Politicians with an optimistic explanatory style tend to win elections — in , explanatory style correctly predicted all the US primaries and 25 out of 29 Senate seats. Optimism comes in handy in the face of failure and defeat, urging athletes and businessmen to keep going. Case in point: humorist Guy Browning. Why do you want to become more optimistic? What benefits do you expect to see? Join the discussion on Facebook. You are commenting using your WordPress.
You are commenting using your Google account. You are commenting using your Twitter account. You are commenting using your Facebook account. Notify me of new comments via email. Notify me of new posts via email. More happiness As expected, optimists report being happier in life. More positive emotions and better relationships Optimists have a more positive mood and morale, more vitality, a sense of mastery, and high self-regard. Fewer negative emotions Optimists experience less depression and anxiety, and optimistic explanatory style can alleviate depression and help prevent relapses.
Better health Optimists are physically healthier. Share this: Twitter Facebook. Like this: Like Loading Leave a Reply Cancel reply Enter your comment here Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in:.
So what exactly is happening in the brain when we have a positive or negative response to a situation? Research shows that positive moods are associated with more left-side activity, while negative emotions, like being angry or depressed, are associated with more right-side activity.
Davidson , director of the Laboratory for Affective Neuroscience at the University of Wisconsin, who has conducted numerous studies on the link between activity in the frontal lobes and emotions. He found that only 15 percent of people have no inclination one way or the other.
Another one of his studies published in The Journal of Personality and Social Psychology confirmed that these brain pattern activities are strong predictors of how we will react to certain situations.
Volunteers with more left-side activity who watched amusing films had a far stronger pleasant response, while those with more right-side brain activity who watched distressing films had far stronger negative feelings. Positive moods are associated with more left-brain activity, while negative emotions fire up the right side of the brain.
The good news: By consciously altering your thought processes, you can literally re-wire your brain. Davidson conducted an experiment to see if it was possible to shift the activity of those who had a tendency towards right-brain activity. Mindfulness was taught to workers in high-stress jobs who, on average, tipped toward the right in the ratio for the emotional set point.
The findings were promising: After two months of training for three hours each week , their emotions ratio shifted to the left and they reported feeling less anxious, more energized and happier. Yes, the workers proved that we are able to change how our brains respond to experiences. Is making the effort to train your brain to be more optimistic worth it?
Science says yes. Research shows that the sunny worldview has some very real benefits for your health and productivity. According to a study published in Clinical Psychology Review , optimism is closely linked to resilience. Science also shows that those with an optimistic outlook tend to be more proactive when it comes to their health, have better cardiovascular health and a stronger immune system , earn a higher income and have more successful relationships. A large study conducted by the Harvard School of Public Health found that the most optimistic women were 30 percent less likely to die from any of the serious illnesses tracked during the 8-year time period, including cancer, heart disease and stroke.
In fact, there are many effective ways to adopt an optimistic mindset. Experts refer to the tactic as "positive reframing. Optimism isn't about seeing everything as rosy.
Optimists don't ignore problems or pretend life is perfect. They just choose to focus on what's good about a situation and what they can do to make things better. Optimists have true confidence because they're prepared: They know they need to study if they want to ace a tough test. They know they can't make the basketball team without practicing. Optimism goes hand-in-hand with action. It's about finding a healthy balance of positive and realistic thinking. Pessimism can drag us down — so it's good to know we can change a negative mindset.
But that doesn't mean erasing all negative thinking. A healthy "what's wrong? Thinking about what could go wrong helps us avoid too much risk. Imagine your brother is texting while he drives you to rehearsal. Your negative thinking alerts you: "Hey, this isn't good! In this case you're combining pessimistic thinking "Texting leads to car crashes! Just about all of us go through a rough patch now and then where it can seem like nothing's working.
It's healthy to identify feelings when we're discouraged, and it's OK to talk about what's wrong. Confiding in someone can lift your mood and remind you of the optimistic possibilities.
Negative thinking can help you move forward, as long as you don't get stuck focusing on what's wrong. If you tend toward mostly pessimistic thinking, you can get better at seeing what's good. Here are some things to try:. Optimism is a thinking style that can be learned, which means that pessimism can be unlearned!
It can take a little while, so don't feel discouraged. Becoming more aware of the two styles can gradually help you start noticing more ways to be optimistic.
Just keep telling yourself, "I can be more optimistic and I'm going to keep practicing! Reviewed by: Mary L. Gavin, MD. Larger text size Large text size Regular text size. How's Your Day Going? Optimism vs. Pessimism Optimism and pessimism are mindsets — ways of thinking and seeing things. Page 3 Optimism Builds Resilience Optimism lets us see disappointing events as temporary situations that we can get past.
Realistic Optimism Optimism isn't about seeing everything as rosy. Is There a Place for Pessimism? Page 4 How to Be More Optimistic If you tend toward mostly pessimistic thinking, you can get better at seeing what's good. Here are some things to try: Notice good things as they happen. At the end of the day, take 10 minutes to run through your day and come up with things that you're grateful for. Write them down in a journal or keep track using a motivational app on your phone or tablet.
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