Is The 'Ostrich Effect' Messing With Your Life? Here's What To Do.

The "ostrich effect" is named for a common myth about these flightless birds.People today have access to more information than ever before in human history, but that doesn’t mean we want to know everything. In fact, many folks lean into a common tendency called “the ostrich effect” when confronted with a prospect or news they’d prefer to keep far from their consciousness. This instinct can lead to serious problems down the road, however. So how exactly does the ostrich effect impact our lives? Is it all bad, or are there any upsides? Below, experts break it down. First, what exactly is the ostrich effect?“The ostrich effect is a cognitive bias where we filter out, ignore or otherwise avoid negative or distressing information,” Caitlyn Oscarson, a licensed marriage and family therapist, told HuffPost. This term is related to a common myth about ostriches ― that they bury their heads in the sand when frightened or threatened by predators. “The ostrich effect is when people bury their head in the sand, engaging in avoidance and denial, hoping the problem will go away,” said Dr. Sue Varma, a clinical assistant professor of psychiatry at New York University Grossman School of Medicine and author of “Practical Optimism: The Art, Science, and Practice of Exceptional Well-Being.”“Interestingly, ostriches don’t bury their head in the sand,” she added. “But the myth persists because it may appear that way when they’re protecting their eggs or eating plants from the ground.”In humans’ everyday lives, the ostrich effect might manifest when you avoid looking at your bank account or bills, or when you don’t tell someone you’re upset with them over something to steer clear of a confrontation.“A student who doesn’t check their grades after a difficult exam, or you not going to the doctor because you fear finding out about a health problem or diagnosis are a couple of examples,” Oscarson explained. “In all these cases, there is a concrete, real situation that we avoid dealing with because we believe it would be distressing emotionally to face it.”She noted that the ostrich effect might also be present when there’s information we fear might threaten an idea we have about ourselves. “For example, a student may avoid looking at their grades because a poor grade would indicate that they are not the smart, good student they imagine themselves to be,” Oscarson said. How can the ostrich effect cause problems in our lives? “The problem with the ostrich effect is that it’s only a short-term fix,” Oscarson said. “Avoiding feels good in the moment, but almost always leads to more problems.”She pointed to the example of someone who avoids looking at their credit card statement and seeing how much money they’ve spent. Ignoring the bill might be a relief ― albeit one that can’t last. “They can avoid thinking about all the consequences, as well as any guilt or regret they feel for how they spent their money,” Oscarson explained. “But the situation doesn’t change, and by avoiding reality, they may miss out on an opportunity to remedy the problem or to get support from others. They could also make poor decisions going forward because they have incomplete information, worsening the situation.”By delaying the opportunity to address a problem, you run the risk of escalating it. “The same is true for avoiding the doctor or medical tests,” Oscarson said. “It feels good not to think about what could be wrong with our health, but that doesn’t change reality. If there is a health problem, avoiding information means we don’t have an opportunity to receive treatment and heal.”By delaying the opportunity to address a problem, you run the risk of escalating it. The ostrich effect can also be an element of extreme optimism and toxic positivity. “Even happy, upbeat, positive people may engage in avoidance,” Varma said. “Optimism, in extreme cases, manifests as the ostrich effect, and in some ways, this is just as dangerous because people will minimise the consequences.”People with clear goals can also let the trap of the ostrich effect prevent them from taking action. “It’s the epitome of decision paralysis ― knowing that a decision, life change, confrontation has to be made, but you hope it will go away,” Varma said.Rather than ending your work at introspection and awareness, she emphasised the importance of taking actual steps to address your goals or issues. “We also may have generalised background anxiety about the things we are avoiding, contributing to overall stress and overwhelm,” Oscarson said. “By leading with avoidance we end up making passive decisions and only act when things are really dire and we can’t ignore them.”Are there any benefits to this tendency?“In the short term, the ostrich effect can look like somebody keeping the peace,” Varma said. “This might be the middle child, the child of narcissistic parents, or parents with substance abuse issues or untreated mental illness. The person who is engaging in the ostrich effect has learned to not rock the boat or ruffle any feathers, to go along to get along.”This can be a helpful tactic in the moment and allow someone in a bad situation to survive ― and even seem friendly and agreeable in the process. But Varma warned that resentment and other problems can build if these issues go unaddressed for too long. “Sweeping the dust under the carpet just creates a bigger pile of dust,” she said. Elisabeth LaMotte, a therapist and the founder of the DC Counselling & Psychotherapy Center, told HuffPost she’s seen the ostrich effect surface recently with her clients who are federal employees, as they receive foreboding emails pushing them to leave their jobs. “One understandable instinct is to burrow in and hope it all works out ― applying the ostrich effect to today’s uncertain political climate,” she explained. “Yet, for those who are deeply committed to the mission of their work, as many devoted civil servants are, this response might also reflect something else: the ability to compartmentalise and continue showing up with excellence despite substantial external stressors.”In this way, the ostrich effect can allow for productivity and good work, even if not in the long run. “I think sometimes we get lucky and something we avoid thinking about and dealing with works out without us doing anything,” Oscarson added. “For example, we are worried about a health symptom, avoid going to the doctor out of fear, and then it goes away on its own.”She noted that there are also situations in which it can be useful not to dwell on the negative. “If there is truly nothing to be done about a problem, it makes sense to shift focus away from what is wrong and redirect your attention to what you can control,” Oscarson said. “But in order to accept, you need to face the facts and understand the situation, which you can’t do with your head in the sand.”The ostrich effect can be helpful in the short term but not in the long run.How can you keep the ostrich effect at bay? “First of all, I would start with a ton of self-compassion,” Oscarson said. “We often feel very guilty and ashamed about the things we are avoiding. It can make us feel incompetent and vulnerable. But it is normal and very human to want to avoid negative feelings. It is quite literally how we are wired.” She recommended starting by acknowledging that although it’s understandable to want to avoid distressing situations, you can and will try to do things differently moving forward. You will make the effort to show yourself you can handle difficult information and take steps to work on your problems.“Then, identify where you think the ostrich effect is getting in the way of your life and pick a starting place,” Oscarson advised. “Start with something small ― peek at a few bank accounts, send one email to the doctor, or text a friend you’ve been avoiding out of conflict.”Varma suggested making a timeline or following the rule of threes.“Only ask three people for advice if you have a tendency to crowdsource a lot, limit yourself to three options and then give yourself a finite amount of time for a very small decision or action,” she said. “It could be three minutes. For a bigger life decision, it could be three weeks. It could be three months. The amount of avoidance and procrastination is going to be proportionate to the amount of suffering that you experience later on. People don’t realise that indecision is a decision and a costly one.”Consider the example of someone who refuses to confront the reality of imminent layoffs at work. There are steps you can take to make a potential job loss less challenging, whether it’s backing up your contacts, saving your performance reviews or updating your résumé.“From a psychological standpoint, the healthiest approach often blends both awareness and resilience,” LaMotte said. “If someone whose job is potentially on the line can continue performing at a high level while also taking proactive steps ― like networking or exploring backup plans ― they’re mitigating the risks of the ostrich effect and putting their compartmentalising skills to good use.”As with so many things in life, balance and mindfulness are key. And these approaches will allow you to persevere in difficult moments.“It will be hard in the beginning ― you will likely feel more anxious as you approach these challenges,” Oscarson said. “But when you see yourself handle the information and start to approach your problems, most people experience less stress because they feel confident that they can handle issues in your life.”Related...Dealing With A Narcissist? You Need To Use This Genius 'Grey Rock Method'This Could Be Why You Struggle To Let Arguments Go In A RelationshipThe Psychology Behind Why Overly Good People Annoy You So, So Much

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