No doubt you have heard the expression "Is the glass half empty or half full?". This saying generally refers to a pessimistic or optimistic view.
Pessimists see the glass as half empty whereas optimists see the glass as half full.
Pessimists tend to see themselves falling short or failing in the face of adversity whereas optimists see themselves being successful in the face of challenges even if not right away.
Optimists are hopeful. Optimists understand that they're never defeated as they can develop their abilities in many ways. Thinking optimistically can have calming effects on a reacting brain. This has an effect of keeping cortisol more stable. Less cortisol = feeling less stress. You may think that being a pessimist or optimist is an innate state. Although some people are wired to be more optimistic than others it is a skill that anyone can learn.
Here are a couple of things you can try:
Reflect on a situation that you don't believe will turn out as well as you would like it to. What is the thought pattern and belief that is leading to viewing the situation in a negative light? Identify the thoughts and feelings. Now ask yourself. What messages from my past or others are leading to a pessimistic view? Why else have I been thinking it won't go well for me? What would it take for the situation to actually go well for me? What strengths have I learned that I can use to increase the chances of things turning out well? Asking ourselves these questions can help us to start to think in a more optimistic way. Try and repeat this process whenever you find yourself reacting to a situation in a pessimistic way.
Another thing we can try is seeing our best selves through time. Imagine where you would be in 3 months time with everything going well, then again imaging the best possible outcomes happening for 6 months. What would life be like then? Then again visualise your best self one year from now having worked through your challenges. What would everything be like then? What about 5 years from now? You have had lots of success. What do your relationships look like? What exciting places has your career taken you?
Imagining your best self can help inspire you to take the actions to achieve what you are visualising.
