Why You Don’t Always Need to Look for a Silver Lining
Finding the best solution in difficult situations will help you keep your head. But, according to recent research, it can also harm your overall well-being . It all depends on the situation.
Research, published in the journal Psychological Science , suggests that “cognitive reappraisal,” or looking for highlights from unfortunate events, is not always a healthy way to deal with a situation. The researchers found that looking for a silver lining was considered useful only when a situation was out of someone’s control, such as bad weather or a flat tire. For situations where you are in control, the researchers recommend a different approach. Dr. Peter Kowal, one of the study co-authors, explains:
Our results warn against a “one strategy for all” approach, which may seem tempting, building on many of the previous findings regarding reappraisal as a strategy for emotion regulation. Merely using any given emotion regulation strategy to a greater or lesser extent in all situations may not lead to better results – instead, context-sensitive emotion regulation may be healthier.
In fact, it is helpful to feel a little bad about a negative event that you have caused or that you have directly controlled. Without these negative emotions, you won’t learn from it and you won’t be able to adapt so that it doesn’t happen again. Seeing the silver lining is good, but don’t let it dazzle you. Negative emotions are a great motivator.
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