Have you ever noticed those people, or that one person in the office, who is always smiling, has a sunny personality, and it is not a fake? No matter what happens her glass is always half full. Not only does she seem to be enjoying life more than the people surrounding her but there is a good chance she is also leading a healthier life.
Researchers at Mayo Clinic reviewed the records of people who completed a personality inventory back in the 1960s and found that pessimists, as compared with optimists, had an increased risk of death 30 years later. In fact, the more pessimistic the person the greater the risk. Besides, in a follow-up study, optimistic people had higher levels of functioning in all areas.
It seems that optimists tend to experience less stress than pessimists or even realists. Because they believe in themselves and their abilities, they expect good things to happen. They see negative events as minor setbacks to be easily overcome, and view positive events as proof that more good things are coming. Because they believe in themselves, they tend to take more risks and create more positive events in their lives.
Pessimists usually explain the events in their lives in a way that makes them seem tragic. They tend to blame themselves, while assuming that whatever went wrong will stay wrong and bring every thing down with it.
The good news is that even though you may not think of yourself as an optimistic person, you can learn to become one. You actually can teach yourself to think more positively.
Tips for becoming an optimist
Watch out for negative self-talk.
Stop when you catch yourself thinking you won’t enjoy an event or do well on a project. Identify the positive aspects of the situation.
Learn to meditate.
Try to stay in the moment without distracting thoughts.
Put things in perspective.
Try to find the adventure in your journey. Ask yourself if you would be bored without the bumps in the road.
Manage and solve the problems you can control.
Forget about those you can’t control. Remember, there is nothing you can do about the weather so quit complaining.
Surround yourself with positive, upbeat people.
Find joy in your work by finding some aspect that is personally fulfilling. Identifying the good in what you do will bring more happiness to your life.
At the end of the day, write down three positive things that happened and why you think those good things happen.
Take a weekly inventory about what you are grateful focusing on your friends and family and stop feeling resentful about what you do not have.
Obviously, optimism motivates us to take control of our lives as opposed to depressed people who seem to lose control and retain the attitude of the hopelessness of the situation. The bottom line: even though the exact nature of the relationship between optimism and good health is still not well defined, positive thinking helps. That is good enough for me!
I invite you to download this ebook and discover several ways in which you can learn to be more positive http://successinlifeandbusiness.com
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