KEEPING IT REAL Why is it that no matter how great things are, we can still get sidetracked by negativity? There’s not a single one of us who can claim we’re happy 100% of the time, so honestly, why is it easier for us to believe the self-doubts, to get caught up in the gossiping, or to hang onto past hurts? Do we all have some penchant for the shadowy side of life, or is there something else at work here? Psychologists call this phenomenon the negativity bias, which traces back to our most primal instincts. Keeping an eye out for the bad kept you alive evolutionarily speaking, but studies over the last few years are just starting to show how these responses change our very DNA and then subsequently pass through the generations. Research also shows that bad events elicit greater neurological activity responses in our brains as opposed to their good-vibing counterparts. THE HARD TRUTH The body’s most powerful computer, the brain, controls decision-making, reasoning, and judgement. Once biased, we start to see people differently, expect poorer outcomes, and eventually because we assume the worst, we can talk ourselves out of even taking the risk. A 2011 National Library of Medicine report linked negative biases with depression, add a global pandemic and it’s no wonder The World Health Organization reports that, “globally, more than 264 million people of all ages suffer from depression [which] at its worst can lead to suicide.” Over the past year help lines have been ringing off the hook across North America, and the Boston University School of Public Health ran a first-ever study that found “27.8% of U.S. adults had depression symptoms as of mid-April [2020], compared to 8.5% before the COVID-19 pandemic.” OPENING UP THE DIALOGUE Larry Gardner, a charismatic EXIT associate who’s known for his strong attitude of gratitude admits that even he’s had a hard time feeling the “love” over the last year saying, “In this social media reality and world of constant need to portray confidence no matter what’s truly going on, is it okay to keep it real and let people know that things are a little funky?” he questioned, “Having the best year of my career in full transparency, I’ve been depressed…since September. On a
40 Volume 10 Issue 1
Photo by Finn on Unsplash
BY MELANIE ROBITAILLE SR. STAFF WRITER & GRAPHIC DESIGNER
