“Is the glass half empty or half full?”
For many, this is the phrase that comes to mind when we hear the words “pessimist” or “optimist”. Our attitudes govern the way we view the world, says a lot about how we view past, present, and future experiences, and how we act as a result. We know that as individuals, we can have moments of where nothing seems like it’ll ever look up, and moments where we feel as though everything is going our way. But what happens when we constantly move towards an extreme? When we go from “looking at things realistically” to seeing the negative side to all aspects of our lives? Or when we go from seeing the good in life to having unrealistically high expectations and disappointments for all aspects?
Understanding Pessimism
Pessimism is an attitude characterized by anticipating an unwanted or negative from a given situation. This is what we know as seeing the “glass as half empty”. Many people who possess this view of the world tend to describe themselves as “realists” — that their view is closer to how life actually works and that it isn’t ideal to get your expectations up only to be disappointed. Although seemingly negative, psychology has found that there are some benefits to taking on a moderately pessimistic view of the world such as:
- Being more likely to take preventative action for their health
- Being better prepared for negative outcomes
Embracing Optimism
Optimism stands in stark contrast to pessimism. It is characterized by a hope that an outcome of a situation will be favourable or positive– “seeing the glass as half full”. Those who have an optimistic attitude towards situations both good and bad that they may encounter have been shown to carry over these positive attributes to their mental and physical health and wellbeing. Optimism has been shown to:
- Increase life expectancy
- Lessen stress, loneliness, and depression
- Expand social networks and stronger support
- Lead to healthier life choices (diet, smoking, alcohol consumption)
- Help decrease stress by looking at the positive aspects of an unexpected outcome
- Result in useful and healthy coping mechanisms
With that being said, there can be pros and cons to both views of the world, however, science proves that optimism is the healthier and more adaptive mode of thinking and navigating the world.
I THINK I SOUND LIKE A PESSIMIST. WHAT CAN I DO?
The key to handling situations with a positive outlook is to step back and rationalize your emotional response to a situation, a technique known as cognitive restructuring. This technique can be elicited immediately and involves looking at exactly why the situation is negative.
- Tap into activities that make you happy
When you find yourself stressed or upset with a situation that did not go the way you anticipated, tap into an activity that you know puts you in a positive mind space. By infusing positivity into a seemingly bleak outcome, you can help alleviate the thoughts that would arise if you were left to think over the situation. Whether it be going for a walk, going to the gym, or listening to your favourite playlist, these solutions can help take your mind off the outcome and channel that mental energy into something more productive.
- Focus on the possibilities of your situations, not what’s impossible
Optimists see possibilities and alternate solutions to situations with unfavourable results while pessimists tend to see all the ways the situation could have and did go wrong and overwhelm themselves with beliefs that everything that went wrong will stay wrong. By devising alternate solutions to your problems, you are taking back control of the situation.
- Open Up and Communicate
Bottling up your views and emotions can lead to you fixating even more on your situations. Talking about situations that may bring negative feelings may allow for you to take an objective step back and look at the situation for all the other variables that may have lead to the negative outcome that was out of your control.
More importantly, talking it out with a professional who possesses knowledge of techniques to help restructure your way of seeing situations for a more optimistic view using cognitive restructuring strategies, looking at your emotions and getting down to the basis behind certain thoughts that come up for you when it seems like things will never look up. Counselling with a certified therapist will enable you to reflect on past and present experiences that take their effect on your views of your future and using your personal strengths and abilities come up with ways to maximize your optimistic thoughts and feelings in a way that works for you.
At C.S. Counselling & Consulting Services, we specialize in private couples’ and individual counselling addressing thoughts and how they affect your mood, coping skills and mental well-being, depression, anxiety, alcohol, and substance abuse, and navigating daily life with a healthy sense of self. We see both call-in and referral clients by appointment and offer services from RSW-registered professionals. At C.S. Counselling & Consulting Services it is our goal to work with you and/or your loved one to provide clarity while developing skills to cope during an otherwise stressful and challenging time.
