We’re all familiar with that one wise person who has the audacity to tell us to cheer up and look on the bright side the second we utter a complaint. We hate on them for oversimplifying our problems and dismissing our struggles, but wait a second… could they actually have a point?
People love to point out how optimism results in poor planning, dangerous risks, and crushing disappointment when a situation plays out worse than you think it will, and, to a certain extent, they’re totally right. But there’s a fine line between being optimistically delusional and simply having a positive attitude. Optimism isn’t about expecting the best all the time; most people, regardless of their mindset, hope for the best and expect the worst in any situation. The part that sets optimists apart is how they acknowledge that the best is possible in the first place, giving them not only a goal to work towards, but also the motivation to achieve it, while people who think more negatively often see the best outcome as unlikely and therefore a waste of effort to even consider. As a result, optimists tend to have an easier time dealing with stressful situations more productively. A study conducted by Harvard Business Review found that in the workforce, optimists are “40% more likely to get a promotion over the next year” and “five times less likely to burn out than pessimists”, illustrating a huge gap in productivity between optimists and their less positive counterparts.
In addition, optimism has been shown to offer a number of psychological health benefits, such as improved stress management and mood regulation, helping you live a healthier, happier life. This is because an optimistic outlook tends to focus on the positives of a situation, famously viewing that glass of water as half-full rather than half-empty (even though both are correct) and framing difficulties as rare chances to gain more experience rather than low points that can never be overcome. By definition, optimists experience a better version of the life they are actually living, so it’s no wonder a little positivity can make a big difference in your mental health.
But wait… there’s more. Not only does optimism benefit your well-being, but it can also contribute to the state of your physical health as well. Mayo Clinic authors emphasize the surprising role optimism plays in protecting your immune system, preventing heart attacks, reducing your risk of cancer, and extending your lifespan in general. And even if you tend to think more negatively, you don’t have to give up your realistic worldview in order to reap these benefits, because being optimistic doesn’t change how you see things—it changes how you interpret them.
While we can’t just rewire our brains and flip the positivity switch overnight, it’s easy to cultivate a more optimistic mindset given some time and a little help from our internal monologues. By replacing negative self-talk with more positive thinking and saying “I’ll try and it’s okay if I end up failing” rather than “I really don’t think I can do this,” or subbing out “wow, she really hates me” for “there are so many things that could explain why she looks so mad right now,” you’re already on your way to being more optimistic. Telling yourself that what happened yesterday was actually a good thing or that you really love the people around you is more than enough to change your attitude. Even just forcing yourself to smile more often can make all the difference, since smiling, which is associated with optimism, has been proven to boost your mood and lower your stress.
So, for the sake of your own happiness, I really encourage you to remember that things are only as bad as you make them. By thinking more optimistically, you’ll be able to stop criticizing yourself and the people around you so harshly, making more room for self-acceptance and a more positive view of the world around you.