written by Rebecca-Sophia Strong
Photo by Tatiana Syrikova
Let’s dive into a powerful practice that can help you build emotional resiliency and improve your overall wellbeing. This month, we’re focusing on linking the positive and negative material—a concept from Rick Hansen’s HEAL process. Let’s explore how this approach, alongside practices like EMDR Therapy, can help you handle stress better and enhance your mental and physical health.
The Negativity Bias and the Importance of Shifting Focus
Our brains are wired with a "negativity bias," meaning we’re constantly scanning for potential threats. While this helped our ancient ancestors survive, in today’s world, it often results in emotional stress triggering the same fight-or-flight response in your nervous system as physical threats.
The good news? Research in neurobiology shows that we can shift this bias. Practices like the HEAL process and EMDR Therapy are highly effective in retraining your brain to notice and internalize positive moments, even in the midst of stress.
The HEAL Process: A Four-Step Approach
Rick Hansen, a neuropsychologist, developed the HEAL process to help us focus on the positive and improve mental health. The process has four simple steps:
Have a Positive Experience
Enrich It
Absorb It
Link the Positive and Negative
Let’s break these down and explore how they work in everyday life.
Step 1: Have a Positive Experience
The first step is to intentionally seek positive experiences, no matter how small. Whether it’s enjoying a cup of coffee, hearing birds chirp, or sharing a laugh with a friend, these small moments can shift your focus away from negativity and bring more joy into your day.
Step 2: Enrich It
Once you’ve found a positive experience, take the time to savor it. Engage with the moment fully, paying attention to the sensations, thoughts, or feelings it brings. The more vivid and enriched the experience, the deeper its impact.
Step 3: Absorb It
Let the positive experience sink in. Imagine it as sunlight filling every cell of your body. Absorbing the positive helps balance out the brain’s negativity bias and rewires it to focus on uplifting experiences, even during difficult times.
Step 4: Link the Positive and Negative
This transformative step involves connecting positive experiences to challenging ones. By holding both in your mind, you create emotional balance. For example, in EMDR Therapy, this practice helps clients reprocess traumatic memories by linking positive feelings to negative ones, allowing for healing and emotional resiliency.
A Personal Example of Linking the Positive and Negative
A few weeks ago, I was at the creek with my golden retriever, Lumi, enjoying the serenity of nature. Suddenly, Lumi ran off, and my stress response kicked in. In that moment, I consciously linked the positive—the peaceful sound of the water, the warmth of the sun—with my fear and worry. By holding both, I stayed calm and managed my emotions while still appreciating the moment.
The Power of Emotional Resiliency
Practices like the HEAL process and EMDR Therapy build emotional resiliency—the ability to recover from challenges and adapt to adversity. Resiliency strengthens your mental, emotional, and physical health, creating a positive feedback loop that enhances your overall wellbeing.
Conclusion: Make HEAL a Daily Practice
Here’s how you can start practicing HEAL today:
Start Small: Seek out simple, positive experiences.
Take Your Time: Don’t rush. Savor the moment.
Absorb the Positive: Imagine soaking up the good feelings.
Link the Positive and Negative: When faced with stress, consciously connect positive and negative experiences to build emotional strength.
By incorporating these steps into your daily life, you’ll feel more resilient, emotionally flexible, and ready to thrive—even during life’s toughest moments. Remember, emotional wellbeing isn’t about avoiding stress—it’s about learning to navigate it with grace and strength.
Stay resilient, stay present, and enjoy the journey ahead!
If you want to learn more about EMDR Therapy, click here.