Mental Fitness: Optimism

Optimism, a pillar of mental fitness, is believing that the outcome of events or experiences will be positive.

Optimism and pessimism lie on a continuum spectrum. On one far end of the scale, there is unrealistic optimism. This means to keep on wishing for positive outcomes in a situation where you fail to see danger.

On the opposite end, there is unrealistic pessimism, which is only focusing on the risks and dangers of a situation. Unfortunately, this leads to blaming oneself or others which can cause chronic depression or anxiety.

It is scientifically proven that those with an optimistic outlook tend to have better cardiovascular health and immune systems!

Although some people may argue that the best spot to be is in the middle, an objective realist, the reality is, we are human and emotions are what makes us human.

To build mental fitness, we should cultivate something called realistic optimism. We have to practice being hopeful to want to take action and shape our situation for the better rather than waiting to see what happens. We have to approach hardship and difficulty in a productive and constructive way.

Here are a few ways we can learn to be more optimistic:

1. Desire to do something rather than accepting the status quo
If one option is not possible, look for another alternative rather than staying where you are.

2. Learn from failure
Even if things don’t go according to plan, remind yourself there are still things to learn from the situation.

3. Avoid blaming yourself or others
Blame puts more mental stress on ourselves and saps our energy, hindering our ability to focus on learnings and actions.

In order to train your brain to be more optimistic, it all comes down to practice! Try to find one positive thing in your life everyday and write it down. It is also important to assess whether the people you surround yourself with are positive influences.

The original article, written by Azran Osman Rani, CEO & Co-Founder of Naluri, can be found here.

Brought to you by Naluri, an organization providing professional health & life coaching services, and focused on improving the mental & physical health of individuals through the use of behavioural science, data science, & digital design.