Do you need to feel more optimistic? Are you struggling to keep your head up and stay positive?
Recent times have made it more challenging than ever before to remain optimistic. Many of us are dealing with financial insecurity and loneliness and isolation from family and friends. Our usual go-tos for fixing a low mood have also been taken from us so we can’t visit our favorite hang-out spots. The closure of places like movie theatres, museums, gyms (or whatever floats your boat) have made it all the more challenging to find moments of joy or even just sanity. Life is tough enough in lockdown without having to also give up on the moments that could normally provide inspiration, optimism or simply make us feel human again.
But there are ways, tricks, and tools we can use to experience joy in our lives and make ourselves feel more fulfilled. In shirt, there are ways to trick your brain into feeling more optimistic.
Let’s look at some science-backed ways to trick your brain into feeling more optimistic:
1. Invest in Your Social Connections
Gone are the days of large social gatherings or dinner parties with friends and family. Yes, we can see our family and visit some people from time to time depending on where we live and provided we follow local guidelines. But we can’t quite interact with others the way that we used to. So what do we do?
Well, thankfully, we have tools at our disposal like Zoom, Whatsapp or Facebook Messenger that allow us to meet virtually. While it’s not quite the same, we can still get that face-to-face time that we all love and cherish, and that is proven to increase our happiness levels. Not to mention the fact that seeing others’ faces and reading each other’s body language is an important part of communication. It’s been commonly said that up to 90% of our communication is non-verbal.
What if you don’t have a computer or can’t get access to the internet? Well, there is always the good old-fashioned phone. At least we can hear each other’s voices and engage in some playful banter and laughter.
What about texting? According to researchers at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, texting does not deliver the same kind of powerful positive emotional reactions we may have been expecting. So, while the odd text here and there is good for corresponding about quick little things like appointments and so on, it is not all that helpful for building relationships and trying to be a more optimistic person.
Don’t forget that scheduling these chats is important. If you don’t prioritise it and lock it in, it just won’t happen.
2. Limit Social Media and the News
While there can be positive bits of news that get posted to social media, like birthdays or other life milestones, social media and the news media are generally more focused on what’s going wrong, not what’s going right. Plus, half the stuff on social media isn’t even true anyway. Researchers have found that casually scrolling through social media often does nothing to encourage positive emotions, in fact it can make you more prone to anxiety and depression.
And although, generally speaking, well-known mainstream news sources are diligent about fact-checking their work, that doesn’t make a true negative story feel more positive. Now that’s not to say that you should completely ignore current events altogether, but the science shows that limiting your exposure to the news and social media can help to reduce anxiety and depression. If you’ve been watching a lot of news lately, then perhaps consider taking a “news holiday.”
3. Mindfulness and Meditation
You could look at mindfulness and meditation as a form of self-care for the brain. Research has shown that practicing any kind of self-care is especially important for people who feel lonely or anxious. I could probably write a whole article or even a thesis on meditation, so I won’t go too far in-depth on meditation. But essentially, it involves finding a quiet place to sit (or sometimes other positions are useful) and practice repeating a mantra or listening to a guided meditation that involves stretching or breath-work. One of the first pioneers on the study of meditation, Dr. Herbert Benson, has suggested that at its most basic level, meditation relieves stress. And while some people may find it difficult to quiet their mind, regular practice can make things easier.
When it comes to mindfulness, being mindful really just means being aware and staying in the present moment. Being aware of your thoughts and feelings is important when trying to manage your emotions. Awareness itself is a bit different from actual thoughts. As Dr. Deepak Chopra put it in a recent documentary, “Mindfulness is a terrible word because when you are practicing mindfulness, you’re not using your mind. Awareness of a thought is not a thought.”
Being aware and present is key, and it can go a long way to helping us feel more optimistic.
P.S. I did write that article though, so you can read more about mindfulness and mediation.
4. Exercise and Sleep
I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention exercise and sleep, as they help so much when it comes to positive emotions. Just think about how you feel in the morning when you haven’t slept well.
Exercise and sleep also go hand in hand, and it is often easier to fall asleep when you’ve had some good exercise. Access to things like the gym or swimming pools has been impossible for most as of late, but even just a simple jog, walk, or bike ride can work wonders for your body. You can also check out the huge range of HIIT workouts, yoga sessions, and aerobics classes now available for free on YouTube.
5. Get on the Gratitude and Kindness Bandwagon
This may seem like a simple concept to some but it can be more challenging for others. Fredrickson and Prinzing, authors of this University of North Carolina study, say that doing good deeds for others elicits positive emotions. Helping people can be difficult during these trying times, but there are always ways to help others without breaking the rules. Try baking a dish or making care package and leaving it on your friend’s doorstep when you go for a walk. You can also donate blood (provided all health guidelines are followed) to help you feel more positive and connected to society.
Or, why not try practicing gratitude. Practicing gratitude makes you happier and less stressed, and it leads to higher overall wellbeing and satisfaction with your life and social relationships. Gratitude is the secret that many resilient and happy people have been practicing for years – including self-help guru Tony Robins, who has promoted the benefits of gratitude for years in his seminars.
As you can see, optimism is not just something we are simply born with. There are healthy habits, practices, and tips that we can adopt to trick our brains into feeling more optimistic. You don’t have to do all of these things all the time, but pick one and try to incorporate it as much as possible into your daily life and see how it works wonders for your mental health and optimism.