Optimism

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We believe that human beings are basically good and that, despite setbacks, our history is on a path of progress and promise. This belief is indispensable in our quest for a campus society in which all persons are valued, feel needed, and strive to be awake, aware and useful.

 

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Positive Psychology Center: The Positive Psychology Center is a not-for-profit organization located at the University of Pennsylvania, directed by Martin E.P. Seligman, Ph.D. We conduct research on Positive Psychology, learned helplessness, depression, and on optimism and pessimism.

 

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Steps To Becoming An Optimist

Counter Negative Thinking
You skip your Econ class again and your participation grade is starting to suffer. Instead of calling yourself lazy, change your perspective. Do not see the reason for your failure a permanent part of your personality. Instead recognize that you are simply taking the wrong approach. On the nights before your Econ class, make it a point to go to bed early. Do not make plans to go out with friends and enlist your roommate's help in keeping the room quiet and dark for optimum sleeping conditions. Now instead of labeling yourself lazy and viewing the situation as hopeless, you can take control, change your strategy, and achieve success.

Use Your Imagination
Many of us spend our days worrying about all the possible ways something could go wrong. Instead, use that energy to imagine the best-case scenario. Public speaking makes you nervous and you've got a big presentation coming up in your English class. Rather than losing sleep over all the ways you could blow the presentation, spend your time picturing yourself standing self-assured in front of your class and delivering an A performance. When you rehearse in your mind what you want to do, when the time comes it will be much easier to achieve your goals.

Celebrate Success
Take credit for the positive things that happen in your life. The positive in your life is not due to luck or the work of others: it is due to your unique talents and skills. You are waiting tables and receive a huge tip - celebrate!! Don't explain it away by saying, "Well, they must have money to throw away." Realize that the energy and personal attention you gave the customers paid off. Take pride in all your achievements whether large or small.

Keep it in Perspective
Do not let a setback in one area of your life seem bigger than it is. If you fail a test in English, don't let it destroy your confidence in your other subject areas. You are still a good student in Biology and Computer Science. Keep things in perspective and you will limit the affect a few bad experiences can have on your life and your attitude.

HOW POSITIVE THINKING AFFECTS YOUR HEALTH

There is a large body of research about the linkages between optimism and physical health. These three studies provide some examples of how your attitude can affect your health, for better or worse.

1. When confronted with stress, those who focus on the positive have an advantage. Researchers at UCLA studied a group under extreme stress: first-year law students. No difference existed in the immune systems of the optimisms and pessimists before the school year began. However, by midterms, the optimists' immune systems were stronger in two areas important for fighting disease (more helper T cells and higher natural killer cell cytotoxicity). Researchers believe optimists have tougher immune systems because they experience less anxiety and depression, and they experience events as less stressful than their pessimistic counterparts. So, not only will optimism have you smiling more, but it will also help keep you out of the doctor's office! Check out the research at http://www.shpm.com/articles/health/ optimism/html or: the full article "Optimism is Associated With Mood, Coping, and Immune Change in Response to Stress"by Suzanne C. Segerstrom, Ph.D., Shelley E. Taylor, Ph.D., Margaret E. Kemeny, Ph.D., and John L. Fahey, Ph.D.; Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, Vol. 74, No. 6.

2. It's never too late to change your ways. At the University of Pennsylvania, researchers selected the most pessimistic students from the class of first-year students and invited them to participate in a workshop to learn skills for becoming an optimist. The students were randomly assigned to participate in the workshop or to be part of a control group. When they were assessed again mid-way through their sophomore year, those who had the chance to learn optimism as freshmen suffered less depression and anxiety and reported fewer health problems. Learning optimism can benefit both your physical and mental health. Read more about the study at http://helping.apa.org/mind_body/learned.html

3. Seeing the glass as half full could increase your energy level. Doctors at the Mayo Clinic studied a group of patients who visited the clinic in the early 1960s. At that time, researchers gave the patients a questionnaire including questions to determine whether the person is an optimist or pessimist. Thirty years later, the researches went back to try and identify some of the long-term effects of the different attitudes. The optimists showed a lower risk of premature death, less pain, and increased energy. A positive outlook can keep you healthy and with more energy to accomplish your goals. The full study is available at http://www.mayo.edu/proceedings/2002/aug/ 7708a1.pdf "Optimism-Pessimism Assessed in the 1960s and Self-reported Health Status 30 Years Later" by Toshihiko Maruta,MD; Robert C.Colligan,Ph.D; Michael Malinchoc,MS; and Kenneth P.Offord,MS; Mayo Clin Proc, August 2002, Vol 77