Feeling resentful and angry? Try this.

Have you ever found yourself ruminating over one unpleasant interaction with a patient or a colleague, despite having numerous enjoyable encounters the same day? Or perhaps you’ve fixated on one piece of negative feedback even if your employer has given you an overall positive review. If so, you’re not alone. In fact, this tendency to pay more attention to negative information over positive information is a trait that all humans possess (and unfortunately healthcare professionals aren’t spared from this), also known as the “negative bias.” Why do we have this? From an evolutionary standpoint, identifying potential threats—such as poisonous fruits or predators—was crucial to our ancestors’ survival, far more so than enjoying a pleasant sunset!Although we no longer face such dangers in the 21st century, our brains are still programmed to scan for danger and remember negative experiences over positive ones. When you combine this negative bias with the fact that pharmacists are trained to spot errors and potential problems, you get a strong tendency to focus on what’s wrong rather than what’s good in our lives.Fortunately, there are several tools we can learn to override this negative bias and enjoy life more without changing external circumstances. One effective tool is practicing gratitude. Gratitude can be defined as a strong feeling of appreciation toward someone or something, and deliberately recognizing its positive impact on one’s life, whether the impact is small or significant. This can range from appreciating a warm cup of coffee or the comfort of your favorite slippers to more meaningful experiences, such as hugging a loved one. As you allow these positive experiences into your awareness, you begin generating more positive emotions, which helps you notice more positive things in your day. This creates a positive feedback loop, helping you break out of a problem-focused cycle and thus making your day more enjoyable. However, gratitude also has broader benefits. Several studies show that practicing gratitude is associated with decreased work-related stress and burnout. While no studies specifically measure its effects on pharmacists’ well-being, there is a small study examining the benefits of a 21-day gratitude practice on nurses.Read: The compound effect: Tackling stress stacking in pharmacyIf you’re curious about starting your own practice, here are a few suggestions:• Daily gratitude list: At the beginning or end of your day, write down three things you’re grateful for. If possible, include a short description of why you’re grateful for each person or thing. For example, instead of simply writing, “I’m grateful for my partner,” you could write, “I’m grateful for the laugh my partner and I shared today and the moment of connection we had.” For each item you list, spend 5 to 10 seconds reliving the positive experience in your mind.• Notice small moments: Take a moment to slow down and savor what’s in front of you. Enjoy the smell and warmth of your morning coffee, the softness of your sheets as you get into bed, or hug a loved one for a few seconds longer. • Create room for the good: When facing a challenge and noticing your attention being monopolized by it, ask yourself, “What’s good about my life right now?” This can help create room for positive emotions. Note that the goal of this question isn’t to ignore or pretend the difficult situation isn’t there. Instead, the intention is to broaden your attention and allow some lightness, positivity, and perspective to enter your experience as you navigate the challenge.Working in pharmacy undoubtedly comes with its ups and downs. However, with supportive tools like gratitude, we can learn to thrive in this demanding but rewarding profession! Read: Battling stress is a work in progress

Feeling resentful and angry? Try this.

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