Your cart

We’ve all been there—caught in a cycle of negative thoughts that seem to spiral out of control. Whether it's replaying a past mistake, worrying about a future event, or focusing on what went wrong—our minds often have a way of clinging to the negative. This tendency to focus on the bad rather than the good is something our brains are hardwired to do.

But here’s the good news: you don’t have to remain stuck in that negative mindset. By understanding how your brain works and practicing simple techniques to shift your focus, you can train yourself to break free from those cycles and embrace a more positive outlook on life! Even more, you can literally train your brain to stay positive with neurofeedback, a science-backed brain training technique.

This article presents useful tips on how to train your brain to be positive, as well as details about why you are more likely to focus on negative thoughts.

Key Takeaways

• The brain has a natural tendency to focus more on negative experiences than positive ones. This was once a survival mechanism but now contributes to overthinking and a negative perspective.

• The Default Mode Network is the brain's "autopilot" system that can become a breeding ground for negative thought patterns, often causing self-judgment.

• The brain has the incredible ability to reorganize and form new neural connections thanks to its neuroplasticity. This allows you to retrain your brain to be positive, teaching it to focus less on negative thoughts. The Mendi headband can be a valuable tool in guiding your brain toward the positive path.

• To train your brain to be positive and break negative thought patterns, you have to identify, write down, challenge, and reframe your pessimistic thoughts. Mindfulness, practicing gratitude, and a healthy lifestyle are also useful in this regard.

Why Do We Focus on the Negative?

Have you ever wondered why exactly we focus so much on the negative instead of enjoying the overwhelming benefits of positive emotions?

One major challenge comes from the brain's negativity bias, a natural tendency to pay more attention to negative events or experiences than positive ones. This bias developed as a survival mechanism as humans needed to quickly detect and respond to threats in order to survive.

Today, however, with fewer imminent threats, negativity bias can lead to overthinking, rumination, and an overall negative perspective on life. For example, if someone receives five compliments and one criticism, the brain is more likely to focus on that single criticism, despite the overall positive feedback.

The Default Mode Network

Another factor contributing to pessimistic thought patterns is the Default Mode Network (DMN). This network is activated when your mind wanders, often during moments of rest or introspection—think of it as your brain's autopilot mode.

Unfortunately, the DMN can become a breeding ground for negativity. When your mind is left to wander, you may replay past mistakes, worry about potential failures, or judge yourself harshly. For instance, when you think back on a conversation, the DMN might cause you to focus on the wrong things you said, even if the overall interaction was positive. Additionally, an overactive DMN can prevent other important networks from functioning properly, such as the Executive Network, which is Task Positive.

These two factors—the negativity bias and the DMN—can form a cycle where negative thoughts reinforce each other, making it harder to escape the pattern. Luckily, there is a way to break this pattern and stop negative self-talk.

If you're reading this article, you're already on the right track. It means you've already acknowledged the fact that you need to train your brain to focus on positive things. In fact, the best way to do this is by increasing self-awareness, which helps you challenge pessimistic thoughts and intentionally replace them with more positive thoughts.

Identifying Negative Thought Patterns

There are several pessimistic thought patterns our brains choose to follow. If you struggle to stay positive, these will probably sound way too familiar:

• Mental filtering: focusing primarily on the negative aspects of your day/week/life

• Polarized thinking: seeing things as either good or bad, with no middle ground

• Perfectionism:- seeing everything that is not perfect as bad

• Catastrophizing: expecting the worst possible outcome

• Personalization: taking responsibility for things outside of your control

• Magnifying: making a big deal out of minor issues

What Is Positive Thinking?

Thinking positively doesn't mean you have to ignore challenges or pretend everything's perfect when, in fact, it's not. Instead, thinking positively is about adopting a mindset that focuses more on solutions than on problems and maintains an optimistic outlook even in difficult situations.

Positive thinking doesn't only influence your lifestyle! From a scientific standpoint, positive thinking has a tangible impact on the brain and, therefore, your physical and mental well-being. In other words, when you think positively, your brain releases chemicals like dopamine and serotonin. These neurotransmitters are associated with happiness, well-being, and emotional balance. Thus, they help regulate mood, reduce stress, and promote a sense of overall contentment.

A powerful concept related to positive thinking is neuroplasticity. This is the brain’s remarkable ability to reorganize itself by forming new neural connections throughout life. This means that by consistently engaging in positive thoughts and reinforcing optimistic behaviors, you can literally retrain your brain to focus more on the good than the bad.

For instance, if you make it a habit to acknowledge small victories each day—whether it’s a successful meeting or simply staying on top of your to-do list—your brain will begin to seek out these positive moments, even in challenging circumstances. Over time, you'll notice there aren't as many negative events in your life when compared to the positive ones!

How to Train Your Brain to Be Positive?

Training your brain for positivity requires consistent effort and intentional techniques to reshape your thought patterns. Over time, these practices can help create a more positive mindset and improve your overall well-being.

Here are a few practical strategies to cultivate positive thinking and transform your life.

1. Identify Negative Thought Patterns

You'd be surprised how many negative thoughts cross our minds every day—every minute even! Therefore, the first step towards changing your thinking is to become aware of your pessimistic thoughts. Most of the time, they're automatic, which is why this process can be quite difficult at first. But don't give up! Pay attention to your thoughts when you feel stressed, anxious, or down.

2. Write Down Your Pessimistic Thoughts

Keep a journal. Make sure to always have it at hand and once you identify a negative thought, write it down. This will help you track these patterns and gain insight into your thinking. You'll soon learn that seeing your self-critical thoughts on paper can truly change your perspective on things! But that's not the end of it. The best parts are yet to come!

3. Challenge Your Negative Thoughts

Once you've written down your negative thoughts, it's time to challenge them. Ask yourself questions like:

• Is this thought based on facts or assumptions?

• Is there any evidence to support this thought?

• How likely is this worst-case scenario to actually happen?

• What is a more realistic or balanced perspective?

For instance, if your thought is:

"I'll never finish this project."

Ask yourself:

"Have I finished similar projects before? How much time do I have to finish the project? What steps can I take to make progress? What can I do today to get closer to completing it?"

4. Reframe the Thought

Have you challenged that negative thought? Excellent! It's time to reframe it into a more positive or constructive one. This doesn't mean ignoring challenges—you're simply focusing on possible solutions and opportunities for growth. Here are some examples of thought reframing:

Negative self-talk	Positive thinking
I'm not good enough for this.	This is a chance to learn, grow, and improve.
I'll never finish this on time.	I can manage my time more effectively and push forward.
This is too risky.	Taking risks can lead to great rewards if I plan well.
I don't know where to start.	I'll just start with the first small task and build from there.
I keep making mistakes.	Mistakes are part of the process; I'll learn from them.
I don't fit in here.	I have unique qualities that contribute to this team.
I'll never be successful.	I'm taking small steps towards success, and progress is happening. Success is not linear.

5. Practice Mindfulness

Mindfulness is a powerful tool for developing a positive mindset. Just focus on the present moment—it reduces stress and improves your mental well-being long-term. Even the simplest practices like mindful breathing, where you concentrate on your breath to stay present, or going for walks outside can significantly impact your mood.

6. Practice Gratitude Daily

Gratitude is a powerful antidote to negativity, so don't even hesitate to keep a gratitude journal! At the end of each day, write down all the positive things that happened to you throughout the day. Over time, you'll notice that the list becomes longer and longer! And here's another tip—use positive affirmations! Choose one for each day and write it down repeatedly until you feel empowered by it!

7. Surround Yourself with Positive Influences

People and environments you surround yourself with significantly impact emotional resilience and well-being. Make sure that your relationships are not toxic, as this can affect your perspective on life. On the other hand, positive people and supportive relationships can enhance your emotional resilience and contribute to a more positive thinking.

8. Develop Healthy Habits

It goes without saying that healthy habits form the foundation of a positive mindset— focus on exercising regularly to support physical health, eating healthily, and sleeping enough (and well!).

You can also begin your day with a positive morning routine or some positive self-talk, which ensures a positive attitude for the rest of the day. For example, you can schedule a morning meditation session, read your favorite book, or engage in other activities that make you feel relaxed and happy. This is of utmost importance for your mental health!

Positive Thinking with Mendi Neurofeedback

Neurofeedback is a cutting-edge training technique that helps train your brain to regulate itself, promoting mental resilience and a positive outlook.

The Mendi headband uses advanced functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) neurofeedback technology to train your prefrontal cortex. This part of your brain, located right behind your forehead, is responsible for key abilities like emotion regulation, focus, mental clarity, and decision-making.

Studies have shown that dysregulated prefrontal cortex activity can increase the likelihood of negativity bias and depression. Therefore, training your brain with neurofeedback can be a powerful tool in guiding your thoughts towards a more positive path.

Here are some benefits you may enjoy after a few weeks of neurofeedback training with Mendi:

• Improved stress response

• Improved emotion regulation skill

• Greater mental clarity

• Improved sleep

• Ease in reframing negative thinking

• More control over pessimistic thoughts

• Improved focus and concentration, which can help you stay in the present moment and avoid overwhelming negative thoughts

• Long-term benefits as new neural pathways form (thanks to the brain's incredible neuroplasticity)

Curious to learn more about our headband? Check out our comprehensive Mendi guide that includes details about its technology, potential benefits, and usage instructions!

Frequently Asked Questions

Can you train your brain to be positive?

You can definitely train your brain to be positive! You can do so by identifying negative thoughts and then challenging and reframing them. You can also use the Mendi neurofeedback headband to train your brain to be positive.

How to rewire negative thinking?

To rewire negative thinking, you have to first identify the negative thoughts that prevent you from enjoying your life to the fullest. Then, you need to challenge these thoughts and reframe them using a positive attitude. You can also rewire negative thinking with the help of neurofeedback, a cutting-edge brain training technique that teaches you how to control your reactions and thoughts.

How long does it take to rewire your brain to be positive?

It can take a few weeks or even months to rewire your brain to be positive. It depends on how many pessimistic thoughts you have, whether you have any medical conditions and the method you use to train your brain to think positively. Consistency is important, so don't give up!