[REDISCOVER YOUR OPTIMISM REDISCOVER YOUR Worn out by worrying and dwelling on the negative. tican be hard not tolet negativity seep in to your day. especially ‘ring stressful periods of fe. A dose of optimism not only makes ‘you feel better but its also good for ‘your physical and emotional health~even ifinitialy you need to force yourself to fee] more positive. ‘An optimistic person is always looking for the best in any situation and expecting good things tohappen’ says Kimberly Reed, author of Optimists Aivays Win (£1095. Health Communications Inc) “Bven ifsomething negative happens such astheloss of ajob an optimist sees the silver lining For example. the chance to pursue a motefulflling career or hobby, or takea much-needed break Optimists believe their actions result in postive ‘outcomes, that they ate responsible for their own happiness and that they can ‘expect more good thingsin the future” Ifyoure an optimist you try tolook for good in every situation “An optimist viewss adverse events (suchas your car being broken into redundancy and so on) asa result of something cutsie of themselves: explains Kimber ‘But, even ifits something thathappened asa result of an action they ee 66 ‘WORDS Fk GiZ0WSKA ‘It's time to turn things around took. an optimist wil always try to see what they can earn from the experience. They think of an unfortunate event as a temporary setback -nota permanent way of life Even i something avful happens. postive thinker believes good things will come again” ‘Optimists look on the bright side” reveals psychologist Dr Sancira Wheatley (Potentpsychologycom) “They emanate ‘ahopeful posttivity, But being optimistic doesrit mean you go into denialand pretend everything is fine when it not Iisa frame of mind where you hope for the best but prepare forthe worst” ‘She adds that an optimist can lookcat situation squarely inthe eye and plan \hatto doit things go wrong ‘By having a contingency plan, this makes iteasier totum things around before theres a huge problem” Get the optimistic mindset “Optimists tend to share several Positive characteristics that can lead to sreater happiness and promote good health: says Kimbetiy. An optimist Thinks about, reflects on and emphasises the good things in life oe) Tries not to waste time and energy on complaining when something goes wrong, but focuses on what they do to change or learn from a situation Feels that nothing can hold them hack from achieving success ‘and reaching their goals Sees challenges and obstacles as opportunities to learn Feels gratitude for the good bits ~ even in a negative situation Has a positive attitude towards themselves and others te tenacious and corion on | when the going gets tough Doesn't let one bad experience colour their ‘expectations of the future cached crt 1s always looking for ways to make the most of any opportunities that come their way ‘Theres acommon assumption that optimism s the same as happiness, but thats not the case “While optimism can Jead to greater happiness its actually to do with how you view the world says Dr ‘Wheatley ‘Optimists experience dicuities>>REDISCOVER YOUR OPTIMISM. PsycHoLogy Now 07ee 99 and problems like anyone else Tobean optimist doesnt protect you from feeling ‘negative emotions If something bad happens you stl fee the pain, upset tet, betrayal or disappointment Its just that an optimistic mindset helps you cope better" Inarecent Indian study* it was shown that optimists tend to have more effective coping strategies which helps them to feel ess stressed Pessimists on the other hhand havea tendency to dwell on stressful feelings which can make them feel worse Sa what makes some people more optimistic than others? ‘Some peopleare just born naturally optimistic. its part of their jgenetic make up” explains Dr Wheatley. But your upbringing also has an impact. I you {grew up in an environment where there was a focus on the postive. the kelinood is that this would have had an effect on your own albtude to life” Likewise research shows thatif you hada parent who was pessimistic cor depressed, youre far morelikely to have pessimistic outlook on life asan adult But, ultimately, optimism isa choice, and anyone can acquire ‘amore optimistic mindset 68 [REDISCOVER YOUR OPTIMISM ‘that al help you to face Ife’ challenges ‘and fee confident that you can expect positive things tohappen in the future. HEALTH BENEFITS OF BEING AN OPTIMIST Latest research shewvsthat optimist isastociated with a numberof physical ‘and psychological bones Its good for your heart Inarecent US eview of Ssturies thatlooked a 200.000 peopl was shown thatoptmistshada35X lower riskofdeveloping heartaiseaseanda 1breduced incidence of ealy death, Itlowers your stress hormones [study at Concordia Univers, Canada asked parlespantsto measure thei dally stress evels Optimists vere found iobavelower levels of stresslhommones uch as corso) Pessimis, who were shovntogn into Tight or fight mode more frequently riggeted by negative thinking thatexacerbated stress had higher stress hormones When corisolremains constantly ‘elevate, hiscan lead total problems You'llrecover better from iliness postive mindset can help youtocope better ‘wth sense and recover beer Inarecent study’ twasshown that optimistshad ess Inflammation and vecovered more quickly ater asokethan those whohada more negative cutlook Inanother study. pablshed inthe JournaleyPaycosomatic Research in 204. ‘wasshown thatoptimism associated with reduced painand symptomsafter hear surgery. You're more likely to live longer ‘Opaimistsare morelikelytolivealonser ie ngislonger-arethavea greater chanceot reaching yearsofage compared tothose who hhaveamore pessimistic disposition Theseare the findings ofa study by the Boston University Schioolof Medicine in 2019 that followed neariy 70000 women and L500 men overa timespan of 101030 years Itcan help you to manage pain Accordingtoatecentreview optimists who expect postive outcomesare beter abetocope with and manage pain Itseemsthata positive attude canhelptoreducethe perception ct pain whereas fooling negative pessimistic and depressed appears tohavea more adverse fefect an someone's experince of pain. for ‘example.they finditmore dificult to manage It'san antidote to depression and ‘makes you more resilient to stress Another study.intheNatwal Mecice Journal n2017 shower that people witoare optimistic ‘consider themselvesasinhecently protected (ot vulnerable) and thinkabout the werdasa ‘geneally good pice They tend tobe happler, havealower chance offacingdepression, and managesiress mote effectively. They're mor likely to practise heathy habits suchas ‘eercising fllowinga heaRhy det and not smolang And they aremoreliely tosoak hopifthey neod # manapessimist would @[REDISCOVER YOUR OPTIMISM 7 WAYS TO BE MORE OPTIMISTIC 1. RECOGNISE OPTIMISM IS A CHOICE YOU CAN MAKE EVERY DAY “This doesn't mean you feel positive all the time; it’s having the confidence to know you can cope with whatever life throws your way” says Dr Wheatley. “It ‘means acknowledging the negative, while making o conscious effort to think optimistically. For example, itcan be as simple as choosing to smile when you feel glum. Its your choice to feel down, or to do something positive to take your mind ina diferent direction. You can't control everything, but if there's tone thing you can control it’s what you think.” 2. BE MINDFUL OF NEGATIVE THINKING Next time you catch yourself having a negative thought, swap it for a positive one. “This might take some practice but after a while it wll start to feel more natural,” says Dr Wheatley, “If you've had a bad day, tell yourself, “Tomorrow will be better’ and plan on what you can do to make it that way. Or, if you know you've got a Zoom meeting with a tricky client, rather than approaching it with dread, prepare for the challenge and do your best, but afterwards let it go.” 3. PRACTISE GRATITUDE ‘Gratitude allows you to redirect your focus,” says Kimberly. “When you feel grateful, your mind shifts your focus from what you should have more of, to what's good in your life right now. Practising gratitude is a process of trying your best to see and be thankful for the positives in your life, even in the midst of a difficult situation.” 4. TURN OFF THE NEWS How often do you wake up in a perfectly good mood, only to turn on the news and you end up feeling angry, disappointed, fed up, feorful or depressed with everything that’s going on in the world? “Limit yourself to anything that makes you feel bad,” says Dr Wheatley. “f that includes watching the news, then watch something uplifting instead ond let in th supports you. 5. BE MINDFUL OF WHO YOU SPEND TIME WITH “When you surround yourself with people who make you feel happy and relaxed, this automatically makes you feel more positive,” explains Dr Wheatley. “That doesn’t mean you can't share problems, or have off days, it's just that if you've got a good circle of friends, who uplift and inspire you, its easier to feel optimistic.” She adds thot negativity often comes from spending too much time on your own and overthinking things. “That's why its important to make time for your friends - even if it's just to meet for a walk or talk on the phone.” 6. GET ACTIVE “Rather than complaining, moaning and feeling sorry for yourself, take a walk, go for a bike ride, or hit the gym.” says Kimberly. “The idea is to get your body moving. Physical activity releases endorphins and you're less likely to feel pessimistic with these feel-good neurochemicals circulating in your body. If you don't know where to start, download a fitness app. 7. REFRAME PAST SETBACKS IF you find your mind wandering to a past disappointment, such as a job or relationship that didn’t work out, think of all the details you can remember, trying to be as objective as you can. “in what way would you have wanted the situation to turn out better? Now reframe the situation by letting go of what you wanted to happen and write « paragraph about what good came out of it,” says Kimberly, Perhaps you got a better job, or made a new circle of friends. PsycHoLogy Now “ra oa nag 2 “a fb an Pi naan Spl he A