They developed these tendencies, and thought processes after going through hurtful situations in their life. After being constantly disappointed, let down, or hurt by other people, they decided that it would be easier to expect the worst from the start.
However, this often backfires and hurts them even more. True confidence comes from believing that you have control over situations in your life and that you can be part of making good things happen.
Many people who are pessimistic tend to have low self-esteem and their pessimistic attitude causes them to think that they are unable to make a change. This leads them to be more pessimistic, which leads to having even lower confidence. Cognitive behavioral therapy would be a typical approach for therapists to use in session with someone who is pessimistic. Becoming a more optimistic person will transform your life in many ways. As you begin to look for the good in situations instead of the bad, you will begin to see the good.
As people, we tend to find whatever it is that we are looking for. That means if you look for the bad, you will find the bad. But, if you look for the good, you will begin to find the good. You will also begin to see that you have more control over the outcome of your life than you previously believed.
Research shows that online therapy platforms can provide beneficial tools for those experiencing difficult-to-process feelings associated with pessimism. For example, in a study published in the Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology , researchers examined the effects of an online psychological intervention on individuals described as pessimistic.
Researchers found that the online treatment helped increase feelings of optimism, happiness, and self-esteem , and could improve overall psychological well-being. Online platforms allow individuals to remotely access valuable resources, such as interactive exercises, audio and video educational files, and counseling services, in order to help reinforce important concepts and ideas.
Similar studies have found that online therapy is more accessible than in-person therapy due to its cost-effectiveness, flexibility, and mitigation of perceived stigma.
The mental health professionals at BetterHelp have helped many people develop a more optimistic outlook on life. Read below for counselor reviews, from those who have experienced similar issues.
She has helped me in such a short time have an optimistic outlook on life on a whole new level. As you continue to grow and develop your attitude your relationship could improve, your career might improve, and your health could improve.
But the biggest change that will happen is the belief in yourself to be able to make a difference in your life, which is by far the greatest thing. A pessimistic person is someone who tends to have a lot of negative things to say.
They have trouble seeing any good in other people, themselves, the world, or the future. An example of pessimism is thinking that nothing good ever happens to you. This is an unrealistic thought for most people because nearly everyone has some successes and good times. Many people defend their pessimism and talk about how it has helped them in the past. In truth, positive examples do not represent the most common experiences of pessimistic people.
There are many examples of pessimism in which the pessimistic attitude brought emotional pain or kept them from living a fulfilling life. The opposite of pessimism is optimism. Life circumstances and the effects of time and experience can also impact our relative pessimism or optimism. People are also often more optimistic about one area of life and less optimistic about another.
However, people's moods and thinking usually lean toward one end or the other of that spectrum resulting in personalities that are more or less pessimistic or optimistic. There are many reasons why certain people end up with a more or less negative personality, including:. Those with more pessimistic outlooks tend to have lower social support, lower resilience, lower ability to cope with stress, and a greater propensity for depression and anxiety disorders.
One key difference between how an optimist and a pessimist thinks has to do with their explanatory style , which is essentially the way people interpret what happens in their lives. An optimist will take positive events and magnify them while minimizing the negative in a situation; a pessimist will do the opposite and downplay the positive while heightening focus on the negative. The tendency to minimize the negative—one of the traits of optimists that encourages optimists to dream big and emboldens them to keep on trying even after they face setbacks—can also produce a false sense of security that may cause optimists to fail to conceive of possible difficulties and plan for them.
However, these very traits—minimizing the negative and maximizing the positive—can help an optimist through tough times that could send a pessimist to a darker, more helpless place. Numerous studies have pointed to the conclusion that it's more important for good health to be less pessimistic than it is to be more optimistic. The key seems to come from limiting the negative health impact of overly pessimistic thoughts, while purely positive thinking doesn't have as big an effect. While the factors that contribute to pessimism are mostly negative, pessimism does have an upside.
In fact, there can be some real benefits to a healthy dose of pessimism. Specifically, pessimists are often better prepared for tough times and may avoid risks that more optimistic thinkers might ignore. Research has shown that pessimists tend to foresee obstacles more readily since they expect things to go wrong.
This means that they are more likely to plan for difficulties. A study in Psychology and Aging found a correlation between underestimating future life satisfaction with positive health outcomes and longevity in older adults. There are many clear drawbacks of too much pessimism. Some of the major pitfalls of being overly pessimistic:. Optimists experience healthier stress levels and a higher perception of life satisfaction. Conversely, pessimistic people tend to experience more isolation, greater conflict and stress, poorer health, and reduced well-being.
A study found that "higher optimism was associated with better physiological adjustment to a stressful situation, while higher pessimism was associated with worse psychological adjustment to stress. Another worrisome component of pessimism is that it may make stressful situations feel worse than they actually are. On the other hand, more optimistic thinking can help significantly when coping with challenging events.
Looked at a certain way, one of the biggest risks of being a pessimist is not being an optimist. Significant scientific research has found that optimists tend to be healthier, happier, more successful financially, socially, and in many other ways , and enjoy stronger and more satisfying relationships.
But living on the bright side isn't always sunny. Drawbacks of optimism include a greater propensity for taking unwarranted risks in terms of personal health and safety, such as not buckling a seatbelt or not getting a vaccine, or in finances, such as investing in a risky business venture. Even when considering the possible drawbacks, the benefits of optimism are huge. So how can you stay optimistic without missing opportunities to keep yourself prepared for crises?
There are a number of steps you can take:. According to a study , having a pessimistic attitude can increase the risk for death from heart disease, while an optimistic outlook may have no effect at all.
At the start of the study, 2, men and women between the ages of 52 and 76 were presented with six statements — either positive or negative — and asked to rate how well the statements applied to them. The participants' cholesterol levels, blood pressure, glucose readings and other health and behavioral characteristics were also recorded. During 11 years of follow-up, people died from coronary heart disease CHD. Eating a healthy, balanced diet, exercising, reducing alcohol consumption and giving up smoking may help reduce your risk of CHD, according to the National Health Service.
When you're constantly expecting the worst, your brain releases more cortisol , the primary stress hormone. Janette Nesheiwat , a board-certified family and emergency medicine doctor, told Healthline.
Indeed, several studies have found that stress can kill new neurons in the brain's hippocampus , a region of the brain heavily associated with memory, emotion and learning. An increase of oxygen flow can help calm regions of the brain that get activated by stress, says stress expert Kathleen Hall. One of the most effective ways to do that is through exercising.
Being grumpy when you are old may actually pay off. And if you are a glass-half-empty person desperately trying to see it as half-full for the sake of your health, there is bad news from yet another study carried out in , showing that we learn to be positive or negative in childhood.
Is pessimism really bad for you? A new study links a dark outlook with greater risk of death from heart disease. But being grumpy might help you in old age. Are you a glass half-empty type of person? If so, it could harm your health.
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