How do you cultivate optimism on a daily basis?

Optimism, from the Latin “optimus”, the best, is defined by the Larousse dictionary as a “a disposition that is inclined to take things on the bright side” And the “confidence in the favorable outcome of a situation”.

In 1992, researchers Scheier and Carver Define optimism as “a useful, internal personal resource characterized by a positive perspective on the future”. Martin Seligman Melts the current of positive psychology in 1998 after noticing that very few studies are interested in happiness and positive emotions.

Some authors compare optimism to a personality trait, while others believe that it is a unconscious defense mechanism.

Optimism, often confused with naivety, therecklessness Or theutopia, still sometimes gets bad press even though its virtues have been proven. It is also opposed to realism, it is not the case. The opposite attitude is the pessimism.

Finally, optimism is a state of mind. According to the popular adage:

To be upbeat, it's to see the Glass half full.
To be pessimistic, it's to see it Half empty.

According to Charles Martin-Krumm : “Traditionally, being optimistic is being confident in the positive outcome of an event, while pessimism is more about expecting the worst.”

Despite their reputation for being quite pessimistic, 7 out of 10 French people remain confident about their professional future, according to the ADP group study ” People at Work 2021: A Global Workforce View ”.

While it is true that some people find it easier than others to be optimistic, it is not a innate quality : good news, theOptimism is cultivated !

What are the benefits of optimism?

THEoptimism has a lot of advantages. Optimistic people would in particular be more:

Active and willing to undertake
Efficient and committed
Persevering and resilient
Happy with their relationships, personal and professional
Serene and confident in their future, with a Higher self esteem

Finally, optimistic people would be in better health and would have a longer life expectancy, in particular because they:

Manage stress better
Are less prone to depression
Usually have healthier lifestyles

This is what emerged from the study of the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health (2019). The overall well-being is therefore more important in a person upbeat Only in a person pessimistic.

Optimism at work

At work, optimism is a key factor of individual and collective performance. He:

Develops creativity
Strengthen the ability to adapt, motivation and surpass oneself
Improve the feeling of satisfaction work-related
Create a favorable professional environment And a team synergy
Contributes to the business success, by improving employee productivity, engagement and retention
Facilitate it Take a step back And the search for innovative solutions

Optimism and pessimism lead everyone to assess a situation in the light of known elements, through a distinct prism. So both are useful for estimating chances of success of an action Or the risks incurred. Thus, one should not denigrate the pessimistic scenarios, which allow you to be better prepared for different eventualities.

How do you cultivate optimism on a daily basis?

The human brain has a tendency to focus on negative emotions, it is the negative bias. The best way to deal with it is to Boost your positive emotions.

THEoptimism Is a posture that is Work day in and day out and is expressed in all areas of our lives. Here are some practical ideas for cultivate optimism on a daily basis :

Observe your thoughts and manage negative emotions

Welcome, verbalize and release negative emotions to maintain a positive self-talk
Identify the origin of a negative thought and the Substitute as needed
Practicing the mindfulness meditation, the positive visualization Or of long nature walks
Hold a Journal of positive events or erect a Daily gratitude list