How to Become More Optimistic: Practice the Seven Principles of Optimism

Optimism is a trait that is set to become more common, based on Winston Churchill's famous quote that "a pessimist sees difficulty in every opportunity, an optimist sees opportunity in every difficulty."

The poet Kahlil Gibran once wrote that “Your life is determined not so much by what life brings you as by the attitude you bring to life. Not so much by what happens to you, but by how your mind looks at what is happening.”

The attitude he mentions above is what we call optimism.

Optimism is both a philosophy and an attitude. It is a philosophy of how we interpret events that happen in our daily lives. It's about how we move forward. It is a way of life—a perspective or lens through which to evaluate the desirable and undesirable events that occur in our daily lives.

Not everyone may be an optimist, but everyone can become one. At least that's what positive psychologist Martin Seligman explains in his book Learned Optimism:

“A pessimistic attitude may seem so deeply ingrained that it may remain forever. However, I have discovered that pessimism can be avoided. In fact, pessimists can learn to be optimists, not through mindless tricks like whistling a happy tune or uttering platitudes, but by learning a new set of cognitive skills.”

However, the question we need to ask is not “how can I become more optimistic” but “what daily principles can I live by to become more optimistic by nature?” This reflects what Epictetus, the Stoic philosopher, once wrote: “Don’t explain your philosophy—embody it.” And the only way to embody a philosophy is to practice it day in and day out.

So what are these principles of optimism?

Given that the term “optimism” comes from the Latin word Optimus, which means “best,” it may be appropriate to first look at the region where the word was first discovered.

In The Seven Hills of Rome: A Geological Tour of the Eternal City, the authors argue that for many years historians, political analysts and sociologists have debated the question of what made Rome more powerful than its neighboring cities. Without taking into account one key factor behind its initial rise: the geology of Rome.

They demonstrate how Rome's innate core qualities were its proximity to a major river and close access to the sea, its hills for view and plateaus for defense. And also clean drinking water from springs in the Apennine Mountains - gave the city many geographical advantages compared to its surrounding environs. areas. Rome itself played a decisive role in the rise to power.

In other words, Rome begat Rome. And in the same way, only you can give birth to yourself.

Always believe it's possible

Principle #1: An optimist understands the fundamental rule: seeing is not believing; rather, believing is seeing. And so he develops a mindset around this mantra: “My beliefs can change what I see and perceive.”

In her book, Mindset, psychologist Carol Dweck explains that people operate from one of two mentalities, a fixed or growth mindset.

With a “fixed mindset,” we believe we have no control over our growth, intelligence, or creativity. And through this belief system, we strive for the illusion of success, feeling comfortable and avoiding failure at all costs.

However, with a “growth mindset,” we thrive in the face of adversity and view failure as a springboard for growth. A growth mindset is based on the belief that your core qualities are something you can develop through your own efforts. People with a growth mindset have a desire to teach and learn, a willingness to give and receive feedback, and the ability to confront and overcome obstacles.

What does optimism have to do with it? Your way of thinking, based on the belief system you have developed over time, determines how you see yourself and the world around you.

The view you take of yourself profoundly influences how you lead your life. It can determine whether you become the person you want to be and whether you achieve what you value.

In other words, seeing is not believing, but believing is seeing.

If you believe that a solution to your problem actually exists, you will be able to see opportunities and therefore be much more inclined to take action. And isn’t that what optimism is all about? Choosing to believe that the future can still be wonderful, seeing the possibility of that future, and then intentionally working today to make that future come true.

As Alan Watts once wrote, “faith is above all openness, an act of trust in the unknown.” Believing in the possible is what leads us to see all the possibilities that could be. An optimist believes and he sees.

The Dark Side of Optimism: The Illusion of Invulnerability

Optimism can be compared to red wine: if you use a little every day, you can get benefits, but if you overdo it, the results will be disastrous. A person’s overly unrealistic belief that the future will be filled only with positive events encourages him to take unnecessary risks in relation to his finances, health and other areas of life. Numerous scientific studies contain this conclusion.

Duke University finance professors Manju Puria and David Robinson found that extreme optimists exhibit irrational financial habits and behavior. Such people have shorter planning horizons and low financial self-control, save less, hold most of their wealth in the form of illiquid assets and are less likely to pay off credit card balances [Puria M., Robinson DT, 2007].

Research also shows that unrealistic optimism is a potentially harmful cognitive strategy. Psychology and philosophy researchers Amanda Dillard, Kevin McCaul and William Klein found that being overly optimistic led some smokers to underestimate the severity of their habit and believe they had a lower risk of developing lung cancer than the average smoker. The researchers found that these people had the following self-defeating beliefs:

• There is no risk of lung cancer if a person has been smoking for only a few years;
• Lung cancer depends on genes;
• most patients with lung cancer are cured.

And most importantly, unrealistic optimists were less likely to plan to quit smoking [Dillard AJ, McCaul KD, Klein WMP, 2006].

An even more alarming result was found in a study of optimistic bias regarding the risks of smoking conducted by Clark University psychology professor Jeffrey Arnett. It turned out that 60% of teenage smokers aged 12-17 years are absolutely convinced that they can easily quit smoking after several years of tobacco addiction. At the same time, most of the subjects doubted that they could die from their bad habit, even if they smoked for 30-40 years [Arnett JJ, 2000].

Blind faith that a person is lucky removes some of the fear inherent in risky behavior and makes preventive measures unnecessary. This conclusion was reached by a researcher at the Technological University of Singapore, Heken Kay Kim, and a professor at Cornell University in the USA, Jeff Niederdeppe.

They conducted an online survey of undergraduate students who experienced the H1N1 influenza outbreak in the fall of 2009. The result was surprising: extreme optimists had significantly lower intentions to comply with hand hygiene rules compared to realists and pessimists [Kim HK, Niederdeppe J., 2012]. Those. The tendency of unrealistic optimists to minimize risks and ignore danger led to an incorrect assessment of their vulnerability to infection and the unfounded idea that they were less likely to become infected.

In addition, scientists have found that biased optimism is one of the main reasons preventing the creation of achievable plans when developing any projects [Prater J. Barton, Kirytopoulos K., Tony M., 2017]. Inadequate planning and time management due to overly optimistic expectations can lead to poor decision making and disastrous results [Newby-Clark I., Ross M., Buehler R., Koehler DJ, Griffin DW, 2000].

The above studies clearly illustrate the dangers of unhealthy optimism. Wearing rose-colored glasses leads people to neglect basic safety precautions: skipping annual medical examinations, not wearing seat belts, being unwise with money, not using sunscreen, drinking too much alcohol, in the mistaken belief that nothing bad will happen to them.

Fortunately, we can learn to strike a middle ground, avoiding both excess and lack of optimistic thinking. Read on and you will find out how to do this.

Do the work

Principle No. 2: An optimist does not engage in wishful thinking; an optimist works consciously and hard.

The philosophy of an optimist is not based on wishful thinking. The optimist's philosophy is based on work.

Yes, you can choose to believe in a better future, and yes, you can see all the ways it can manifest itself, but the truth is that the wheels won't turn unless you stand up and push them. You may believe that one day you will succeed as a writer and can see yourself as an acclaimed author, but the truth is that this book will not write itself—you have to sit down in a chair and write.

What stops you from getting work done is resistance. This is something we all experience, especially when it comes to taking action to achieve an outcome we truly desire. Sometimes this manifests itself as fear, self-doubt, or procrastination. Other times it manifests as delusional wishful thinking.

After all, imagination will only take you so far. Yes, it excites you and gives you a mountain of motivation, but the only way to sustain it and channel it into fertile soil is to sit down and do the work.

Pros and cons of optimists

The positive qualities of the most cheerful people are summarized in a few simple definitions:

• high efficiency;
• identifying initiative;
• energy;
• minimal chance that mental illness may develop;
• cheerfulness;
• communication skills;
• resistance to stress.

It seems that hiring an optimist employee is a great chance to get an outcast employee who is capable of great things for the company and personal career.

But it turns out that not everything is so positive; among the many advantages, there are some disadvantages:

1. Positive thinking and aversion to conflict are not the same thing, but they are closely related to each other. It turns out that it is easier for an optimist to accept something and agree even with obvious injustices than to prove that he is right.
2. Looks at the world through rose-colored glasses without accepting another reality.
3. Wastefulness and poor budget management. Spender, which means an optimist who lives one day at a time.

These disadvantages may seem like a trifle to some, but an optimist doesn’t really notice them, living the way he likes.

Focus on yourself

Principle #3: An optimist does not obsess over what he cannot control. An optimist focuses only on what he can influence - himself.

• You don't control people's opinions of you.
• You have no control over the weather and natural disasters.
• You don't control the global economy.
• You have no control over what other people decide to do.

However, you can control how you respond to all of the above. How do you react when someone is playing a status game with you? How do you distance yourself from people who don't share the same values ​​as you.

In other words, what you control is you. Your opinions, aspirations, habits and actions you take. Your mind and the way you think. What you can control and change is who you are as a whole. Trying to control or change anything outside of this realm only leads to more anxiety, anguish and frustration - you will cause a storm and drown in it.

Optimism is based on the fundamental belief that whenever we are faced with a situation that causes suffering, we have two options at our disposal. We can change the current situation, or change our attitude towards it, by first changing the way we interpret it. And the only way to do this is to learn to focus only on what you can control.

As the Roman and Stoic philosopher Epictetus wrote in A Guide to Life:

“Happiness and freedom begin with a clear understanding of one principle: some things are under our control, and some are not. The main task in life is simply this: to identify and separate things so that I can clearly tell myself which external ones are not under my control, and which have to do with the choices that I actually control. Freedom is the only worthy goal in life. This is achieved by ignoring things that are beyond our control."

This last line is crucial: master yourself and you will become the master of your life.

Benefits of a Positive Outlook

Why is optimism better than pessimism?

US psychologist Bernard Weiner became interested in the fact that some people, experiencing failures, retreat from their goals, while others struggle with obstacles. The scientist revealed a direct dependence of the desire or lack thereof to continue the fight on a person’s vision of the reasons for his successes and failures.

It turned out that the children who participated in the experiments are excellent students at school and see the reason for their achievements as a result of their abilities. Omissions are explained by a lack of perseverance. Another group of children, who did worse in school, blamed their success on easy tasks or simply luck. Unsuccessful moments were attributed to lack of ability.

Professor at the University of Pennsylvania, Martin Seligman, studied this problem through the manifestation of depression. His father was paralyzed and the search began for an answer to the question of the changes that had occurred. When the father fell from a cheerful, balanced state into a complete loss of interest in life.

After experimental work, Seligman identified “learned helplessness in animals and humans.” The subjects, being under the influence of unpleasant circumstances for a certain time, begin to realize the futility of resistance and retreat. Further, even if they have a way out of an emergency situation, they do nothing.

After the results of the study, Martin Seligman questioned the optimistic style of thinking. Is there such a possibility?

The answer was positive psychology. Psychology is based on an “explanatory style.” Seligman's definition refers to a person's way of explaining the reasons for what is happening. At a stressful moment, it depends on the style of explanation whether an individual will choose to fight or go with the flow.

The pessimistic description of negative facts is explained by personal, universal data (“This can only happen to me, it always happens and there is no way to change it”). Positive facts are explained by chance, external temporary reasons.

The optimistic style explains negative facts by external, random reasons (“It will pass soon, it just happened”), and positive ones by properties inherent in the individual, ability.

Optimism is not a life without negative emotions, but a qualitatively different idea of ​​life. An optimist believes that he can change his reality and everything depends on him. He does not try to keep everything under control, he actively moves towards achieving his goals. Obstacles along the way are characterized as the influence of external factors.

Research by scientists has led to interesting facts: optimists have stronger immunity, recover faster after operations, live longer and are less likely to suffer from mental illness. They communicate with friends more often and move up the career ladder at work faster. They have higher satisfaction with their personal lives and are more likely to generate creative ideas.

Love more than you fear

Principle #4: An optimist lives and works out of love, not fear.

There is a universal truth: you can act and live your life from a fear-based belief system or from a love-based belief system. Live in fear and you will experience limitations associated with resentment, arrogance, insecurity and greed. Live in love and you will discover an abundance of courage, confidence, fortitude and generosity.

Inaction, stagnation, and acting as if the world owes you something are rooted in fear. Action, growth, self-compassion and kindness are rooted in love. Fast living and haste is a way of life born out of fear. Live slowly and respect the process out of love.

To love more than you fear means to make room for poetic mistakes in your life. It's taking yourself a little less seriously and laughing a little more. Doing something for the sake of true joy, and not for the sake of probable reward. It’s facing failure and thinking, “So what? I failed and now I'm much closer to success than ever before."

One of Nelson Mandela's quotes:

“What matters in life is not what we lived. How we make a difference in the lives of others will determine the meaning of the lives we lead.”

To make a difference in the lives of others, we must first learn to love fearlessly. We must remind ourselves that we are Beings trying to make sense of this human experience. And all that matters at the end of this journey is not what you achieved. It was about how much you loved yourself, how much you loved the people who walked this path with you, and how freely you gave to them.

All that matters at the end of this journey is how deeply you have touched the souls of those around you through your actions and creations. But, of course, you cannot touch someone with fear, but only with the light of fearless love.

The path to optimism

Genetic information plays a role in shaping people's character, as does the environment. Growing up in a family of pessimistic parents, it is rare for a child to acquire an optimistic outlook on life. However, man himself plays a huge role in creating reality. At the same time, it is very important how he will relate to successes and failures, ups and downs. Obviously, a positive mood should accompany him along the way. How to achieve optimism?

1. Smile at people and expect only good things from them, receive a kind attitude and a friendly look in return.
2. Positive environment. Communicate with positive people. Only friendly relationships give a charge of vigor and strength to move forward.
3. In difficult situations, try to help the other person. As a result, faith in oneself appears, in the ability to influence external negative factors.
4. Learn to believe in your own strength. Try, make mistakes and try again. Work on yourself.

Becoming an optimist means taking control of your life, since a person himself creates happiness.

Make it a habit to be solution-oriented.

Principle #5: An optimist is solution-oriented. He believes that there is always a solution and therefore only looks for solutions to problems and not more problems than existing ones.

In a talk entitled "5 Rules to Follow to Find Your Spark," Simon Sinek shared a personal story that led him to a major realization in life:

“There are two ways to see the world. Some people see what they want, and some people see what prevents them from getting what they want."

People who see what they need go after it. When they encounter obstacles, they keep going until they find a way around it because deep down they know what they want.

On the other hand, people who see things that prevent them from getting what they want only see obstacles. Consequently, they take no action.

People of the first group are optimists. There are no people of the second group.

If you want to be in the former, you have to become someone who is solution-oriented. This means that whenever a problem arises, you don't panic, complain, or allow your thoughts to think "this is the worst that can happen." No. Instead, you remain calm, composed, and immediately begin asking questions that will lead you to the right decisions.

You train yourself to become more resourceful by constantly asking the following question: “What can I do right now to solve this problem?”

Why be an optimist?

Research shows that an optimistic attitude is a beneficial trait, and people who see the glass as half full have many advantages over those who see it as half empty. Let's find out more about these benefits.

Optimists get sick less often

Psychology professors Suzanne Segerstrom and Sandra Sefton, as well as their immunologist colleagues, found that people with higher levels of optimism demonstrate a better immune response after vaccination, and optimistic expectations have a positive effect on immune function and overall health [Kohut ML, Cooper MM, Nickolaus MS, Russell DW, Cunnick J., 2002; Segerstrom SC, Sephton SE, 2010].

There is scientific evidence that optimism is associated with a healthier lipid profile (the amount of fat in the blood), lower levels of inflammatory markers and increased levels of antioxidants in the blood serum, which together have a positive impact on physical well-being. .

Another study on cardiovascular health found an association between optimism and readmission after coronary artery bypass surgery. The survey involved 309 middle-aged patients. Before surgery, each of them underwent a psychological examination designed to measure levels of optimism, depression, neuroticism and self-esteem. After surgery, all patients were observed for 6 months. As a result, it turned out that optimists needed re-hospitalization half as often as pessimists [Scheier MF, Matthews KA, Owens JF, Schulz R., Bridges MW, Magovern GJ, Carver C., 1999].

Another study examining the lifestyle of patients with coronary artery bypass grafting found that optimists, unlike pessimists, regularly took vitamins, ate low-fat foods, and participated in a cardiac rehabilitation program for 5 years after surgery [Scheier MF, Carver C. , 1992].

The proactive behavior of optimists related to health was also discovered by specialists in the field of psychology and psychiatry from the United States. Their study of HIV-negative gay men found that optimists reported fewer unfamiliar sexual partners compared to pessimists. This suggests that optimists made efforts to reduce the risk of contracting HIV by avoiding sexual contact with unknown people [Taylor S., Kemeny ME, Aspinwall LG, Schneider S., Rodriguez R., Herbert M., 1992].

Optimists have better mental health

According to scientists, optimism is beneficial not only for physical health, but also for mental well-being. For example, in a study of the influence of optimism on college students, it was found that optimistic students adjusted more easily to student life and experienced less anxiety by the end of the first semester [Brissette I., Scheier MF, Carver C., 2002].

Other experts have concluded that pregnant women's healthy optimism about future maternal experiences is a protective factor against symptoms of postpartum depression. Research has also shown that if caregivers of cancer patients were optimistic, they were less likely to be depressed.

Why is this happening? The fact is that optimism helps you cope with stressful situations more effectively. Optimistic people continue to try to solve a problem, even if it is not easy. Pessimists use an avoidant behavior strategy, which includes denying the problem or moving away from it. In other words, optimism is good for the psyche because it allows you to adaptively cope with difficulties rather than run away from them.

Optimists live longer

A major study published in 2021 found that optimism is associated with an average 11-15% increase in life expectancy and a greater chance of achieving “exceptional longevity,” i.e. survival to age 85 and older.

Scientists explain this by saying that optimists, unlike pessimists, do not succumb to fatalism, but realize the seriousness of their condition and take steps to improve it. In addition, optimism helps form habits that promote health and resist harmful impulses due to the fact that optimistic people tend to have goals and are confident in achieving them.

Scientists also suggest that optimists experience less emotional reactivity: when faced with difficulties, they cope better with emotions, perceiving the situation as a challenge rather than a disaster.

In 2021, a number of experts led by Eric Kim, Ph.D., Associate Professor of the Department of Psychology at the University of British Columbia, discovered a connection between optimism and a reduced risk of mortality from causes such as cancer, stroke, heart disease, respiratory diseases and infections. This is because optimists take better care of their health: they engage in more physical activity, try to sleep and eat better, and refrain from bad habits [Kim ES, Hagan KA, Grodstein F., DeMeo DL, De Vivo I., Kubzansky LD, 2016] .

Optimists have better love relationships

According to scientists from Stanford University, optimists' romantic relationships are of higher quality and longer, and their satisfaction is higher. Psychologists believe that optimism increases the sense of perceived support from a partner, which helps couples quickly cope with emerging conflicts [Srivastava S., Mcgonigal K., Richards JM, Butler EA, Gross JJ, 2006].

The results of another study suggest that optimism can serve as a reliable resource for romantic unions because it promotes joint problem solving [Hardy KK, Donnellan MB, Conger RD, 2007].

Optimists have fewer difficulties at work

Optimists have more successful careers than pessimists. As noted in a Harvard Business Review article, optimistic people are 40% more likely to get promoted, 6 times more likely to be engaged at work, and 5 times less likely to burn out than their pessimistic colleagues [Gielan M., 2019].

There are also studies showing that people who are optimistic about their careers have higher productivity and job satisfaction [Mishra US, Patnaik S., Mishra BB, 2016; Spurk D., Kauffeld S., Barthauer L., Heinemann NSR, 2015]. There are a number of reasons for this: most often, optimists are more charismatic, persistent and more easily give up on unattainable goals, freeing up resources for more realistic ones.

Optimists recover faster from failures

In 1990, scientists conducted an interesting experiment. The subjects were swimmers from two university teams. After the swim, the athletes were given false results, adding a few seconds to their real time. This difference was small enough to be believable, but large enough to cause serious disappointment to the swimmers.

They were then given 30 minutes to rest and had another swim. It turned out that pessimistic athletes swam even slower than the first time, but optimist swimmers completed the distance even a little better [Seligman MEP, Nolen-Hoeksema S., Thornton N., Thornton KM, 1990]. It turns out that optimists can use failures as fuel for future victories.

Another study, this time of wrestlers participating in the Spanish Championship, showed that optimism helps protect against emotional exhaustion and depersonalization, as well as improve the perception of personal sports achievements [Berengui R., Garces de los Fayos EJ, Ortin FJ, De la Vega R ., Lopez-Gullon JM, 2013].

Given the above, it becomes clear why optimists are usually happier than pessimists. However, every coin has two sides. Now we will tell you what the consequences of thoughtlessly wearing rose-colored glasses are.

Always be grateful and accepting

Principle #6: An optimist is grateful and accepting, allowing himself to fully feel what he feels, because that is how he overcomes all his suffering.

Optimism is not positive. Positivity means that everything is fine, even when it is not. This is just nonsense. Positivity means: “Forget about your problems, look on the bright side and move on.” This is repression, not liberation.

Optimism is simply finding positive meaning in negative events—it is a form of resilience. And the way to do this is to use positive emotions during times of stress to better cope with existing negative emotions.

In their research on optimism and resilience, psychologists Michelle Tugade and Barbara Fredrickson explain that “resilient people use positive emotions to recover from stressful encounters and find positive meaning in them.”

This is because they work on using a wider range of emotions to develop optimism:

• How can I use the energy created by this stress and anxiety to help me better cope with the challenges I face?
• What can I learn from this stress and how does it help me change, grow, or find new solutions?

In fact, negative emotions serve a specific purpose; they try to tell us that something is wrong. Listening to them and further exploring why we feel the way we do gets to the root of the problem.

So the idea here is to give in to the flow of life—to work through it, not against it. By being grateful for everything that happens, you accept it. And by accepting it, you will transcend it. As Eckhart Tolle writes in his book The Power of Now:

“Accept - then act. Whatever the present moment contains, accept it as if you had chosen it. Always work with it, not against it.”

Tips for achieving rational optimism

So our goal is to become a rational optimist. What does it mean? If you are rational, you see the world as it really is, not as you want it to be. If you are optimistic, you fill your life with confidence and feel positive about your own capabilities.

Those. a rational optimist is able to see reality as it is while maintaining the belief that his actions can improve the situation. This mindset is problem-solving and encourages positive action. Here are some tips to help strengthen your optimism muscle:

1

Imagine all possible scenarios for the development of events

Pay attention to how you think about upcoming events. Most likely, you only replay negative results in your head, imagining in vivid colors what exactly could go wrong. Expand your horizons: always evaluate the situation from different angles, playing out both negative and positive scenarios.

For example, when you have a thought: “What if this doesn’t work?”, immediately ask yourself the question: “What if I succeed?” As soon as you think: “What if they refuse me?”, immediately ask yourself: “What will happen if they say “Yes” to me?” When you get into the habit of looking at things from different (realistic) perspectives, you will reduce anxiety and give yourself a chance to achieve a positive outcome.

Try to combine a positive attitude and an honest assessment of the problems you may encounter along the way. Along with imagining what outcome you want, think about what steps you will take to overcome difficulties.

2

Be aware of your surroundings

You've probably heard the phrase that each of us is the arithmetic average of the 5 people with whom we communicate most often. Looks like it's true. So choose your environment wisely. Don't do this by accident, contenting yourself with communicating only with toxic relatives or work colleagues. Remember, the happiest and most optimistic people choose the right five friends.

Surround yourself with rational optimists. Over time, you will begin to naturally absorb their positivity until it becomes part of you. This is evidenced by a study by James Fowler from the University of California at San Diego and Nicholas Christakis from Harvard Medical School. These scientists showed how strongly the environment influences a person, proving that the more happy people you know, the more chances you have of becoming happy [Fox M., 2008].

3

Strive for progress, not perfection

Don't get caught up in creating the perfect plan of action. The pursuit of perfection can be your worst enemy in anything you do. Just start moving. Set a meaningful goal and take the first tiny step towards achieving it. This small victory will stimulate further positive actions as your brain recognizes the progress.

And if it’s difficult for you to take the first step, you endlessly procrastinate and have difficulties with motivation, then welcome to the online program “Mental Self-Regulation”. During 6 weeks of training, you will receive not only theoretical knowledge, but also develop skills to manage your mental state: learn to control emotions, cope with daily stress, get rid of tension, anxiety and fear of action.

4

Stop feeding yourself negativity

Countless negative news, which various media outlets enthusiastically savor, does not add to optimism. University of Zurich specialists Sarah Genner and Daniel Suss conducted a study and came to the conclusion that the media influences thinking and can encourage dangerous behavior: violence, drug addiction and extremism [Genner S., Suss D., 2016].

Therefore, filter your food for thought: watch only those programs and videos that contain positive aspects, and very soon you will notice that the news diet has made your worldview more optimistic.

5

Be grateful. Every day

When you wake up in the morning, don’t rush to check social networks or email. Start your day by listing at least three things you are grateful for. This two-minute practice over 2.5 months will help you become more optimistic. This conclusion was reached by psychologists Robert Emmons from the University of California at Davis and Michael McCullough from the University of Miami. They conducted a study in which they divided participants into 3 groups.

Subjects from the first group wrote about things for which they are grateful. The second group recorded unpleasant incidents from life, and the third - simply important events, without emphasis on their positive or negative nature. After 10 weeks, those who wrote about gratitude began to look at their lives with more optimism and feel much better [Emmons RA, McCullough ME, 2003].

6

Use self-awareness to stop negative thoughts

Thoughts shape our attitude towards life, so we need to monitor them. As soon as you catch yourself in the negative (judgment, irritation, etc.), stop and think: “What is the positive side of what is happening?” There are no absolutely terrible events; there are positives in every situation. Try to do this: actively replace negative thoughts with positive ones.

At first you will have to make an effort to find the bright side of things, but after a while this style of thinking will become second nature. To make this process easier, we invite you to participate in the online Cognitive Science program. With its help, you will master more than 20 thinking techniques, which will allow you to make informed decisions, better remember information, think broadly and logically, and quickly find solutions to non-standard life problems.

Don't forget: optimism is a choice you can make. Will it lead to success? Yes, but provided that you react constructively to problems, adequately assess threats and do not distort reality. After all, optimistic beliefs about yourself and your future contribute to physical and mental health, high productivity, adaptability and proactive behavior.

Friends, strive to be rational optimists and may your best predictions come true. Good luck! Yes, don't forget to rate your level of optimism:

We also recommend reading:

• Storytelling
• Why you need to become an optimist and how to learn it
• ABC Technique for Optimism
• Defensive pessimism
• Emotional Cycle of Change
• Optimism vs pessimism
• Traps of happiness
• How stickers can make you happier and more confident
• Optimal thinking and its benefits
• Strategy for Optimism
• Finding Happiness: What You Need to Stop Doing

Key words: 1Cognitive science, 1Psychoregulation

See the beauty

Principle #7: The optimist constantly seeks and reminds herself of the imperfect art , beauty and poetry that surround her.

This seventh and final principle corresponds to the majesty of the Quirinal Hill, the highest of the seven hills of Rome. It is an honest embodiment of all the previous principles that lead you to this: the gift of seeing beauty in all that is.

Think about it:

If you choose to believe that your aspirations are possible, you will see beauty in your imagination. If you choose to do the daily work that will get you there, you will see beauty in your efforts and progress.

If you choose to focus only on what you can control—yourself—you will see the beauty that can only be found within yourself. And if you choose to love deeply and completely, you will see the beauty in becoming fearless.

If you choose to be solution-oriented, you will see the beauty and joy in solving problems. And if you choose to always be grateful and accepting, you will see the beauty of life's many blessings and the meaning of your efforts.

This last principle itself embodies what it means to live a life based on the philosophy of optimism: like life itself, we are imperfect and impermanent, and this is what makes us so beautiful.

Practice the Seven Principles of Optimism and You'll Become Naturally Optimistic

Optimism is about acknowledging today's challenges and giving yourself permission to hope even when you feel very anxious, anxious, unhappy or afraid. It's not about ignoring your negative feelings about an impending crisis, but about finding a way to keep them from overpowering you.

Optimism is simply believing that the future can still be wonderful. Even if it doesn't seem plausible right now, then work intentionally today to make that future come true.

How to communicate with an optimist

A person who is used to being despondent sometimes does not understand: who is this optimist? He thinks somehow strangely, unrealistically. At least that's what he thinks. Sometimes it is quite difficult for a pessimist to communicate with a person who has a positive mindset, because the difference in their worldview is too great. A pessimist is more conflicted, so he can spoil the nerves of an optimist. Therefore, the recommendation is this: you need to learn from him. Any person with a positive mindset has a valuable behavior pattern that helps him overcome any difficulties in life.

Optimist man

It is useful to communicate with optimists in order to receive support from them. It is important not to parasitize here. It's better to become one yourself. As a short-term measure, seeking reassurance from an optimist can also be helpful.

Optimists are more flexible and solve problems situationally, while pessimists tend to constantly play it safe and perform hundreds of rituals to feel normal. This can also complicate their relationship.

To learn how to communicate correctly with an optimist, you need to understand how he thinks. To do this, it is important to communicate more with such a rare, but this makes it even more valuable, category of people.