Have you ever met someone who is always negative and refuses to see the good in life? Sometimes life puts us in interesting positions and it’s hard to see the positives. It’s okay to have bad days. It’s also okay to experience both optimism and pessimism depending on your situation. Contrary to what some may believe, humans aren’t born optimists. It’s a conscious decision that you make every day to live a life with your glass half full.
Maybe you’re already an optimist or maybe you’re trying to make some positive life changes. Lucky for you, you can learn it. The learned optimism theory tells us that we can change our behaviors and thinking to a more positive outlook (Gruman, Schneider, & Coutts, 2017). There will always be times in life where it’s hard to see the good, but that doesn’t mean you can’t put some practices into place to help yourself through those rough times.
If you’re tired of the negativity and want a better outlook on life, you can try some of these techniques. Or share them with a “negative Nancy” in your life! You’ll need to take a look at your experiences in life and see how you react. Evaluate those reactions and see if you can find the positive aspects. If you already had a negative view, consider changing it and make sure to use positive self-talk.
Having a positive outlook on life and being more optimistic has many benefits. It helps improve your health, motivation, performance, and success. When you’re looking towards a brighter future, you’re more motivated to do things to help you succeed. People with negative attitudes tend to give up more easily and blame external factors on why they’re failing. If you find yourself struggling with optimism, consider keeping a journal so you can record events and your reactions. Reflect on your behaviors and make the intention to do better each day.
*Extra Note: You can find tons of information about learned optimism by researching Martin Seligman. Try it out!
References:
Gruman, J. A., Schneider, F. W., and Coutts, L. M. (Eds.) (2017). Applied Social Psychology: Understanding and Addressing Social and Practical Problems (3rd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.
Moore, C. (2022, March 24). Learned optimism: Is Martin Seligman’s glass half full? PositivePsychology.com. Retrieved from https://positivepsychology.com/learned-optimism/