Want to live a longer, healthier and happier life? It’s time to switch your mindset
Could a dose of optimism be just the wellbeing boost you need? Research shows that optimists tend to live on average 11-15% longer than pessimists and have an excellent chance of living beyond the age of 85.
‘Higher levels of optimism have been linked to better sleep quality, lower inflammation and healthier levels of cholesterol and antioxidants,’ says Sumit Paul-Choudhury, author of The Bright Side: Why Optimists Have the Power to Change the World (Canongate, £20). ‘Optimists have fewer heart problems and cope better with stress, pain, cancer and infertility. There’s a relationship between pessimism and depression and optimists have been reported as more resilient in the face of extreme events.’
Optimists are also more likely to be successful at work, wealthier, and more likely to have a good relationship and more friendships.
So, how does optimism work? Sumit uses an ancient folktale of frogs placed in milk churns to demonstrate how optimism is so powerful.
‘One frog, having established that it’s impossible to climb or jump out, despairs of its fate and soon drowns,’ he says. ‘Its more determined companion, however, continues to kick and thrash – until eventually the milk is churned into butter, allowing him to leap to freedom. The first frog has fallen into a “pessimism trap” – because it doesn’t see any way out of its predicament, it simply gives up. The second frog continues to struggle even though it can’t see any way to escape either. In so doing, the frog stumbles on a solution it could not have predicted at the outset. That second frog is an optimist.’
Sumit says it’s important to try looking for the bright side – because if you don’t, you’re giving up before you even begin.
He says, ‘80% of success is just showing up. You miss every shot you don’t take.’
Keep it real
One criticism of optimism is that it fosters unrealistic expectations. Sumit distinguishes between optimism as a mindset and fanciful expectations for particular situations and outcomes – for example, the belief you are going to win the lottery and solve all of your financial problems, leading to disappointment when you don’t.
‘Dispositional optimism keeps you going, prompting you to look for solutions and explore alternatives,’ he says. ‘Unrealistic optimism can help you endure, but when you come up against an immovable obstacle, the disillusionment can be crushing.’
Switch your mindset
Is it possible to become more upbeat? Sumit is cautiously optimistic.
‘The received wisdom used to be that traits were largely settled by the time we reach adulthood, but that’s not entirely true – much therapy aims to move the needle on traits. And the line between traits and more transitory “states” – feeling nervous before a job interview, say, and elated afterwards – can be blurry. So yes, maybe it’s possible to change our levels of optimism.’
Writing our best possible self has been shown to help with switching our mindset.
‘Spend 15 minutes each day writing about the version of yourself in a future where everything has gone right,’ says Sumit. ‘All your efforts have paid off and you have accomplished everything you ever wanted to. Then spend five minutes imagining that future.’
Train yourself to become more optimistic
Psychologist Martin Seligman, who pioneered positive psychology, believes so. He developed an ABCDE method to help retrain mindsets into a more optimistic state:
A – Adversity: The situation that calls for a response. Perhaps you got a rejection letter for a job.
B – Beliefs: How do you feel about the event? Write down the thoughts you had during and after getting the letter.
C – Consequences: What happened then? Did you decide you were rejected because you weren’t good enough, and felt like giving up on your job search?
D – Disputation: Argue with yourself! Imagine you are giving advice to your best friend in the same situation. How would you dispute their pessimistic take on the situation in a constructive way?
E – Energisation (action): The idea is you see that it isn't as hopeless as you first thought and are inspired to keep working on your goals for a new job.