According to author Neil Pasricha, just two minutes in the morning should be enough to get through the day more motivated and satisfied. To do this, he only recommends three short but decisive sentences.
We have constant access to news from all over the world via social networks, push notifications, but also daily newspapers and news programs. These often report on negative events such as natural disasters, famine, wars, illnesses or violent crimes. In addition, there are annoyances, arguments and problems from your own everyday life.
The fact that we often focus more on such negative events, feelings and news than on positive ones is no coincidence, but is due to the so-called “negativity bias”: a widespread human tendency to be more influenced by negative things than by positive things.
Sometimes it feels like we’re being overwhelmed by a flood of negativity – and that can lower our quality of life in the long term. However, with a short morning routine, as recommended by author Neil Pasricas, you can lay the first foundations to counteract this.
The focus on the negative
The term “negativity bias” describes the phenomenon that our brain reacts significantly more strongly to negative than to positive circumstances. That’s why, for example, we can remember insults better than compliments or shocking news is more likely to capture our attention. For our ancestors, focusing on the negative was important for survival in order to recognize dangers early on.
Today we are no longer regularly threatened by predators or defenseless against the forces of nature, so that the negativity bias has now lost its original function. Today it has more of a number of negative consequences.
Among other things, he leads to:
- Skepticism and distrust of our fellow human beings
- increased anxiety
- Difficulty accepting constructive criticism
- a difficult successful collaboration with colleagues
In this way, the negativity focus in our brain can severely limit our performance at work, our friendships and relationships, and our overall well-being. Against this background, Neil Pasricha developed a concept that is intended to help people start the day more positively, more focused and happier.
Step 1: “I focus on…”
On his blog, Neil Pasricha describes how overwhelmed and stressed he often felt by his long to-do list. Does that sound familiar?
- Then Pasrichas recommends sitting down every morning and writing down the sentence “I focus on…”
- Then write down just a few things from your long to-do list that you want to do that day. Be as precise as possible. So don’t write something like “working on report XY”, but “write 500 words”. Instead of “do some exercise again,” write “30 minutes of exercise.”
- Also make sure that you don’t let the list get too long. You should only write down the things that you can realistically accomplish on that day.
According to Pasricha, this step can help you prevent overwhelm and better structure your day. So you don’t have to constantly ask yourself what you could do next throughout the day, but you have already formulated concrete goals. This part of the morning routine is also an ideal self-management tool.
Step 2: “I am grateful for…”
To consciously focus more on positive events, Pasricha recommends writing down another sentence every morning and adding it: “I am grateful for…”
Also be as precise as possible. So don’t just write “for my job, my friends and my apartment”, but rather something like “for the healing conversation with my girlfriend”, “for the quiet lunch break in the sun” or “for the helpfulness of my colleague yesterday”.
If you do this gratitude exercise every day, you will learn to be more aware of positive events and not forget them in the midst of a flood of negativity. There is already research showing that increased gratitude can lead to greater happiness and more fulfilling relationships. At the same time, gratitude interventions, i.e. exercises that can promote gratitude, are associated with better mental health and fewer symptoms of anxiety and depression.
So the good news: With just a small investment of time, we can learn gratitude in the long term. It is therefore not only the consequence of happiness and well-being, but can also be the cause.
Step 3: “I will let go…”
As a final point in the morning routine, Neil Pasricha recommends writing down every morning what things we want to let go of. Here you can write down all the things that are currently bothering you, for example the conflict with friends, a strange comment or that you simply forgot an important meeting. So you get these things off your chest and realize your own willingness to let go of these things.
According to qualified psychologist Dr. Doris Wolf, the process of letting go always begins in our heads. As a result of the short morning routine, we can learn acceptance and make peace with our own mistakes or the behavior of those around us.
Pasricha writes down his thoughts on these three aspects every morning. He puts the diary for it on his dessert table. The author himself emphasizes that this short morning routine is not a panacea. However, she has already significantly improved his life.
Edited by Adriana Jodlowska
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