Plain Sailing In Schools

Optimism simply means focusing on what can go right. Optimists are happier because they expect and anticipate good things to happen to them in their work life and beyond. They also see the best in every situation.

The case for optimism is a very strong one indeed. Optimists are happier, more successful, healthier, experience less stress, have better relationships and live longer. Crucially, there is plenty of evidence to support the fact that pessimists can learn to be more optimistic.

Optimism is all about how you explain the world around you. Psychologists call this your explanatory style. Your explanatory style refers to the way in which you explain the events that happen in your life, and the meaning you give to that explanation.

Your explanatory style is more than likely to determine the decisions you make and actions you take in your life. Optimists define themselves by their strengths and successes, and because of this they expect good things to happen to them. Pessimists on the other hand define themselves by their weaknesses and failures, and therefore don’t expect good things to happen to them.

In order to become more optimistic, there are two things you need to work on:

1. Close down your pessimism patterns

2.  Open up your optimism opportunities

Closing down your pessimism patterns means minimising the space you allow for negative thought patterns, and maximising the space you allow for positive thought patterns.

Martin Seligman, a renowned expert in optimism, uses the following techniques to get you out of a negative frame of mind. These act as quick fixes in moving your thinking from a negative perspective to a positive one. So, next time you start thinking negatively, ask yourself which of these techniques would work best for you.

• Remind yourself regularly off things that you have done well and are proud of.

• Activate an internal STOP mechanism, which means you shout STOP yourself if you start thinking negatively.

• Practise a positive thinking mantra – in other words, affirm positive statements about yourself.

• Stop berating yourself. Commit to accepting and learning from your mistakes.

• Write down your negative thoughts. This is a good way of getting them out there, rather than niggling away in your head.

• Write down your positive thinking mantra and keep it with you.

• Have a stack of positive thoughts at the ready. Write them down if necessary.

Quick fixes are important because optimistic (and pessimistic) thought patterns can turn into fixed ways of thinking. However, a more long-term approach to challenging your pessimistic thought patterns will reap long-term benefits.

Optimism is much more than positive thinking. While positive thinking can enhance certain situations, it does not overall improve your life experience. Optimism, on the other hand, has been shown to enhance both specific and general well-being.

Also, you need to proactively choose to be happy and seeing the good in situations. Train yourself to think “I am going to find something positive in this situation”, and you will be guaranteed great results. Try it, and see how it goes. I would love to hear more about your views on this subject, so please leave a response here.

Please get in touch with me if you would like more support with being optimistic, or try the free interactive coaching session by clicking on the blue banner on the Homepage.