How Optimism Affects Happiness

Are people with an optimistic outlook on life happier than their pessimistic counterparts? Researchers have long been interested in the correlations between optimism, happiness, and well-being. Looking at the positive side of life events and situations may provide tangible physical and mental health benefits, such as a longer life span. While optimism and happiness may be intrinsically linked, not everyone tends to be inherently optimistic. Optimism can be seen as both an inheritable trait and a conditioned one, and many other factors can influence it, such as socioeconomic status, stressors and adversity, and the society in which one lives. Even so, cultivating positive thoughts and training the mind to be more optimistic can be learned with a few approaches, such as mindfulness meditation, visualization, gratitude journaling, and online or in-person therapy.

What are happiness and optimism?

According to UC Berkeley's Greater Good Magazine, happiness can be defined as a subjective sense of well-being that relates to how contented and satisfied you are with your life, how many positive emotions you feel, and your sense of meaning and purpose. 

Many scientists use subjective well-being (SWB) to describe happiness and satisfaction with life, which is thought to be influenced by internal and external factors. Internal factors can include personality and disposition, whereas external factors may involve one's surroundings, relationships with others, and basic needs being met. 

However, people are generally thought to adapt, to some degree, to circumstances over time. According to this theory, a challenging situation may affect happiness only to a certain extent after one has grown accustomed to it. 

Happiness may be described as either hedonic (experiencing more pleasure than pain) or eudemonic (tied to seeking and attaining a sense of purpose, meaning, and personal growth). Other factors can also weigh in, such as financial stability, favorable events, physical and mental health, social relationships, and positive emotions.

According to the American Psychological Association, optimism is typically defined as the attitude that good things will happen and that people’s wishes or aims will ultimately be fulfilled. It claims that optimists usually anticipate positive outcomes and show confidence in their ability to achieve goals. It also states that most people are on the spectrum between optimism and pessimism. However, people tend to display generally stable or situational tendencies in one direction or the other.

What are the benefits of optimism?

How optimism affects happiness may be related to its impact on physical and mental well-being. Researchers have suggested that optimism may significantly influence psychological and physical well-being by promoting a healthy lifestyle, adaptive behaviors, and cognitive responses. 

People with resilient personal characteristics (such as someone holding a positive view of themselves and feeling optimistic about the future) tend to evaluate stressful situations more positively, showing more confidence in their ability to overcome adversity. In a study examining test anxiety among students, self-esteem and optimism often served as mediators between test anxiety and life satisfaction.

As for physical health benefits, optimism has been linked to the following:

• Strengthened immunity, lowered risk of infection, and improved disease recovery
• Longer lifespan
• Improved heart health, which encompasses reduced blood pressure, improved circulation, and lowered risk of developing coronary artery disease, cardiovascular disease, or hypertension

Some studies also indicate that optimistic people tend to be more likely to exercise, less likely to smoke, and more inclined to follow medical advice, which could account for why their disease recovery tends to be improved in comparison to their more pessimistic counterparts. These results generally took into account pre-existing medical conditions.

How to be optimistic

While some people's dispositions may be more optimistic than others, there may be ways to rewire the mind to be more optimistic. The following suggestions may be useful to those looking to cultivate a more optimistic mindset:

Mindfulness meditation

Mindfulness meditation can reduce stress and anxiety, which may act as triggers to depression, by training the mind to be more present.

Meaningful personal interactions

Meaningful personal interactions tend to mitigate the effects of stress and adverse events.

Positive reframing

Positive reframing generally involves focusing on what went well as opposed to just the negative aspects of a day, situation, or event.

Priority redistribution

Priority redistribution usually entails spending time with optimists to encourage the contagion of positive emotions rather than watching sensational news stories or scrolling on social media.

Acceptance and acknowledgment

Acceptance and acknowledgment can refer to understanding what you can and cannot control.

Positive visualization

Positive visualization may involve writing for 15 minutes about an imagined future life in which all your goals have been realized.

Gratitude journaling

Gratitude journaling can be as simple as writing down things for which you are grateful.

Loving kindness

Loving kindness or showing acts of kindness towards others and practicing self-compassion, may be another way to cultivate optimism and positive emotions.

Therapy

Therapy can entail learning how to reframe negative thought patterns and behaviors for enhanced well-being.

Can someone help me become more optimistic?

If you believe that a more positive outlook could benefit your mental health, consider speaking to a licensed therapist about your concerns. Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) typically addresses unhelpful thinking and behavioral patterns, often enabling mental states that are more conducive to well-being. 

In addition to reducing symptoms of various mental health conditions, including anxiety and depression, CBT practitioners may include mindfulness meditation and other techniques to reduce stress and encourage awareness and gratitude. Whether online or in person, speaking to a therapist about the challenges you may be facing can be beneficial.  

Benefits of online therapy

An online therapy platform, such as BetterHelp, can connect you with a therapist who may incorporate principles of positive psychology into their approach to therapy. Online therapy generally enables you to reach out to your therapist by phone, video call, or online chat. This ease of communication can be valuable when seeking help with balancing your emotions in a challenging situation. 

Effectiveness of online therapy

Interest in online positive psychology interventions has continued to expand. In a recent randomized controlled trial, researchers divided 466 participants into groups that completed either a control condition of writing about daily activities for three weeks or an experimental group where they engaged in online positive psychology work. Conclusions supported that the online interventions successfully improved psychological well-being and decreased levels of depression in pessimistic individuals.