Why Distraction Is Better Than Positive Thinking
Toxic positivity has generated a lot of backlash lately. Of course, we shouldn’t berate ourselves with negative self-talk, and it makes sense to empower ourselves when we’re afraid (I usually say, “I have all the necessary skills,” like Stuart Smalley, before doing anything nervous.) but it also makes sense to experience our negative emotions rather than gloss over them with trite cliches like “only good vibes”, “everything happens for a reason” and the comically empty “you have it.”
Research shows that distraction is more effective at containing anxiety.
When we are anxious, common sense tells us to clog ourselves with positive thoughts. While there is nothing wrong with that, this study showed that distraction is a better tool for reducing anxiety than “positive anticipatory thoughts.” In it, teenage participants were told they would do basketball jump shots, and a physical education teacher, whom they had never met, assessed their performance in front of the class . (Anyone who has to climb a rope to a ceiling in 8th grade gym during the now-debauched presidential fitness test will instantly recognize anxiety. For many of us, this is the adult equivalent of being asked to stand up and share “one word.” that people may not know about you “in the meeting.)
In the lead-up to the jump test, half of the students were asked to constantly repeat positive thinking about themselves, while the other half engaged in distracting thoughts about everyday things like “three birds on a tree branch” or their father’s car. … The researchers found that engaging in a distraction task helped participants reduce low levels of anxiety, and that those who thought positively “showed significantly increased levels of anxiety, more catastrophic thoughts, and more negative predictions about athletic performance and appearance.”
Why distraction isn’t a long-term solution
According to Verywell Mind , the key to successfully using distraction is to temporarily divert your attention from strong negative emotions. While a distraction can help reduce its intensity, it is not meant to be a long-term solution or escape to completely avoid this feeling. (They suggest returning to the emotion when its original strength has subsided and manipulating it with another skill, such as expressive writing.)
Healthy distractions
As an adult, healthy distractions range from basic mental tricks like counting 8 steps, noticing and remembering objects and colors in your environment, and mental tasks like crosswords or Sudoku, to exercise, household chores, and video games . (In her book SuperBetter: The Power of Lifefully, Dr. Jane McGonigal agrees that the ” ever-escalating problem ” of gaming can build strength, confidence, courage, and perseverance to achieve more challenging goals.)
While too many distractions can certainly have negative consequences (inability to concentrate, addiction to social media, unsafe driving, and a pile of 673 unrelated documents on my kitchen table, etc.), as a temporary coping tool in impending stressful events, it is valid.
So it looks like the next time you’re worried about that first date or job presentation, you’ll have the green light to go play tennis, Call of Duty, or eventually watch Money Heist .