How To Be More Optimistic
Is your glass half-full, half-empty...or you're just thinking, "Where the heck did this glass come from?" Here's how to be more optimistic and why you might want to be.
We all know people we consider “glass-half-full” kind of people. Even when something goes epically wrong, they’re like, “Well, at least it happened now instead of later.” Gross.
Well, instead of those who see the glass as half-empty or are wondering why there is a glass to begin with, or worse, what is the mysterious liquid in the glass, research actually shows that optimists generally enjoy life a little more. According to Elizabeth Scott from Very Well Mind, optimistic people enjoy greater achievement, greater health, a sense of persistence towards goals, greater emotional health, increased longevity, and lower reactivity to stress. So what’s the real deal with optimism??
In short, your explanatory style, or how you define events, can be measured, and there’s a few different things to consider as you figure out what your explanatory style is. When an event happens, how do you process it, attach meaning to it, and assess it as a threat or challenge? Humans have a tendency to lean towards optimism or pessimism when it comes to these three aspects:
How you perceive the permanence of the situation: do you expect things to get better? Or are you thinking this is how it will always be?
How pervasive the situation is: is getting a low score on a performance review an isolated incident at work? Or is there a more general feeling of failure happening in other areas of your life?
How internal or external the situation is: is the cause of the event something you did? Or is this something you don’t have control over and more about the perception of someone else?
If you’re reading these and lean more on the side of optimism, you might think that positive events happen because of something you did, that it's a sign of more good things to come, and that good things will continue to happen in other areas of your life. Also, when something doesn’t go your way or how you thought, you might view that negative event as an isolated occurrence.
If you find yourself leaning on the pessimistic side (uh-oh, half-empty), you canincrease your tendency towards optimism. It's possible! And maybe that mysterious liquid in your glass is a delicious chai tea latte instead of sewer water after all. Try practicing these:
Stop to think and give yourself credit: when something positive happens, stop to think about how you positively contributed to that event and give yourself credit. For example, if you did awesome on a big test or project, it wasn’t just because of the studying or research you did, but also you being you, a smart and intelligent person, contributed.
Maximize your strengths in other areas: think about the other strengths you possess and how you can use them to cause other positive events in your life. You’re a hard worker at your job. How else could your determination help in other areas?
Failure is an instance, not a person: when negative events happen, think about the extenuating circumstances that might have contributed. Keep in mind that this isn’t necessarily a reflection of personal weakness; it’s an opportunity to change your behavior for the future.
If you need help with seeing the brighter side of things, or even a partner to figure out if the glass is half full or empty or just want to go grab a cup of coffee, contact me today for an exploratory call or sign up for 1-on-1 coaching to see how life and career coaching can help you discover your why, create goals, and build habits.
I’m cheering you on and I’m rooting for you to set and achieve success, no matter what's in your glass, whether it's half-full, half-empty, or you're still trying to figure out, "where is this glass you speak of?". I'm one of those gross eternal optimists and you can join me. Hope to talk to you soon!
Love, Niki