Bad News

When we keep seeing or hearing negative stories about the world we tend to think more negatively about the world in which we are living. 

There are estimates that each person has approximately 60000 thoughts each day, and with the massive influx of negative news about COVID, lockdowns and the “end” to the Afghanistan war, a vast majority of those thoughts are negative. 

These negative thoughts, resentments, and grudges against certain people or terrorist organisations being named as new “governments” has been linked to a declination of cognitive powers and memory. A study published in the Journal of Alzheimer’s and Dementia has shown that repetitive negative thoughts increased the number of markers in the brain that identify the beginnings of Alzheimer’s disease. 

Thinking negative thoughts is what can help keep us alive in some circumstances, but overthinking about negative events can lead to mental illnesses and the build up of amyloid plaques and tau proteins it can help to deteriorate your brain.

Dr. Daniel Amen said “whenever you have a sad thought, an unkind thought, or a hopeless thought - such as “I’m never going to land my dream job” - your brain pumps out a dose of chemicals that makes you feel bad. On the flip side, conjure a happy, loving or encouraging thought, and your brain gives you a blissful jolt of feel-good chemicals.”

Thinking nice thoughts, and doing nice things gives you those feel-good chemicals, like dopamine, endorphins and serotonin (you can also get these from exercise) help to make your brain stronger as well as others when you are encouraging and supportive of them.