, can actually give you more brain power to problem solve and give you just enough of an energy boost to consider a more helpful approach. One of the quickest ways to engage a positive emotion is to think about someone you appreciate. You can also think about a situation that's going well in your life, something you're looking forward to, or even a place you've been before that you really enjoyed. The key with any of these techniques is to try to put yourself with that person you care about or in that place you enjoy, so that you can really sense in your body how it feels, and then give yourself some time to soak in that positive sensation to get the full benefit. So let's try it together right now. Close your eyes and think about a person you appreciate. If that feels challenging, you can also think about something simple in your life, like having a roof over your head, or having a meal to eat when you need it. See if you can feel in your body what it feels like to be grateful, keeping in mind that the more you practice getting into this state, the easier it will be. Now, when you feel ready, go ahead and open your eyes. If you want to boost your positivity even more, take a few moments to write down what you feel grateful for and why. And if you really want to maximize it, talk about it with someone you care about. Research says that in order to thrive, we need about three to five positive experiences for every negative one, so think about where in your day you can make time for these positive moments. And go ahead and put a few specific positivity breaks into your schedule right now. If you have a hard time taking breaks consistently, try pairing them with something you already do, just make sure that you slow down enough to get the full effect. Like, instead of chugging your morning cup of coffee, try making it a moment where you can just sit, and sip, and enjoy it with gratitude. Or take a walk where you reflect on people you appreciate. You could slow down enough to give thanks before a meal or have a song that you listen to in the car before going home after work that reminds you of what you feel grateful for. These are small nudges to your neurons to start paying more attention to things around you that are positive, which will help to create more capacity and less overwhelm.