Newsletter
Attention Bias Normalization: How to Be Happy and Hopeful2026-05-04
“Attention energizes, and intention transforms. Whatever you put your attention on will grow stronger in your life.”
—Deepak Chopra
Attention is probably the most valuable resource we have. Paying attention to things, investing our attention in things. It is also a powerful tool to navigate the world.
There is a built-in bias to notice negative things much more than positive things, and to focus on future potential negative outcomes, because they can be life threatening. This bias is exaggerated in people who suffer from stress disorders, anxiety, depression. It can lead to a vicious cycle, all the way to suicidality.
It follows that normalizing it by deliberate focusing on positives, as a form of (self) therapy, can have salutary effects. If you pay attention to what was great in the past you are happier, if you focus on what could be great in the future you are more hopeful.
Based on years of clinical experience in using such approaches with my patients, including those with severe PTSD, depression, and suicidality, we have distilled a simple 5 item questionnaire for mornings (looking at the future, to make you more hopeful), and a simple 5 item questionnaire for evenings (looking at the past, to make you happier).
We are pushing it out in the Life x Mind app by MindX Sciences to all current and future users. Enjoy!
https://mindxsciences.com/lifexmind/
Live. Happier. Longer.
Alexander B. Niculescu, MD, PhD
Founder +CEO| MindX Sciences