A Healthy Dose of Optimism

[Guest guest]

A Healthy Dose of Optimism by Elissa Sonnenberg

Take a close look at that glass of water. Half empty? Half full? What you

see could make a difference, not only in your daily health, but in how long you

live.

So say the results of a new Mayo Clinic study that tracked 839 people over 30

years. In the 1960s, study participants took a standardized test to determine

whether they were optimistic, pessimistic or somewhere in between. Those who

scored high on the pessimism scale turned out to have a 19% greater chance of

premature death than those who scored more optimistically.

The Power of Optimism " I believe we have compelling evidence that optimists

and pessimists differ markedly in how long they will live, " says psychologist

Seligman of the University of Pennsylvania in his editorial accompanying

the study. " It is not clear if pessimism shortens life, optimism prolongs life,

or both. "

Seligman says there are at least four ways that optimism can affect longevity:

Optimists tend to be less passive than pessimists and less likely to develop

" learned helplessness " or negative and debilitating responses to things that

happen to them.

Optimists tend to be more likely to practice preventive health measures

because they believe their actions make a difference.

Optimists suffer depression at a markedly lower rate than pessimists;

depression is associated with mortality.

Optimists' immune systems have been shown to function more effectively than

those of pessimists.

Learning to See the Bright Side For decades, psychologists have studied the

link between positive thinking and physical and mental health. According to

Seligman, author of Learned Optimism: How to Change Your Mind and Your Life,

it's more important to change negative thought patterns into positive ones than

to worry about being optimistic. The picture of optimism he paints is not one of

Pollyanna-like blindness to reality, but of a learned optimism grounded in

accuracy and non-negative thinking.

Based on the results of several large-scale, long-term, carefully controlled

experiments, Seligman discovered that optimists are more successful than

pessimists—optimistic politicians win more elections, optimistic students get

better grades, optimistic athletes win more contests, and optimistic salespeople

make more money.

Why would this be so? In his book Self-help Stuff That Works, Adam Kahn says

it is " Because optimism and pessimism both tend to be self-fulfilling

prophecies. If you think a setback is permanent, why would you try to change it?

Pessimistic explanations tend to make you feel defeated—making you less likely

to take constructive action. Optimistic explanations, on the other hand, make

you more likely to act. If you think the setback is only temporary, you're apt

to try to do something about it. "

Optimist vs. Non-optimist How can you determine whether you think more

optimistically or pessimistically?

" I don't like to use the word pessimistic because most people would never

consider themselves pessimistic, " says Khan, " but many people are willing to

admit they aren't optimistic. "

Khan, like Seligman and other experts on motivation, defines optimists and

non-optimists by how they explain events in their lives. Optimists see setbacks

as specific, temporary and changeable, and are therefore motivated to take

action. Non-optimists tend to look at setbacks as general, permanent and

hopeless, symptoms of widespread failure that cannot be changed.

For example, an optimist who didn't follow through on an exercise routine for

a week might say, " I had a lot going on this week. I didn't plan my time too

well. I'll have to do better next week. " A pessimist in the same situation might

say, " I have no self-discipline. I obviously won't be able to meet my goals.

Exercise just isn't for me. "

A Matter of Degree Dr. Pierce , author of The Owner's Manual for the

Brain, contends that the line between optimism and pessimism is far from

clear-cut.

" You're not just an optimist or a pessimist, it's a matter of degree, " Dr.

says. " You can be successful in life anywhere along the continuum. " He

points out that pessimistic thinkers make great tax accountants, while optimists

are more suited for careers in sales.

Getting into a Good Mood Mood also has an influence on whether optimistic

or pessimistic thoughts dominate your brain, according to Dr. Vaughan,

psychiatrist, psychoanalyst and researcher whose latest book, Half Empty, Half

Full, explores how working to gain control over moods can result in more

positive thinking.

" Mood is a powerful filter on how we see things, " maintains Vaughan, who sees

most people as a blend of optimism and pessimism, depending on the situation

with which they are faced.

She points to three methods optimistic people tend to use to lift their moods:

Alternative thinking. When bad things happen, optimists tend to take them

less personally and come up with multiple alternatives for why they might have

happened, then work actively to fix the situation.

Downward comparison. Though it sounds unkind, optimists compare themselves to

others who are in worse situations as a way to brighten their own spirits.

Relaxation. Optimists tend to use exercise, yoga, and even " putting on a

happy face " as ways to relax and thereby improve their moods.

Optimism Not Always the Answer " The idea that optimists are healthier than

pessimists is overly simplistic, " says Dr. Friedman, a psychology

professor at the University of California, Riverside. " Many times, excessive

optimism can be harmful to one's health. This is especially evident among

teenagers, who take many risks. "

Friedman contends it can be damaging to think optimistically when it comes to

difficult health choices like quitting cigarettes, using condoms or wearing

seatbelts.

" I do not agree that in general we could try to make everyone more optimistic.

There is absolutely no evidence that trying to do so will improve the general

health of the population, " Friedman says.

Choosing the Right Strategy Seligman concurs that there are times when it

pays not to be optimistic, such as when planning for a risky future, when

advising those with poor chances for the future and when trying to be

sympathetic to others' problems. When the cost of failure is high, he advises,

optimism is the wrong strategy.

Still, there are times when optimism can be a powerful ally. When achievement

is the goal, use optimism. If you're fighting off depression, optimistic

thoughts can boost your morale.

Changing From Negative to Positive Seligman argues that optimism, like

other interpersonal skills, can be learned.

" The way you explain setbacks to yourself is as much a habit as the way you

tie your shoes, " agrees Khan. " It is no harder or easier to change a thought

habit than it is to change a physical habit. " He recommends writing about

setbacks and practicing arguing with your less optimistic thoughts until a more

realistic vision of what has happened and what is likely to happen in the future

emerges.

" It takes work, discipline and focus, " Khan says. " But if you don't think you

have these things, those are the first non-optimistic thoughts to tear apart. "

RESOURCES:

Positive psychology. Seligman Research Alliance at the University of

Pennsylvania website. Available at: http://psych.upenn.edu/seligman/pospsy.htm.

Segerstrom SC, SE, Kemeny ME, et al. Optimism is associated with mood,

coping, and immune change in response to stress. J Pers Soc Psychol. 1998;74(6).