Optimism is generally about feeling positive and having a positive mindset.
There are three key things that will help you be more optimistic when faced with difficult situations:
- Firstly, become a pro at assessing a situation and doing a risk analysis. Quickly and accurately assess a situation by asking questions, questioning assumptions, weighing up facts and drawing conclusions. You will often find that things are no as bad as they seem and there is no point in getting workup or stressed about things unnecessarily. By accelerating this process you will reach this conclusion quickly and this will allow you to be proactive and take back control of the situation. This will allow you to be more optimistic and lower your stress levels.
- Secondly, you should develop the mindset of seeing things as temporary. Acknowledge the situation, acknowledge your role in the situation and your feelings, but understand that any situation is temporary and will change for the better.
- Thirdly, have faith (and confidence) in your own abilities. Whether this is your technical ability, or simply you ability to implement and find a solution. Use this faith and confidence to be optimistic and adjust and move forward constructively.
When it comes to any challenging situation, you can help protect your mental health and lower your stress levels by taking an optimistic approach.