We’ve all heard the cliché that optimists see the glass as half full and pessimists see the glass as half empty. Another adage tells us that optimists see the doughnut and pessimists see the hole.
Whatever your preferred metaphor, we can agree that it’s always more enjoyable to spend time around positive, upbeat people rather than negative, downbeat people. What’s more, we know that an optimistic outlook has a wide range of benefits. Developing a hopeful attitude is far more potent for wellness than many people recognize.
During the past decades, dozens of research studies have demonstrated the benefits of optimism in individual lives, relationships, organizations, and society as a whole. These studies show that optimists fare better than pessimists in work, school, and sports. Positive people are likely to achieve more goals, handle stress more wisely, overcome depression more quickly, cope with illness better, and live longer.
Consider just a few benefits of optimism:
According to a Harvard study, an optimistic outlook early in life can predict better health and a lower rate of death during follow-up periods of 15 to 40 years.
An analysis of 15 studies involving more than 200,000 participants found a 35 percent lower chance of getting heart disease and a 14 percent lower chance of early death for optimistic people.
Positive thinking boosts immunity and reduces the chance of infection and cancer.
A 2017 study found that, even after considering other healthy behaviors, optimistic people had a 15 percent longer lifespan and 50 percent greater chance of living past 85 than people with a negative outlook.
The Expectation Advantage
One reason optimists thrive is that they expect good things to happen and anticipate a positive outcome for any situation. What a person expects has a significant influence on the final result of whatever the expectations are about.
Researchers often use the 12-item “Life Orientation Test” to measure people’s level of optimism and pessimism. This and other tools help to explain that pessimists tend to assume blame for bad events (“It’s my fault”), believe the negative situation will continue (“This is going to last forever”), and take on a gloom-and-doom perspective (“This will lead to catastrophe”).
In contrast, optimists don’t blame themselves for negative events. Instead, they tend to give themselves appropriate credit for good news, believe that positive developments will continue, and remain confident that encouraging events will spill over into many areas of life. Anticipating a positive outcome often becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy—a person’s attitudes are activated to achieve the desired results.
Optimism Is a Matter of Outlook
Can a person who isn’t naturally optimistic develop a more positive outlook? Absolutely. Optimism isn’t just something a person is born with; optimism can be exercised and strengthened, like a muscle.
One study from 2015 examined the psychological traits of identical twins and found that genetics accounted for 38 percent of optimistic tendencies. An earlier study demonstrated that 20 percent of optimistic outlook is attributed to inherited DNA. Although we would all love to be born with the “optimism gene,” these and similar studies should come as good news: optimism is mostly a learned trait, and we can all grow in our ability to become more optimistic.
Most of all, both optimism and pessimism are determined by how we think about our circumstances and adversities. Take Jack, for example. His car broke down on the way to work. Immediately, his mind started swirling with pessimistic views. He thought to himself, If I weren’t so irresponsible, this wouldn’t have happened. I should have been more prepared. Jack believed that his entire day would be ruined because of this one setback. And since Jack kept on chastising himself and blaming his “usual bad luck,” he did indeed have a lousy day.
Now consider Jill, whose car also broke down on the way to work that very same morning. Jill accepts that sometimes difficult things occur that are beyond her control, and she doesn’t allow setbacks to negatively affect how she views herself. After inspecting her flat tire, Jill thought to herself, “Well, these things happen. It’s no big deal. I’ll call a tow truck and catch a ride to work.” Jill accepted the situation, dealt with it, and moved on with her day. She wasn’t thrilled with the hassle and coming repair costs, but she kept the predicament in perspective and made a conscious choice to remain positive.
Each situation presents a new opportunity to choose our attitude. (Biba Kayewich)
More Than “Happy Thoughts”
Optimism is a way of reframing obstacles. Here are strategies for strengthening your optimism muscle:
Practice gratitude for both big and small things. Spend a few minutes each day listing three blessings in your life and describe how you’re enriched by them. Naming the things you’re thankful for each day will prompt you to see more and more. Soon enough, your mind will naturally look for reasons to be grateful.
Look for opportunities in setbacks. Part of what makes a difficult situation so hard to handle is the sense that you’re powerless, but that’s rarely (if ever) the case. If you suddenly remember something you did or said that offended someone, you now have the opportunity to practice humility and seek forgiveness. If you started a business that didn’t succeed, you have the opportunity to examine what went wrong so you have a better chance of success next time.
Monitor your self-talk. We talk to ourselves all day long, and the way we talk to ourselves matters tremendously. Our inner voice affects the atmosphere in our minds, how we view ourselves, and how we perceive the world around us. The way you talk to yourself sets the tone for how you’ll engage with the world and the types of interactions you’ll come to expect with others.
Get moving. Going for a walk or run might be the last thing you feel like doing when you can’t stop thinking about something negative. But research shows that physical activity can help decrease anxiety and depression. What’s more, studies have found that getting regular physical activity helps you to ruminate less to begin with. Even a single stint of exercise helps decrease pessimistic thoughts.
Dump the drainers. Life is full of people, obligations, and tasks that siphon off our energy and drag us down. Some we can’t avoid, but some we can and should. Steer clear of people who soak up your positive energy like a dry sponge in a puddle of water. Likewise, avoid chronic complainers and pessimists.
Pinpoint positives. In your journal—or in conversation with a friend or counselor—identify specific aspects of your life that you feel especially positive and optimistic about. It might be your work, parenting, marriage, spiritual growth, or creative pursuits. Be as specific as possible, and celebrate the good things in your life.
Take action to demonstrate new thinking. On a piece of paper, write down a negative belief that you feel is holding you back and weighing you down. Now take the piece of paper, fold it up, and throw it in your blazing fireplace (or flush it down the toilet or put it through your shredder). As you do, say to yourself, “This belief has been with me for a long time—but not anymore. I’m choosing to let it go and replace it with a more positive, more accurate belief about myself.”
Envision your best possible self and life. For the next two weeks, spend 15 minutes thinking about and writing about enjoying the best possible circumstances in your future. Ponder your goals and dreams—and envision that everything works out to be the very best situation. Then spend another five minutes visualizing this best future life as vividly as you can, with a lot of details. This exercise is more than just a feel-good pep talk for yourself; you'll be retraining your mind and redirecting your thoughts. A study published in the Journal of Behavior Therapy and Experimental Psychiatry demonstrated that this exercise boosted participants’ level of optimism.
Gregory Jantz, Ph.D., is the founder and director of the mental health clinic The Center: A Place of Hope in Edmonds, Wash. He is the author of "Healing Depression for Life," "The Anxiety Reset," and many other books. Find Jantz at APlaceOfHope.com.
