A new study published in Psychological Medicine has found that a specific type of cognitive training can reduce biological markers of stress. The training, focused on modifying memory biases, appeared to lower daytime cortisol levels and reduce the tendency to recall negative self-relevant information. These findings suggest that targeting how the brain retrieves memories could offer a preventative strategy for individuals prone to anxiety and depression. Mental health conditions like depression and anxiety are often characterized by a cognitive pattern known as negative memory bias. This involves a tendency for individuals to preferentially remember negative information about themselves while forgetting or overlooking positive experiences. For example, a person might dwell on a single criticism received at work while failing to recall several compliments received the same day. While therapies aimed at shifting attention away from negative stimuli exist, interventions specifically targeting memory retrieval remain understudied. The authors of the current study aimed to fill this gap by developing a comprehensive training program. They sought to determine if explicitly practicing the recall of positive autobiographical memories …