Countering Negativity Overload: Using Mindfulness Practices to Find Balance in Difficult Times

04/2026
Author(s)
Susan Flannigan
Rain on cobblestones. Grass is growing between the cobbestones.

When tragedy and disaster occur at home and in the world, it impacts our outlook and spirit. Negative thoughts arise with uncomfortable feelings and heaviness of the heart. Strain can be felt in the body as well as the mind. Mindfulness practice can help us rebalance in uncertain and challenging times.

Prolonged stress leaves an impact on the brain. The amygdala is a part of the brain that scans the environment for threat. It becomes hyperactive when exposed to stressors on an ongoing basis. It activates a cascade of hormones that leads to stress reactivity in the body. The tendency to be wary and vigilant promoted survival in our human ancestors but in the present day, it adversely impacts health and wellbeing. The hypervigilant amygdala leads to a negativity bias. The attention to risk is prioritized, receiving negative information over positive. Worry about the future and rumination about the past magnify the stress. Neuropathways of reactivity are created, bypassing the rational prefrontal cortex and limiting choices. The stress response narrows the vision of what is possible, contracting into old perceptions and limited coping strategies. These thoughts and reactions can become automatic and outside the realm of self-awareness.

Mindfulness practices help us to rewire the brain, forming new neural pathways that help with emotional regulation and clarity. Functional MRIs before and after the 8-week MBSR program show a decrease in size and activity of the amygdala over time (Lazar et al.). This effect is even more pronounced in long-term meditators. In meditation practice, the first insight that occurs is the awareness of how many thoughts are passing through the mind. Observing, we become aware of many kinds of thinking: planning, worrying, remembering, reminiscing, and fantasizing. With awareness, we can catch the negative thought before it draws emotion and reactivity. Over time the ability to observe these patterns of thinking spill over from meditation into daily life. A good place to notice negative thoughts is when driving. Stuck in traffic, the behavior of other drivers can trigger negativity. Catching the thought, we may be able to reframe it with kindness. Other drivers, just like ourselves, are people who want to get somewhere. Mobilizing compassion for self and others, we can wish that everyone arrives safely. As we practice awareness, we have a chance to do a “turn around,” catching and reframing a thought before emotion and reactivity occur. It opens new insights, options, challenges, and opportunities. Here are some ways we can open the space of awareness when negativity overload occurs.

Mindful Awareness Practices to Help Ease and Reframe a Negativity Overload

 

R.A.I.N.S. Practice

The following is an adaptation of R.A.I.N. practices developed by Michele McDonald and Tara Brach, Ph.D.

This is a tool that can be used with negative thoughts, emotional reactivity and with stress.  Bring it to mind when a stressful event happens.

5 steps

  1. R - Recognize

    Clearly see what is happening in the thoughts, feelings, and reactions that are affecting us, knowing when a strong emotion arises before acting.      

  2. A - Acknowledge and allow

    We may not want or like the thoughts or emotions that are present, but we are not intensifying it by denying or fighting with it.

  3. I - Investigate

    Are there automatic negative thoughts that come up, fueling emotions and reactivity?  Explore the belief behind the thought such as: “I can’t cope with this” or “This thing is consuming my life”. There may be feelings of sadness, worry, fear, or anger. Notice the parts of the body that feel the strain. Is there a need to be seen, heard or comforted?  

  4. N - Non-Identification

    This is detachment from identifying with thoughts or emotions. We can hold it with detachment by saying “this is what I am feeling but it is not me, it is an unpleasant experience that I am having.” Is it possible to change from I am angry or I am anxious to “this is anger” or “there is anxiety around this experience?” The thoughts and emotional storms are like passing weather. We don’t need to take them personally.

  5. S - Soothe

    Bring in soothing phrases like “despite the fact that there is this problem, I’m OK, I can accept and care for myself.” Open to reassurance, nurturance, and comfort.

Offload Emotional Strain through Mindful Emotional Grounding Practices

Electrical grounding captures stray current and directs it into the ground. The practice of mindful emotional grounding takes stray emotional energy and redirects it. It helps us to diffuse emotional energy by coming back to the present moment in concrete ways through the senses. The familiar can give a sense of calm and stability. The sense of smell, hearing, taste, touch, temperature, and movement can be used. 

Examples of Mindful Emotional Grounding Practices:

  • A familiar scene in nature may be grounding. Trees with their strong trunks and roots in the earth can give a sense of rootedness. Notice the feeling of uplift as you view the canopy of leaves and branches overhead. 
  • Touching a special object such as a stone, a favorite mug or the feel of a well-loved shirt
  • The comforting sound of birds chirping, water flowing, or a favorite musical piece
  • Feel of hands in the soil, sand, or water
  • Taste or drinking a soothing tea
  • Bring a warm blanket or shawl to your shoulders.
  • Notice the warm acceptance of a pet or friend giving the message “glad you are here.”
  • Repeating a phrase during difficult times such as “be here, now,” “baby steps,” “I’m doing the best I can,” “one day at a time” or “this too shall pass.”
  • Move with awareness of feet touching the earth, or do a gentle Qigong or yoga practice.
  • Visualize an image of a mountain to create a sense of calm and strength.
  • Gather with others who provide mutual support and kindness.