Here’s a quick rundown of this week’s episode…

• First, Isaiah explains that the brain has a negative bias and how that works in our everyday live
• Next, Isaiah points out that you can use your negative bias to your advantage, but that won’t work if you just complain about the situations in your life
• Finally, Isaiah states that the best way to leverage your negative bias is by taking action

Your brain has a negative bias—it has a preference for negative information over positive information. This can help you in your job search. 

Studies show that negative information is quickly routed through your amygdala and into your long-term memory banks while positive information has to be held in your awareness for more than 12 seconds to be stored in your long-term memory banks. 

This is why you will remember the one negative comment your boss said to you during your performance review forever but will instantly forget the fifteen positive comments he made before and after. This is also why someone cutting you off in traffic or failing to hold the elevator for you on the way to work can ruin your entire day but someone smiling at you and saying “hello” or “thank you” barely alters your mood. 

What if you started using this negative bias to your advantage? What if you leveraged everything that happened to you, the good and the bad, into meaningful action?

The key is always to channel your mental energy into productive action—not just talk or, worse, complaints. No matter what happens to you, there’s no value in complaining about it. Complaining only makes things worse.

A study in the journal Developmental Psychology reported by the American Psychological Association found that people who vent to one another about their problems for extended periods of time are more likely to develop depression and anxiety.

Moreover, when you whine, you encourage other people to do it too. If you complain long enough, you’ll start to get pulled into other people’s conflicts.

Whether it’s a condescending comment from your advisor, a friend calling to complain, some troll baiting you on social media, or a colleague sending you a passive-aggressive email, you’ll dive headfirst into the drama. You can’t wait to mix things up and prove you’re right. But by doing so, you let these cynical and manipulative people win.

When mistakes, failures, and frustrating events happen, the only way to leverage them to your advantage is to regain control of your mindset, and start transforming your pain into productivity.

Don’t fall into the trap of complaining about the negative event or allowing other people to complain about it. Instead, channel all of your mental energy into positive, pragmatic action.

When something goes wrong, take action. When someone else complains about their life, ignore them and take action in your own life. See everything negative as a reason to work harder in your job search so you can move yourself into increasingly positive and productive positions in life.

If you’re ready to start your transition into industry, you can apply to book a free Transition Call with our founder Isaiah Hankel, PhD or one of our Transition Specialists. Apply to book a Transition Call here.

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