The Benefits Of The Bright Side: A Guide For How To Maintain Optimism

With the stresses of modern living weighing on us, it can sometimes be difficult to remain positive and not dwell on the negative aspects of life. It can often seem like cynicism and irony are inescapable in today’s world. While it may seem obvious on the surface, maintaining an optimistic outlook on life is often more crucial for our mental health than we realize. 

We may sometimes find it easy to slip into negative thinking patterns, and everyone has these thoughts from time to time, but persistent pessimistic thinking can be a huge detriment to our lives in ways we might not even realize. 

This article will explore the benefits of maintaining an optimistic attitude, the consequences of negative thinking and how it can hold us back, and how developing a more optimistic outlook on life can have a huge positive impact on our mental health and improve our lives. 

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The benefits of positive thinking

Positive thinking can do more for us than merely put us in a good mood. In fact, the benefits of keeping an optimistic outlook on life are scientifically proven. A study showed that those experiencing Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) reported reduced anxiety after just a month of practicing deliberate positive thinking. The study’s findings even showed that practicing positive thinking that was completely unrelated to our stresses and worries produced these results.

A positive mindset improves cardiovascular health

Positive thinking can even improve our cardiovascular health. A study by John Hopkins found that optimistic people are less likely to have a heart attack and other heart-related incidents. 

Those with pessimistic outlooks on life often have more anxiety and other conditions that increase their risk of heart disease. Positive thinking not only has a huge impact on our mental health, but on our physical health.    

Optimism promotes greater happiness

People who maintain optimism can achieve greater happiness in life. They are less stressed and depressed, and they receive more support socially.

Tackling struggles with a broader perspective

Considering that life changes quickly, someone who maintains optimism can deal with struggles positively and with a broader perspective. If something doesn’t happen their way, they can easily think of a good reason why it occurs otherwise and move on with life.

Other benefits of positive thinking

• Reduced stress
• Strengthened immune system
• Resilience 
• Improved general wellness
• Increased motivation
• Realistic thinking increases. Many pessimists think of themselves as “realists,” yet positive thinkers are better at maintaining level headedness  

The issue with negative thinking

While all of us experience bad moods or negative thoughts occasionally, it is important to recognize persistent pessimistic thought patterns and nip them in the bud before they get out of control. Just as our positive thoughts have the power to greatly influence us, so do our negative thoughts as well. If we repeat a negative thought enough times, our brain might start to accept what is actually a wholly irrational belief we have about ourselves or a situation. 

A cycle of repetitive negative thinking is often referred to as rumination. Rumination often leads to depression and anxiety and can worsen the symptoms for those already experiencing these conditions. These negative thought patterns often create a self-fulfilling prophecy in which our pessimistic perception of our lives leads to more negative outcomes, creating a confirmation bias that only continues the cycle of rumination. When we ruminate, we dwell on the negative experiences in our lives and let these thoughts consume us. 

One study even linked negative thinking to an increased risk of dementia. With these and other health risks exacerbated by the results of pessimistic thinking, it is crucial to maintain positivity in our lives.   

Six tips for being more optimistic

Having a pessimistic outlook on life can permeate every ounce of your being. It can be difficult to change our way of thinking from negative to positive, and it’s rarely an overnight change, especially if we are accustomed to negative thinking. However, there are some tools at your disposal for navigating negative thoughts and changing your way of thinking. 

How to maintain optimism: Tools to counter negative thoughts

• Express gratitude. It can be easy to forget the little things in life for which we should be thankful.
• Get adequate sleep. Sleep can play a significant part in our mental health, cognitive ability, and mood. Those who get little sleep are prone to irritability and general negativity.
• Practice acceptance. There are some things in life we cannot change. It can be difficult for negative minded individuals to “get over” or cope with certain things, such as past negative experiences.
• Live in the present moment. Meditation and practicing mindfulness can help with this.
• Find humor in the absurdities of daily life. 
• Be aware of negative thoughts creeping in and learn to turn them around.

While positivity is beneficial to our lives, it is also important to remember not to give in to “toxic positivity.” Toxic positivity is a form of positivity that denies us of our natural human emotions and seeks to shame those who experience natural feelings such as anger or sadness. 

If you seek to never experience these normal aspects of life, you will likely end up bottling up these emotions instead, which is far less healthy than acknowledging and processing them.

How therapy can help

While each of us likely understands the importance of positive thinking on some level, it can be hard to put this into practice. We often have past trauma and mental roadblocks keeping us from seeing the bright side of life. 

Sometimes we might require help from a licensed mental health professional in our quest to become more positive minded. Online therapy can be a great resource in this scenario. A licensed therapist can help you be more positive, identify negative thinking patterns, and learn how to cope with negative thoughts and experiences.  

Online therapy is also shown to be effective for a variety of concerns. One study demonstrated that online therapy is just as effective as in-person therapy for addressing mental health issues.