The Upward Spiral: Using Neuroscience to Reverse the Course of Depression, One Small Change at a Time

by Alex Korb

To combat pessimism, you can strengthen the brain circuits responsible for optimism. The first step is to simply imagine the possibility of positive future events. You don’t have to believe they will happen, just that they could happen. It’s possible you could find true love tomorrow. It’s possible that you could find a better job. It’s possible that things won’t turn out in the worst conceivable way. Recognizing that good things are possible activates the lower (ventral) anterior cingulate.35 Importantly, the ventral anterior cingulate helps regulate the amygdala, so admitting the possibility of good things helps control the brain’s negative bias.