Using Learned Optimism in Your Life

Optimism involves believing that good things will happen and that you can take steps to help ensure that good things will happen. Being optimistic about life can help you approach problems with an open mind, improve your mood, and boost your subjective well-being. While some people seem to come by optimism quite naturally, it's also something you can cultivate and nurture.

Learned optimism involves developing the ability to view the world from a positive point of view. It is often contrasted with learned helplessness. By challenging negative self-talk and replacing pessimistic thoughts with more positive ones, people can learn how to become more optimistic.

Benefits of Learned Optimism

There are a number of benefits to becoming a more optimistic person. Some of the many advantages of optimism that researchers have discovered include:

Better Health Outcomes

People who are more optimistic enjoy better physical health. Evidence indicates that optimism plays a significant role in health outcomes for cardiovascular disease, cancer, pain, physical symptoms, and overall mortality.

Pessimists, on the other hand, are more prone to engaging in health-damaging behaviors.

Better Mental Health

Optimists report higher levels of well-being than pessimists. As with physical well-being, optimistic people are likelier to engage in activities that promote good mental health. Instead of turning to harmful behaviors when faced with stress or difficult experiences, they rely on healthy coping mechanisms that boost well-being and promote resilience.

In one study, maintaining an optimistic outlook was associated with a lower risk of mood disorders, anxiety disorders, and alcohol misuse.

Higher Motivation

Becoming more optimistic can also help you maintain motivation when pursuing goals. Optimists have more of a growth mindset when facing life's challenges. They exert effort to learn, change, and grow, even when facing obstacles. On the other hand, pessimists have more of a fixed mindset. They are more likely to disengage and give up in the face of difficulty.

For example, pessimists might give up when trying to lose weight because they believe diets never work. Conversely, optimists are more likely to focus on positive changes they can make that will help them reach their goals.

Longer Lifespan

Studies have shown that optimistic people tend to live longer than pessimists. One study found that optimistic people live 11% to 15% longer than non-optimistic people. 

The fact that optimists tend to engage in healthier behaviors is certainly part of this, but researchers found that this increased longevity was independent of health behaviors and other factors such as socioeconomic status, depression, social integration, depression, and health conditions.

Lower Stress Levels

Optimists not only experience less stress, but they also cope with it better. They tend to be more resilient and recover from setbacks more quickly Rather than becoming overwhelmed and discouraged by negative events, they focus on making positive changes that will improve their lives.

Optimism vs. Pessimism

When pessimists face stress, they tend to use escapist or avoidant behaviors. In other words, rather than dealing with the problem or using healthy coping mechanisms to manage them, they just try to avoid the stress or their emotions altogether.

This can also hurt motivation; pessimists also let their doubts about the future discourage them from trying.

Optimist vs. Pessimist Explanatory Styles

Optimists and pessimists tend to differ in terms of explanatory style, or how they go about explaining the events that take place in their lives.

Key differences in these explanatory styles tend to be centered on:

Permanence

Optimists tend to view bad times as temporary. Because of this, they also tend to be better able to bounce back after failures or setbacks.

Pessimists are more likely to see negative events as permanent and unchangeable. This is why they are often more likely to give up when things get tough.

Personalization

When things go wrong, optimists tend to lay the blame on external forces or circumstances. Pessimists, on the other hand, are more likely to blame themselves for the unfortunate events in their lives.

At the same time, optimists view good events as a result of their own efforts, while pessimists link good outcomes to external influences.

Pervasiveness

When optimists experience failure in one area, they do not let it influence their beliefs about their abilities in other areas. Pessimists, however, view setbacks as more pervasive. In other words, if they fail at one thing, they believe they will fail at everything.

Research on the Psychology of Learned Optimism

Learned optimism is a concept that emerged out of the relatively young branch of psychology known as positive psychology. Learned optimism was introduced by psychologist Martin Seligman, who is considered the founder of the positive psychology movement.

Seligman himself has suggested that his work initially focused on pessimism. As a clinical psychologist, he tended to look for problems and how to fix them. It wasn't until a friend pointed out that his work was truly about optimism that he truly began to focus on how to take what was good and make it even better.

Learned Helplessness

Seligman's work early in his career was centered on what is known as learned helplessness, which involves giving up when you believe that nothing you do will make any difference.

Explanatory styles play a role in this learned helplessness. How people explain the things that happen to them, whether they view them as being caused by outside or internal forces, contributes to whether people experience this helplessness or not.

A New Direction in Psychology

As a result of this paradigm shift, Seligman wrote a book focused on the psychology of learned optimism. His work helped inspire the rise of positive psychology. Seligman went on to become the president of the American Psychological Association, elected by the largest vote in the APA's history. His theme for the year centered on the subject of positive psychology.

Psychology was only half-formed, he believed. Where there was a solid body of research and practice on how to treat mental illness, trauma, and psychological suffering, the other side that focused on how to be happy and how to live a good life was only in its infancy.

How to Develop Learned Optimism

While it may be clear that optimism can be beneficial, it then becomes a question of whether or not people can learn to take a more positive perspective. Can even the most pessimistic of people adjust their worldview? While some aspects of personality tend to be stable, there is evidence that you can learn how to become more optimistic.

Nature vs. Nurture

Researchers suggest that in addition to being partially hereditary, optimism levels are also influenced by childhood experiences, including parental warmth and financial stability.

Seligman's work, however, suggests that it's possible to learn the skills that can help you become a more optimistic person. Anyone can learn these skills, no matter how pessimistic they are, to begin with.

Optimal Time to Develop Optimism

Seligman's research suggests that it may be beneficial to teach kids optimism skills late enough in childhood so that kids have the metacognitive skills to think about their own thoughts, but prior to the onset of puberty. Teaching such skills during this critical period might be the key to helping kids ward off a number of psychological maladies, including depression.

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The ABCDE Model for Learned Optimism

Seligman believes that anyone can learn how to become more optimistic. He developed a learned optimism test designed to help people discover how optimistic they are.

Seligman's approach to learning optimism is based upon the cognitive-behavioral techniques developed by Aaron Beck and the rational emotive behavioral therapy created by Albert Ellis. Both approaches are focused on identifying the underlying thoughts that influence behaviors and then actively challenging such beliefs.

Seligman's approach is known as the "ABCDE" model of learned optimism:

• Adversity: The situation that calls for a response
• Belief: How we interpret the event
• Consequence: The way that we behave, respond, or feel
• Disputation: The effort we expend to argue or dispute the belief
• Energization: The outcome that emerges from trying to challenge our beliefs

To use this model to learn to be more optimistic. Here are some examples.

Adversity

Think about a recent sort of adversity you have faced. It might be something related to your health, your family, your relationships, your job, or any other sort of challenge you might experience.

For example, imagine that you recently started a new exercise plan but you are having trouble sticking with it.

Belief

Make a note of the type of thoughts that are running through your mind when you think about this adversity. Be as honest as you can and do not try to sugarcoat or edit your feelings.

In the previous example, you might think things such as "I'm no good at following my workout plan," "I'll never be able to reach my goals," or "Maybe I'm not strong enough to reach my goals."

Consequence

Consider what sort of consequences and behaviors emerged from the beliefs you recorded in step 2. Did such beliefs result in positive actions, or did they keep you from reaching your goals?

In our example, you might quickly realize that the negative beliefs you expressed made it more difficult to stick with your workout plan. Perhaps you started skipping workouts more or put in less of an effort when you went to the gym.

Dispute

Dispute your beliefs. Think about your beliefs from step 2 and look for examples that prove those beliefs wrong. Look for an example that challenges your assumptions.

For example, you might consider all of the times that you did successfully finish your workout. Or even other times that you have set a goal, worked towards it, and finally reached it.

Energization

Consider how you feel now that you have challenged your beliefs. How did disputing your earlier beliefs make you feel?

After thinking of times you have worked hard toward your goal, you may be left feeling more energized and motivated. Now that you have seen that it isn't as hopeless as you previously believed, you may be more inspired to keep working on your goals.

Limitations of Learned Optimism Programs

Some critics have argued that some learned optimism training programs are less about teaching people to become more optimistic and more about reducing pessimism. Other researchers believe that explanatory styles may actually have less to do with optimism than previously believed.

People who are overly and perhaps unrealistically optimistic may also be prone to narcissism. Having an optimism bias can also lead people to take healthy risks and engage in risky behaviors because they underestimate their own level of danger.

How to Become More Optimistic

In addition to using Seligman's ABCDE model to help foster a more optimistic attitude, there are also other steps you can take to cultivate optimism in your life.

Notice the Good Things

Consider keeping a gratitude journal where you make a note of the good things that happen during each day. Practicing gratitude can improve mental well-being and help you feel more optimistic about your life.

Use Affirmations and Positive Self-Talk

Affirmations and positive self-talk can be great ways to start developing learned optimism. Start making positive statements about things you expect to happen or what you can do to make good things happen. Telling yourself that you'll do well if you practice regularly, for example, is more helpful and optimism-promoting than thinking that you'll never measure up.

Forgive Yourself

Instead of ruminating over your mistakes, focus on forgiving yourself and taking steps to improve in the future. For example, instead of blaming and berating yourself for a mistake at work, remind yourself that you can make improvements and do better next time. Think about what you learned from the experience and how that will help you going forward.