Optimism is one of the most powerful and underappreciated tools that you have for improving your health and wellness. Practicing optimism can make you more resilient in difficult times, improve your mental health, and help you prevent or recover from a variety of physical ailments. But there is a difference between true optimism and “just burying your head in the sand”.
True optimism is a reality-based pattern of thinking. This thinking pattern involves 1) identifying what you can control or influence and 2) maintaining the belief that an improved outcome is possible, if you take appropriate action. This is very different from being passive and believing that everything will just be okay on its own. Optimism inspires action and “keeps us in fighting mode” (CSF2 & Reivich, 2014). Because optimism is a pattern of thinking, it can also be taught. And it is taught to US Army Soldiers as part of the Master Resilience Trainer program.
The Army’s resilience training program was created by the University of Pennsylvania’s Positive Psychology department. In this program, optimism is one of the six core competencies of resilience. Of those competencies, optimism has a special place because it is also considered the “engine of resilience” (CSF2 & Reivich, 2014). It’s important that Soldiers learn how to stay action-focused and don’t give into helplessness. But it’s not just Soldiers who benefit from optimism, studies across various populations have shown wide-ranging benefits to mental and physical health.
Optimistic thinking results in higher life satisfaction, less depression, less anxiety, and more success in work, school, and sports (Carter, 2008). Optimistic people are half as likely to develop heart disease and three times less likely to have a second heart attack after bypass surgery. They have lower blood pressure, are less likely to develop infections, and see improved longevity. Several long-term studies have shown that Optimists have a 40-50% lower rate of death than pessimists. (Harvard Health, 2008).
With all these benefits, it’s surprising that optimism isn’t more broadly discussed. I believe it should be prescribed by physicians and psychiatrists alike. Part of the reason we don’t see optimism advertised may be that it’s not a product which can be packaged and sold. But that shouldn’t stop you from implementing more optimistic thinking in your life. You can start right now by writing down three good things that happened today and then reflecting on each by asking yourself questions such as “why did this good thing happen?”, “What does this good thing mean to me?”, and “How can I have more of this good thing in the future?” (CSF & Reivich, 2014).
References
Carter, C. C. (2008, April 7). The benefits of optimism. Greater Good. Retrieved January 5, 2023, from https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/the_benefits_of_optimism
CSF2, & Reivich, K. (2014). Mrt Version 3.1. Trustees of the University of Pennsylvania.
Harvard Health. (2008, May 1). Optimism and your health. Harvard Health. Retrieved January 5, 2023, from https://www.health.harvard.edu/heart-health/optimism-and-your-health
Disclosure: I recently wrote this in response to a college assignment. I decided to post it here also because of its relevance to the blog.