According to psychologist Rick Hanson, the goal is to create a link between the painful memory and the new positive resource which becomes a kind of antidote.
Our brain was originally designed not to be happy and optimistic, but primarily for survival. In human history, it was vital to notice the bad news (the noise in the bushes, the poisoned fruit, the suspicious person) than the good news (a beautiful sunset, a bountiful harvest). Those who were unaware of potential dangers were less likely to survive than those who were hyper-vigilant (negative, anticipating the worst). Our brain therefore gives more weight, attention and memory to negative experiences and information than to positive ones. But we can change that.
Having a tendency to be negative or anticipate the worst is, in large part, an archaic protective mechanism that continues to work strong in a modern world where direct physical threats are less common. This is not a flaw, but a cognitive bias (a systematic error of judgment) that has been helpful for millennia, but can become counterproductive and harmful to well-being today.
To “reprogram” your brain, psychologist Rick Hanson has developed a simple method that everyone can use. Based on neuroplasticity, or the brain’s ability to modify itself through experience, the method called “HEAL” is based on 4 steps: H (for “inhabit”) consists of finding a small pleasant experience (the warmth of the sun, the good taste of food, the smell of a flower), E (for “enrich”) suggests lingering on it consciously for 10 to 20 seconds, A (for “absorbing”) consists of letting the experience infiltrate and anchor itself in the body, from head to toe. Concretely, you must imagine that this positive emotion (calm, gratitude, satisfaction) infiltrates and spreads within you. Finally, the L (for “link”) consists of superimposing this positive sensation on a painful memory, a concern, an anxiety or a criticism to soothe it, like a comforting balm.
The objective is to create a link between the painful memory and the new positive resource which becomes a kind of antidote which reduces the emotional charge of the negative. This repeated practice, by intentionally making the positive last and intensify, helps create and strengthen new neural circuits of well-being, resilience and calm, thus strengthening the brain for happiness.
“I started practicing this myself a few years ago, confides Dr. Michael Hunter, oncologist on the Medium site. Every evening, before going to bed, I take a moment to remember a good memory from the day (a smile, a walk, the remission of a patient), II enrich it, I absorb it and I imagine that it becomes a part of me. Did this solve all the problems? Of course not. But I go to bed lighter. I wake up more peacefully. Difficult days seem less insurmountable. I learned that the brain is not a simple observer of life. He actively participates in it. It’s shaped by what we pay attention to, moment by moment.”
