How to Put Learned Optimism in Your Life

5 de agosto de 2021

3 min de lectura

Psychologist Martin Seligman proposed the idea behind "learned optimism" which states optimism can be learned and taught. You can consciously change negative self-talk into more positive self-talk. You can basically teach yourself to be grateful, joyful, and happy. Much experience and research support the idea that optimism could actually be learned and practiced.

When you challenge negative self-talk and replace pessimistic thoughts with ones that are more positive, you can learn to become more optimistic.

Benefits of Optimism

There are numerous benefits of becoming optimistic. Some many benefits of learned optimism researchers are discovering are:

1. Better Mental Health

People who are optimistic report higher levels of well-being than people who are pessimistic. Being optimistic could even help reduce depression.

2. Better Health Outcomes

One meta-analysis consisting of 83 studies showed optimism played a substantial role in the health outcomes for:

Cancer
Cardiovascular disease
Physical symptoms
Pain
Mortality

3. Longer Lifespan

Research has shown optimistic individuals tend to live longer than those who are pessimistic.

4. Higher Motivation

When you're pursuing goals, you can help maintain your motivation by becoming more optimistic. When you're trying to lose weight, for instance, if you're pessimistic, you may give up because you think diets don't work. On the other hand, when you're optimistic, you're more likely to focus on positive changes you can make to help you achieve your goals.

5. Lower Stress Levels

Optimists don't just experience reduced stress, they also cope with stress better. They're more resilient and seem to recover more quickly from setbacks. Instead of becoming discouraged and overwhelmed by negative events, they put their focus on making positive changes that will help to improve their lives.

How to Be Optimistic

Ways to become more optimistic are:

1. Change Your Thinking

You can make the decision to go on living exactly like you are or become more positive. It's as simple as that. Being an optimistic individual in a negative world starts with making that decision to just be more positive and choose to live your life each day.

2. Avoid Negativity

You may refer to negative people as “whiners”; you may even call them “toxic”, but regardless of what you call them or how you see them, pessimists suck the positivity out of any room. People like these lack any sense of empathy for other people and think the world revolves around them.

You might have to distance yourself from these types of people, even relatives. You might have to limit your exposure to news, social media, and television. Consuming too much political news or watching too many tragic news stories can reduce your ability to maintain positive. It's essential you establish healthy boundaries with individuals who are chronically choosing to "stay stuck" in their own misery.

3. Cultivate Positivity

Although it's not your responsibility to make everybody happy, it can't hurt to try and perk up people's day. Share some positive feedback or complement each day with at least one person. When you make others feel more positive, it can have a lasting impact on your own life.

For further reading on Learned Optimism, you can check out the book: Learned Optimism: How to Change Your Mind and Your Life.

Looking for Tips to Stay Optimistic?

Connect with others looking to be more optimistic on Healthread. Healthread is a technology platform you can access through a web app or through your smartphone (iOS app or Android) to connect with individuals who share similar health interests. Share your personal health stories and experiences and learn from others.

Read health-related articles, make posts, chat in groups, follow others with similar health interests, learn or share tips, and more on Healthread.

Healthread isn't designed to replace your doctor's advice, only to complement it and help you get a better understanding of your health concern. This way you can make more informed health decisions.

Sources

Información general, no consejo médico

Este artículo no puede tener en cuenta tu historial de salud ni tu tratamiento actual. Habla con un profesional sanitario cualificado antes de cambiar nada de tu cuidado.

Lee nuestro aviso médico →

En esta página