Nearly everyone wishes to be more optimistic. In today's world and
political landscape, it can be difficult to overcome the stressors and
negativity to be an optimist. But, if you can learn optimism, you can reap some
great benefits.
There are definite perks that come with being an optimist, both
mentally and physically. Studies have proven that optimists
are healthier both in mind and body. While too much forced optimism is unhealthy
and can cause you to make poor decisions, a healthy dose of optimism can
greatly improve your life.
Regardless of how negative you tend to be, or your life seems to
progress, you can learn optimism. It is all about changing your mindset and the
way you think. It is also about controlling your environment and what you are
exposed to. Mostly, to learn optimism, you have to be willing to focus on the
positive in the world.
Consider
What Went Well
You can start to learn optimism by beginning some routine habits.
At the end of every day, consider what went well. Think over the day and be
grateful for everything that went as planned or as best as it could.
Do not allow yourself to dwell on the negative things that
happened over the day. They may creep into your thoughts as you review your
day, but they are not for this exercise. Put those negative thoughts out of
your mind and focus only on the positive.
Focus
On Goals And Expectations
Another habit to start is to focus each morning on your goals and
expectations for the day. Do not allow yourself to think, "what if this
goes wrong?" or "what if this negative thing happens?" Instead,
think about what you want to accomplish for the day.
Setting goals and reasonable expectations for your day can also
help you be more productive. Setting realistic expectations for how the day
will progress will also help you be more positive and optimistic. It is easy to
see the good when you set reasonable expectations rather than expecting
everything to be perfect.
Record
Daily Progress
You should also be recording your progress daily. Any time you want to make a drastic change in the way you think and process information, you should be keeping a journal.
Practice
Gratitude
Another habit to start is to practice gratitude. When you
intentionally find things to be grateful for it helps you see the positive in a
topsy-turvy world. Each morning or evening, at least once per day, sit and
think about what you have to be thankful for.
It is a good idea to write your gratitude in your journal.
However, you can also enforce your habit by posting your gratitude to social
media daily. Each day make a post that could include what you are grateful for,
or just simply the statement "I am grateful." This reinforces the
habit, increases positivity, and may even help others to be more optimistic as
well.
Come
Up With Solutions
When things go wrong, it can be difficult to remain optimistic. It
is tempting to focus on the negative and dwell on how things have not gone as
planned. However, this is the worst thing you can do when you are trying to
learn optimism.
When things go wrong, don't dwell on the negativity. Instead,
focus your efforts on coming up with solutions. When you come up with solutions
to the problems that arise, you can shift your focus to one of positive action
rather than negative rumination.
Find
The Positive In Difficult Situations
It is also important to find the positive in difficult situations.
When something goes wrong or doesn't go as planned, think about the positive
aspects of the situation. For example, your picnic may have gotten rained out,
but your garden was wilting from a lack of rain so the flowers or vegetables
will greatly benefit.
You can always find something positive about any situation if you
look hard enough. Regardless of how bad things seem to be, you can find
something positive about the situation. Even if that positive thing is simply
that nothing else went wrong.
Take
Action With What You Can Control
One of the best ways to learn optimism and stop being pessimistic
or worrisome is to take action on the things that you can control. Whenever a
situation arises that is less than positive, think about what is in your
control. What actions can you take to make it better?
One research study was done to
determine how optimism affects organizations in the workplace. They found that
people who were optimistic were more productive because they took action on the
things that they could control. They also found that these workplaces with high
optimism had more relaxed cultures, and the employees suffered less from
stress-related symptoms.
When you focus on the things you can control and let go of the
things you can't, it frees your mind of negativity. It allows you to be productive
and positive. You can look back and say, "I took care of that."
Surround
Yourself With Optimistic People
It is true that you are who you hang out with. When you surround
yourself with optimistic people, it will be easier to learn optimism yourself.
You will find that when you spend time around positive people, it becomes
natural to have a positive outlook yourself.
At the same time, you should avoid negative or pessimistic people.
The same principle is true here. If you spend a lot of time around negative and
pessimistic people, it can be hard to find the good in the world. You need to
be able to avoid negativity to become optimistic about yourself.
Avoid
The News And Negative Media
It is also extremely difficult to learn optimism and maintain
positivity when you are constantly looking at what is wrong with the world. The
news can be very upsetting, and just five minutes of national news can make you
feel very pessimistic about where the world is headed.
Some media is more negative than others. By no means should you
bury your head in the sand and not know what is going on in the world. But, you
should be very careful about how you receive your news. Get the facts, but
don't watch news and media channels that focus only on the negative.
Look
Forward With Excitement And Anticipation
This method of learning optimism is all about changing your
mindset. It is natural to think about the future and look forward to future
events and situations. However, it is how you think of the future that makes
the difference.
Whenever you think about the future, think about it with
excitement and anticipation. Think about what positivity the future holds.
Whenever you find yourself worrying about the future or thinking about the
negative things that might happen, shift your focus. Anticipate the good, and
you will be more likely to recognize it when it happens.
Shift
Your Perspective
It is all about shifting your perspective. You have to look at
situations in new ways and from new angles. Nothing is black and white. There
are always multiple ways to look at a situation, and the perspective you take
will determine your level of optimism.
Consciously shift your perspective whenever you find yourself
thinking about things negatively. When you think about something negative that
has happened or might happen, shift your perspective and look at it from a
different angle. What about this situation did or could go right? What are the
positive aspects?
Remember
That Nothing Is Permanent
Let's face it, bad things sometimes happen. No matter how
optimistic you are, sometimes bad things will occur, and there's nothing you
can do about it. The important thing is to not dwell on those negative
situations.
Remember that nothing in this life is permanent. Whatever bad
thing has happened, eventually it will no longer matter. The effects of that
situation will not last forever. When you recognize that the state of
negativity is only temporary, it allows you to take a more optimistic view of
the present and the future.
Avoid
Rumination
Rumination is your enemy when you are trying to learn optimism.
Rumination is when you think about the same negative events, situations, or
people over and over again. You look at it from a lot of different sides and a
lot of different angles and continue to think about it even when you have
exhausted these views.
When something negative happens, it is natural to think about it
for a short amount of time. However, if you want to learn optimism, you can't
dwell on it. If you catch yourself ruminating, immediately shift your focus to
another subject, preferably one that is much more positive.
Live
In The Present
Living in the present is the best way to remain optimistic. When
you live in the present, you are not worried about the future. You anticipate
the future and what it might hold, but your focus is what is going on in the
here and now.
Acknowledge
But Don't Dwell On The Negative
Even though you are trying to learn optimism, you still have to
acknowledge the negative. It is unhealthy to constantly focus on the positive
and never acknowledge the negative in your life or the world. This can give you
unhealthy views of what life is like, and cause you to make some poor
decisions.
At the same time, you don't want to dwell on the negative.
Acknowledge the negative, think about how things might have been different so
that you can learn from the situation, then dismiss it and move on to more
positive things.
Be
Realistic
Be realistic in your expectations and goals. If you have
impossibly high expectations, it is much easier to see the negative when things
don't go as planned. However, if you have realistic expectations, you will find
that more often your expectations are met or exceeded. This allows you to
maintain a much more positive point of view.
Smile
Often
Smiling is proven to help boost moods and increase positivity.
Even when things are not going as planned or something negative has happened,
force yourself to smile. Take a time out and look up a funny comedian on a
podcast or YouTube channel. Find something to laugh at, and a reason to smile.
When you can always find something to smile about, it will help
lift your spirits. When you are in a good mood, you are much more likely to be
optimistic about the future. If you are having a hard time finding a reason to
smile, try closing your eyes and meditating on a positive memory.
Find The Love
The most positive emotion that anyone can feel is love. Look for
love in every corner of the earth. When you see something negative like an
earthquake, look for the people showing love and lending a helping hand. When
you feel negative about things going on in your own life, look to the people
who love you for support and caring. Find the love, everywhere and in
everything.
See
A Therapist
If you have a hard time trying to learn optimism, you might want
to seek the help of a therapist. If you find that you are always
seeing the negative in every situation and spend a lot of time worrying about
the future, you could suffer from negative mental health issues such as anxiety
or depression. A therapist can identify the root problems and help you overcome
them.
Source: https://bit.ly/38h2kgv
About the author
Stephanie Kirby is a freelance copywriter with a
focus on content writing for several industries including mental health and
wellness. While she does write under her own name at times, she specializes in
ghostwriting for mental health professionals. She has written for mental health
speakers, psychologists, life coaches, and several other mental health blogs
and enjoys being the words behind the voice of their brands.
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