Becoming an Optimist

Being a pessimist is an extremely painful state of mind. Always bracing for the worst is emotionally exhausting. The advice of “just look on the bright side” is most helpful. There are specific steps that you can take to improve your emotional resiliency and change your mindset. Check out my post on improving emotional reliance. In this post, I will be focusing on the six techniques necessary for changing your mindset. Before we begin, I think it is important to explain that optimism is not about always seeing the positive in every situation. Optimism is about what we choose to focus on and what we choose to pursue. Being an optimist takes confidence and belief in yourself. Optimism takes action and the knowledge that you will do what is necessary to succeed.

Optimism is learned over time, which means that you can learn to be an optimist at any stage in your life. It begins with what we focus on. Optimists generally are very focused on the positives in a day first. When attempting to change our mindset, we must change what we focus on. I advise my clients to spend 10 minutes a day focusing on the good in their life and the highlights of their day. When negative thoughts invade, make an action plan to change the things in your life you do not like with incremental steps so as to ensure success. When negative self-talk comes on board, ask your self if the negative self-talk in accurate. If it is, make a plan to change the things about yourself that you do not like, and if it is wrong replace it with the truth.

Be sure to celebrate your victories and focus on your ability to do good and have good things in your life. Celebrations of self can be small things like taking a bath or getting your favorite beverage. Celebrating your wins will make it easier to believe that setbacks are temporary and not a new low. By celebrating your wins, you reinforce that you are a winner and have a winning life. Look at the people in your life. Who celebrates with you and who picks at happiness? Our mindset is greatly shaped and reinforced by the people we have around us. Are the people in your life rooting for you? If not, it may be time to let some people go or take a bit space from them as you reshape your outlook on life. The process of becoming more optimistic needs to protected. It will take practice, and while you are in the process, you will need to surround yourself with positive people. Just like with everything in life, there may be setbacks but don’t give up. You deserve to have an optimistic life full of happiness and hope.