EP 413: The Year in Review (Mindfully)

At this time of year, it is quite natural to review our experiences and take stock of what we’ve lived through. And while this is not, in and of itself, a bad process to go through, there are a couple of important and negative forces at play that will give us an inaccurate and negative view of what we’re examining. First is the negativity bias that makes us see the negative aspects of our experience more than the positive. Second is the way we are likely to be hard on ourselves in the face of our perceived failures. In order to avoid the suffering these two influences are likely to cause us, I invite you to look back on the last year in a particular way: 1. Set some time aside to review the last year intentionally. 2. Consider journaling your thoughts as you go through this process. 3. Acknowledge and let go of the negativity bias. 4. Look back with self-compassion. If you have any questions on this that aren’t covered in today’s episode, please reach out.