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11 min 50 sec
Available in:English

The Negativity Fast: Proven Techniques to Increase Positivity, Reduce Fear, and Boost Success

Shows why the mind leans toward bad news and how to push back: question a harsh inner voice, reread other people's behavior more generously and run a planned break from what drains you.

Table of Content

Some days the headlines, a feed full of outrage and a harsh voice in your own head leave you tired before noon. In The Negativity Fast, sales speaker and author Anthony Iannarino argues that much of that weight comes from how we interpret events, and that interpretation can be retrained. His starting point is that a lean toward the negative is built into us, a survival tool from our ancestors that modern life keeps feeding.

The argument is simple to state. Negativity is natural, but you can lower how often and how hard it hits by changing your inner dialogue, the beliefs you attach to other people’s behavior and the inputs you let into your day. Iannarino ends with a fast, a planned stretch of swapping draining habits for restoring ones. Along the way you get a test for a spiraling thought, a reframe for the driver who annoys you and a plan for the habits that shape your mood.

Feeling more cynical than you used to is not a personal failing. Ancient survival wiring and a world that changes faster than we can adjust both play a part, and one simple practice puts space between you and the pull.

A late reply or a small mistake can feel like a disaster within minutes. The harsh voice behind that spiral may not even be fully yours, and two quick tests can shrink what it tells you.

A crowded gym in January and a slow car in front of you seem to have nothing in common. Both expose the hidden step between what happens and how you feel, and that step is yours to edit.

Heated political debates on social media can sometimes lead to the breakdown of personal relationships. The design of the platforms plays a part, and so does a choice about identity that most people make without noticing.

Cutting back on draining news is only the first step. The fast also reaches into what you eat, how you breathe, who you talk to and what you do when you slip back into old habits.

What Iannarino offers is a change in where you look for the problem. The bias toward bad news is old and partly physical, and the world keeps feeding it through crises, rapid change and feeds designed to provoke. Yet at each point where negativity enters, a voice in your head, a belief about a stranger or a habit in your day, he finds room to choose.

The practical path can begin small. Pick one trigger to drop for a week, perhaps the political thread you check first thing each morning, and fill the space with a run, a walk or a call to someone who leaves you lighter. When a harsh thought arrives, ask whether it is specific or general, temporary or permanent. When another person irritates you, find the belief sitting between their action and your anger, and try a kinder one.

None of this asks you to feel cheerful all the time. Negative feelings will still visit. The fast simply makes sure they stop moving in.

About this book

What is this book about?

Crises, rapid change and feeds built to provoke have left many people more cynical than they want to be. Anthony Iannarino argues that this pull toward the negative is natural, a survival bias inherited from our ancestors, but that it does not have to set the tone of every day. His approach works at three points where negativity gets in. The first is your inner voice, which he tackles with sorting fears, tests from cognitive behavioral therapy, affirmations and gratitude. The second is the meaning you give to other people's actions, where he draws on Albert Ellis's ABC model and the value of empathy. The third is your environment, from political identity and social media algorithms to the people you spend time with. It all comes together in the negativity fast: a deliberate stretch of avoiding triggers and adding restoring habits such as exercise, mindful breathing, good company, laughter, kindness and time in nature. The aim is not constant cheerfulness but fewer, milder negative episodes and a more balanced outlook.

Book Information

Rating:

Genre:

Personal Development

Topics:

Internet & Society, Mindset, Self-Talk

Publisher:

Wiley

Language:

English

Narrator:

Walter

First published:

October 31, 2023

Pages:

256

Length:

11 min 50 sec

Get the book:

Amazon

Who it's for

  • Professionals drained each day

    Professionals who end each day drained by news, feeds and a harsh inner critic.

  • Online arguments straining relationships

    People whose political arguments online are straining friendships and family ties.

  • Hoping to feel steadier

    Anyone wanting a short, structured plan of daily habits to feel steadier and more hopeful.

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About the Author

Anthony Iannarino

Anthony Iannarino is a speaker, blogger and business owner, and a well-known voice in business-to-business sales. He has written Eat Their Lunch, The Only Sales Guide You'll Ever Need and Leading Growth. He speaks and runs workshops for sales organizations around the world on sales, success, personal development, leadership and entrepreneurship, topics where mindset and resilience under pressure shape results.

Ratings & Reviews

Ratings at a glance

4.2

Overall score based on 169 ratings.

What people think

Listeners find that this volume provides a fresh perspective on cultivating positivity and purging life’s negativity, filled with actionable methods for self-improvement and evolution. They value its accessibility and regard it as a vital read for their stage of life, with one listener highlighting how it serves as a roadmap to better control. The chapters are praised for being immersive, and listeners describe the work as influential, with one calling it a perfect introduction to a new year. However, its suitability for professional settings draws divided opinions.

Top reviews

Watcharaporn

Wow. I picked this up on a whim after seeing a LinkedIn post and it is the most timely thing I have read all year. The way Iannarino talks about reframing negative events changed how I view my daily struggles almost overnight. I have already sent copies to three close friends as gifts because the message is just that powerful. One of them actually called me in tears saying it was exactly what she needed to hear right now. Between the self-deprecating humor and the raw, real stories, I found myself nodding along and dog-earing every other page. It is more than just a business book; it is a manual for reclaiming your mental health in a divided world. You will notice a difference in your life within a day.

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Wan

After hearing Anthony talk on a podcast, I knew I needed to try his 90-day fast for myself. The book is an excellent guide that walks you through his personal journey of overcoming a deeply negative mindset. Not gonna lie, I saw a lot of my own bad habits in his stories about political divisiveness and constant cynicism. The practical strategies for increasing positivity are actually doable and do not feel like a chore. I love how he breaks down the harmful effects negativity has on our physical health because that was a huge wake-up call for me. It is a well-written, engaging book that I will definitely be revisiting whenever I feel myself slipping back into old patterns. Truly a great roadmap for personal growth.

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Den

As someone who works in high-pressure sales, I found this book to be total life blood for my professional stamina. Iannarino is a known sales leader, so his point of view aligns perfectly with the psychological challenges I face every single day. The techniques for boosting success while reducing fear are incredibly practical for anyone living on commission. Truth is, we often let one bad meeting ruin an entire week, but the "Negativity Fast" gives you the tools to switch directions quickly. My only gripe is that it can feel a bit repetitive in the middle chapters when discussing human behavior. Still, the takeaways are actionable and I noticed a shift in my sleep quality within days of implementing the changes. Definitely worth the read.

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Sau

Finally got around to finishing this one and it is packed with really good reminders about human behavior. The writing is smooth and readable, which makes it easy to digest even when you are busy with work. I particularly liked the section on avoiding complaining; it is a simple concept that is much harder to execute in practice than you would think. In my experience, most people know they should be more positive, but they lack a specific plan to get there. This book provides that plan without being overly spiritual or "woo-woo." It is a solid four-star read for anyone needing a mental declutter. The chapters are engaging and the personal journey of the author makes the advice feel more grounded.

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Pairot

The chapter on dealing with political divisiveness was easily the highlight of the book for me. In today's climate, it is so easy to let external noise dictate your internal peace, but Iannarino offers a way out. He provides a roadmap to gain better control over your reactions rather than just being a victim of your environment. I have started using his reframing techniques during my morning commute, and it has genuinely made a difference in my stress levels. Gotta say, the author’s warmth and humor make the harder pill of self-reflection much easier to swallow. It is a strong guide for anyone looking to make a positive impact on their daily life. While I am not a salesperson, the success strategies were still very applicable.

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Owen

Picked this up because I have always been interested in human behavior and why we gravitate toward the negative. This book is a well-written exploration of how we can change those default settings to foster a more positive mindset. The author does not just tell you to "be happy," but instead gives you a structured method to eliminate the sources of negativity. I found the science-backed strategies to be quite grounding compared to other self-help books that rely purely on anecdotes. While the business angle did not always land for me, the overall message about personal well-being is universal. It is a great primer for anyone wanting to start the year with a clearer head. It offers a novel approach to living positively.

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Jonathan

Look, we all know that negativity is a drain, but knowing and doing are two different things. This book bridges that gap by providing at least 5 key takeaways that you can implement the moment you put the book down. I appreciated the focus on how negativity impacts our relationships, as that is often the first thing to suffer when we are stressed. The writing style is punchy and direct, which I personally enjoy in a business-adjacent title. It is not a perfect book, and some parts feel a bit like a sales pitch, but it is an important one for our current age. If you are willing to commit to the 90-day fast, you will likely see a significant improvement in your overall outlook.

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Noi

Ever wonder why we get so easily sucked into the toxic 24-hour news cycle and political divisiveness? This book provides a decent roadmap for extracting yourself from those patterns using science-backed strategies. I appreciated the structured 90-day approach, but look, some of the sales-focused analogies felt a bit forced for a general audience. While the advice on gratitude isn’t necessarily groundbreaking, the way it is organized makes it very easy to follow for a beginner. It is a fine primer for the new year if you are looking to reset your mindset. However, I didn’t find the "novel approach" to be quite as revolutionary as the marketing suggests. It’s a helpful book, but perhaps a bit repetitive in its core message.

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Chee

Not what I expected from a business author, but it is a helpful book nonetheless. Personally, I think some of the chapters could have been condensed since a few of the "proven techniques" felt like common sense repackaged. I originally read the Blinks on Blinkist and decided to buy the full version to see if there was more depth. There is some extra value in the anecdotes, but you could probably get the gist from a summary if you are in a rush. To be fair, the roadmap for handling negative situations is clear and easy to implement. It is a good choice for someone who is just starting their personal growth journey. It provides a structured approach, even if it feels a little thin in some spots.

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Joe

This book misses the mark for me because the tone feels jarringly aggressive for a manual ostensibly about finding peace. Anthony Iannarino clearly has a lot of passion for his subject, but frankly, his voice comes across as quite angry throughout the whole narrative. It feels a bit hypocritical to preach against the negativity in our modern society when the prose itself sounds like it was written in a state of high frustration. To be fair, the 90-day fast concept is a solid framework for anyone needing a lifestyle change. However, I think the execution would have been much better if the author was in a more balanced mental place before publishing. I found myself focusing more on the author's intensity than the actual advice on gratitude or reframing negative events.

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Questions about this book

Anthony Iannarino argues that negativity bias is a natural survival trait that modern life amplifies through crises, fast change and media built to provoke. You cannot remove negativity entirely, but you can reduce how often and how strongly it hits by reshaping your inner dialogue, choosing more empathetic beliefs about others and running a deliberate fast from the triggers and habits that drain you.

It is a planned period of replacing draining habits with restoring ones. You avoid triggers such as political debates and upsetting news, and add exercise, good food and water, mindful breathing, supportive company, music, laughter, kindness and time in nature, while skipping alcohol and drugs. Iannarino stresses that slipping is normal: guide yourself back gently and keep going.

Albert Ellis’s ABC model splits an emotional reaction into three parts: an activating event, your belief about it and the consequence, meaning the feeling. Iannarino applies it to a slow driver. If you assume carelessness, you get angry; if you imagine they are being careful about something you cannot see, the irritation fades. Changing the belief changes the feeling.

Iannarino suggests sorting fears into realistic and irrational ones, and remembering that your critical voice may be a blend of other people’s voices. From cognitive behavioral therapy, ask whether a thought is specific or general and temporary or permanent, and shift self-talk toward the next task. Affirmations and a gratitude journal help reinforce a more positive outlook.

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The Negativity Fast

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