‘One negative thing can ruin your day…’: Smriti Mandhana hails the power of shifting focus to stay positive

To help us understand this issue with clinical clarity, Dr Pavitra Shankar, Associate Consultant–Psychiatry at Aakash Healthcare, explains the underlying factors and offers her expert insights.

From a sports psychology perspective, how does shifting attention from a single negative event to accumulated positives influence an athlete’s emotional resilience and performance?

Dr Shankar explains, “The process Smriti Mandhana describes aligns closely with one of the most powerful tools in sports psychology: cognitive reframing through positive self-talk. Athletes who consciously shift attention away from a singular negative event and toward a collection of positive cues strengthen emotional resilience and improve performance.”

She elaborates that positive self-talk — widely researched in cognitive-behavioural therapy (CBT) — helps regulate the inner voice, reinforcing confidence and providing corrective instructions during high-pressure moments.

“Evidence across disciplines shows this kind of internal dialogue enhances execution in skill-based sports like tennis or football, improves endurance, and supports muscular strength tasks,” Dr Shankar further notes.

What mental-training tools can help individuals avoid letting one negative moment dominate their day?

Dr Shankar highlights that several CBT-based tools can help individuals consistently neutralise the emotional weight of setbacks. Cognitive restructuring, a core CBT technique, trains people to identify distorted thoughts like “I failed,” “I always mess up,” or “this ruins everything,” and replace them with balanced, realistic assessments.

“This reduces emotional reactivity and prevents spiralling. Mindfulness practices, she explains, are equally effective because they anchor attention in the present moment rather than replaying a mistake or anticipating worst-case outcomes. When practised regularly, mindfulness improves mental clarity, emotional regulation, and the ability to reset between stressful moments.”

She also emphasises the value of cognitive defusion — a technique that helps individuals observe thoughts as mental events rather than unquestionable truths. By learning to say “this is just a thought” instead of “this is reality,” people can interrupt emotional loops before they escalate.

 

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How does our brain’s negativity bias affect the way we remember losses or failures?

Dr Shankar explains that negativity bias — the brain’s tendency to give more weight to unpleasant events than positive ones — evolved as a survival mechanism but often works against emotional well-being today.

“For many individuals, this bias magnifies failures, triggers self-criticism, and makes it easier to overlook progress. This is particularly impactful during recovery from trauma, stress, or behavioural challenges, where people may fixate on what went wrong while discounting how far they’ve come. Such thinking fuels guilt and helplessness, making it harder to maintain motivation.”

Here’s how to cope with it:

Dr Shankar recommends structured gratitude practices, which have been shown to recondition the brain to more readily recognise positive events. Writing down three things one is grateful for each day gradually weakens the emotional dominance of negative memories. Celebrating small wins also helps recalibrate the brain’s attention system. “Reframing — consciously interpreting setbacks as learning opportunities — is another powerful tool supported by research in both clinical psychology and performance science,” she concludes.

DISCLAIMER: This article is based on information from the public domain and/or the experts we spoke to. Always consult your health practitioner before starting any routine.