Do you see the glass as half empty, or half full?
Would you be surprised to know that your answer to the classic test of whether you are an optimist or a pessimist has implications for your health, well-being, employment prospects and even your longevity?
Research has shown that having an optimistic viewpoint can help improve your health, your social life, your job, and even how long you live.
Feeling pessimistic that these benefits could never come to you? Never fear! An optimistic attitude can be learned and cultivated. Read on to learn more.
Optimism – Impact on Mental & Physical Health
Merriam-Webster defines optimism as:
1 – A doctrine that this world is the best possible world
2 – An inclination to put the most favorable construction upon actions and events or to anticipate the best possible outcome
Dispositional Optimism
In psychology, the term “optimism” is used a little bit differently. Psychologists use the term “dispositional optimism”, a tendency to expect positive outcomes, and contrast it with dispositional pessimism, a tendency to expect negative outcomes.
These personality traits tend to be stable over time, and scientists believe that there are both environmental and genetic reasons for these traits.
Dispositional optimism/pessimism has been widely studied in psychology because our expectations change our reactions to events. When we are working toward a goal and we reach a setback, our expectations of how it will turn out influences what we do to overcome (or not) the setback.
Dispositional optimists believe things will work out positively, and so they tend to persevere in the face of obstacles. Dispositional optimism is associated with better mental and physical health, motivation, performance, relationships, and other positive outcomes.
Unrealistic Optimism
Of course, while believing that “every cloud has a silver lining” has a positive effect on our lives, it’s also true that one can have “too much of a good thing”. Unrealistic optimism occurs when people predict that their personal outcome will be better than the outcome predicted by an objective standard.
For example, gamblers can exhibit unrealistic optimism, believing that their personal odds are greater than the actual, measurable odds of success.
Link for more information – https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4467896/
It’s also considered unrealistic optimism when someone predicts that their personal outcomes will be better than that of their peers. For example, statistically, all qualities fall along a bell curve, and it’s not possible for everyone to be smarter, better looking, and more successful than average.
However, research shows that college students tend to predict that their odds of negative life outcomes such as alcoholism are lower than average, and their odds of positive life outcomes such as owning a house as higher than average.
While it might seem harmless, unrealistic optimism can lead people to take unnecessary risks, or neglect common-sense safety measures, such as getting regular check-ups, using a seatbelt, starting a savings account, or using sunscreen.
So, when pessimists dismiss optimists as pie-in-the-sky dreamers, they are correct if they are speaking of unrealistic optimism. Unrealistic optimism is unlikely to be helpful and can be harmful.
However, when researchers are examining the positive results of optimism in general, they are looking at optimism that is grounded in reality. As long as expectations are realistic, a belief that the world will work out well is very healthy indeed.
Optimism and Mental Health
There is extensive research showing that optimism positively affects mental health. A recent study on nurses in the Philippines showed that nurses who approached stressful work events with optimism and a proactive coping style had a high quality of life scores, particularly in their social relationships.
Link for more information – https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29603804
A 2017 study on homeless people in Northern Arkansas shows that, despite the extremely difficult conditions they faced while homeless and the history of childhood trauma that many of them had experienced, people with higher levels of optimism and social support had fewer symptoms of depression and anxiety.
Link for more information – https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27037736
The power of optimism may even be able to blunt the trauma of living through a disaster. In April 2011, several tornadoes struck Mississippi and Alabama, causing havoc and destroying homes and businesses.
A study on the survivors showed that people with higher levels of dispositional optimism had an easier time recovering from the disaster, and showed lower rates of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The researchers believe that helping people to boost their optimism scores may be an effective way to help them recover from disasters.
Link for more information – https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28156138
Optimism and Physical Health
Can having an optimist view of the world really affect your physical health? Study after study says yes. In fact, in 2017, researchers from Harvard found that over an eight-year period, the most optimistic women were 30% less likely to die for any reason compared to the least optimistic women. This analysis included the five major causes of death: cancer, heart disease, stroke, respiratory disease, and infection.
The study used data from the Nurse’s Health Survey, which surveys over 70,000 American women every two years. The average age of the women in this study was 70. Optimism had the strongest effect on the risk of dying from an infection: optimistic women were 52% less likely to die of infection than the least optimistic.
They were also 39% less likely to die from stroke, 38% less likely to die from heart disease, 39% less likely to die of respiratory disease, and 16% less likely to die of cancer.
One caveat of the study is that people’s health status may influence their optimism. In other words, people may be optimistic because they are healthy.
Link for more information – https://academic.oup.com/aje/article/185/1/21/2631298
In 2019, the same researchers published a follow-up study, examining whether optimism influences healthy aging. Healthy aging was defined as remaining free of major chronic diseases, having no subjective memory impairment, having intact physical function, and being alive at follow-up.
Optimism levels were tested in 2004, and health status was gauged in a 2012 survey. Over the eight years in question, about 20% of the roughly 7,000 women surveyed were aging healthily. The women who were most optimistic in 2004 were 23% more likely to meet the definition of healthy aging, compared to the least optimistic women.
Link for more information – https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/30573140
Optimism has also been shown to lower the risk of falls and fractures in older women. It lowers the risk of falls by 11% and the risk of fractures by 10%. In contrast, women who showed the greatest amount of hostility had an increased risk of falling, equivalent to the fall risk of a person five years older.
The researchers believe these personality traits affect fall and fracture risk because they may influence risk-taking behaviors, health behaviors and inflammation.
Link for more information – https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27566996
Researchers are continuing to identify the ways in which an optimistic outlook benefits our health and well-being. For the naturally pessimistic out there, who may think, “That’s great for optimists, but how does any of this help me?” – never fear! It is possible, at any age, to cultivate a more optimistic attitude and reap the benefits of optimism.
How to Become an Optimist
Optimism is a way of seeing the world through a positive lens. Optimism is not about avoiding or denying problems; rather, it’s a world-view that helps us cope and even thrive under adversity. Optimists view the world differently in three key areas:
- Permanence – Optimistic people view bad events as temporary, while pessimists think bad events are permanent, making it much harder to recover. Conversely, optimists think good things happen for permanent reasons, while pessimists view good times as temporary.
- Pervasiveness – Optimistic people will compartmentalize failure (“Well, I failed that test, but I’m still a good student overall”), while pessimists think one failure suggests total failure at life (“I failed a test! I’ll never amount to anything, ever.”). Optimists also allow good events to spill over into other areas of their lives (“The sun is shining, and this is a great day!”).
- Personalization – Optimists blame bad events on external forces, whereas pessimists tend to blame themselves. This allows optimists to bounce back faster from adversity, and generally be more positive and confident. For example, during layoffs at work, an optimist might blame the economy or local competition, while a pessimist might blame their own performance.
Using the ABCDE Technique to Deal with Adversities
Researcher Martin Seligman has developed a quiz that can help you determine your current level of optimism. Once you know your level, you can work on shifting your thinking into more optimistic channels.
To that end, Seligman has developed a framework for developing optimism that he calls the ABCDE model. In this model, ABCDE stand for Adversity, Belief, Consequence, Disputation, and Energization. The method is quite simple, but it requires to you pay conscious attention to your thought patterns, and work to change your responses.
Simply put, you will analyze your beliefs about an adverse event, recognize the consequences — not of the event, but of your beliefs — dispute these beliefs and reframe them in neutral or positive ways, and then enjoy the energy that comes when you are freed from the weight of negative thinking.
You can apply this technique mentally, but it may help to write down your thoughts with pen and paper the first few times you try it.
The process goes like this:
A. Adversity – Write down or think through the details of an adverse event. For example: “I just got turned down for a promotion.” Focus on the objective facts of the adversity, the who, what, when, and where. The “why” comes in the next few steps.
B. Belief – What are your beliefs about the event? In the case of not getting a promotion, you might say to yourself, “I’m too dumb to get promoted”, “I’ll never get promoted, the system is stacked against me”, or “I’m terrible at my job, I don’t deserve to get promoted.”
C. Consequence – Think about the consequences of your beliefs. For example, if you believe that you didn’t get promoted because you aren’t smart or capable enough, you may feel sad, angry or unmotivated. You may work more slowly, or waste time negatively comparing yourself to your co-workers.
This may even spill over to your interactions with your co-workers, hurting your friendships with them. Your work performance may suffer, and you will have a bad day.
D. Dispute – Dispute the negative beliefs that are holding you back. It may take a bit of arguing with yourself, but don’t stop until you have genuinely changed your perspective on the event from negative to neutral or even positive. There are a few ways to do this:
- Find a fact that counteracts your belief. For example, “The company is going through a difficult time, and so all promotions are put on hold this quarter; this is not about me.”
- Reframe your belief in more accurate or positive terms. For example, “I didn’t get this promotion, but I have gotten promotions in the past. I can do this.” Or perhaps, “I’m not sure this promotion is even the way I want to go in my career, I hear that Bob might have a really interesting opening on his team, I should chat with him.”
- Apply perspective to your belief. For example, “The new promotion would have required a lot more hours, and my kid is three. I’m not sure I want to spend that kind of time away from home right now.” Or perhaps, “I didn’t do my best on that last project, but I’ve got a new project coming up. If I change my approach, I think I can do better, and then I’ll be much more qualified for this promotion next time.”
E. Energize – After you have successfully disputed your beliefs, think about how your energy has changed. What’s your mood now? Have you found a different course of action, or an alternate solution? Feel the energy that comes from being free of your negative thought pattern.
As you practice the ABCDE technique more and more, it will gradually become second nature, Eventually, you will skip the negative belief stage altogether, and begin framing events in more realistic, positive ways.
This process can be applied to any adversity. Importantly, it’s not about denying that bad things have happened, or pretending everything is OK when it’s not; it’s about not making a situation worse through negative thinking. Believing that problems can be solved and that the future will be better helps you solve your problem.
For example, not getting a promotion can be very disappointing, but telling yourself that you are not smart, not capable, or that no one likes you isn’t helpful.
However, when you analyze the situation more objectively, you may realize that you didn’t work well with your team on the last project, or perhaps you haven’t been putting in as many hours lately.
An optimistic viewpoint lets you identify a problem and come up with a solution. For example, “I didn’t work well with my team on the last project, so I’m going to sit down with my boss, discuss how I can do better, and apply for this promotion again in six months. I can do this!”
The ABCDE technique is something that you can practice on your own. You may also find it useful to talk to a counselor or therapist to help identify negative thought patterns and learn to change your inner dialogue.
In particular, cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) focuses on identifying negative thoughts and developing alternate ways of coping. Life coaches can also help with applying positive thinking and planning to your future goals.
More information about Martin Seligman’s theories can be found in his book, Learned Optimism, or from the Authentic Happiness project at the University of Pennsylvania.
How Optimism Benefits You at Work
Optimists generally think things will work out in the end. They tend to tackle problems head-on, they maintain a positive attitude in the face of adversity, and, because they think everything can be solved or made better, they meet setbacks with problem-solving rather than defeatism.
How could these qualities not benefit them at work? Studies back this up. In a meta-analysis of 225 academic studies, researchers Sonja Lyubomirsky, Laura King, and Ed Diener found that not only were happy people more successful in business, personal relationships and personal health, but also that “positive affect” (propensity to experience positive emotions) preceded those good results.
In other words, being positive attracts positive results.
Link for more information – https://www.apa.org/pubs/journals/releases/bul-1316803.pdf
Researcher Michelle Gielan has found that optimists are five times less likely to burn out at their jobs than pessimists and three times more likely to be highly engaged in their jobs. In fact, if those jobs are in sales, optimists are likely to be highly engaged indeed.
Martin Seligman, mentioned earlier, has found that optimists working in sales jobs outperform non-optimists by 20-40%, depending on the industry.
How Optimism Benefits You Socially
In addition to helping your health, longevity, and employment, optimism also benefits your social life. Not surprisingly, people tend to enjoy hanging out with optimists more than with pessimists, and studies confirm that optimists have more friends, stronger friendships, and fewer negative interactions.
Interestingly, the reverse is also true — over a ten-year period, larger social networks predicted increased optimism in a cohort of lawyers.
Links for more information:
https://psycnet.apa.org/record/2001-05824-009
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3861054/
Optimism also benefits romantic partnerships. In a study of older couples, researchers found that having a more optimistic spouse increased a person’s optimism levels over time.
The researchers also found that both higher levels of optimism and increases in optimism were associated with better health for both members of a couple. A different study showed that having an optimistic spouse also helps marriages grow closer over time.
Links to studies:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5764777/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5102513/
The stronger relationships and larger social networks that optimists develop may help further improve their health and resilience in the face of adversity.
How Optimism Benefits You in Times of Hardship
It’s easy to think that in adverse times, people’s optimism might be destroyed. However, the opposite is true: optimism improves people’s ability to cope with adversity and helps make them more resilient.
In the study of people whose homes were destroyed by tornadoes in Mississippi and Alabama, optimistic people reported a greater sense of personal recovery and less PTSD than less optimistic people. Their sense of personal recovery was not connected to the recovery of their house, and this effect was stronger the more damaged their house had been.
Link for more information – https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5548589/#R80
Other studies also show that optimism helps people cope better with disasters. In a study of Chinese adolescents affected by a snowstorm disaster, optimism was associated with fewer PTDS symptoms, while pessimism seemed to increase PTSD symptoms as well as other negative thought patterns.
In a study from the Netherlands that compared survivors of the Enschede fireworks disaster which killed 23 people in a massive explosion, pessimistic victims had a greater likelihood of depression and obsessive-compulsive symptoms than optimistic survivors.
In the control group (who did not experience the disaster), the pessimists were still more likely to show anxiety, sleeping problems, and social issues than the optimistic controls.
Link for more information – https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21314959
Optimism helps people get through adversity because optimists tend to face problems head on, without avoidance, and are willing to do the work it takes to ensure that everything does, in fact, end happily.
The science is clear: optimism benefits your health, well-being, social relationships, and even your career. Fortunately for those who always see the glass as half empty, it is possible to change your outlook on life to a more positive one.
