How To Develop Optimism

How To Develop Optimism How To Develop Optimism by Daniel Keeran, MSW Victoria, Canada collegemhc@gmail.com Negativity is food for depression. To determine the risk for depression, identify and count the negative terms in statements. Beware of the expert speaker who verbalizes an expansive negative view of humanity and cries often. Depressed people often think they are most realistic and honest. ฀ 1. Make forward-looking statements, e.g. “I look forward to writing this paper.” Hope is about the future; depression is about the past. ฀ 2. Be creative: make a list of possibilities; there is always an effective option you have not considered. This process generates hope. ฀ 3. Recall positive statements and smiles of parents and relatives. ฀ 4. Believe in the value of human beings, be respectful, and develop empathy. ฀ 5. Think of past successes. ฀ 6. Find strong reasons for believing in God. ฀ 7. Believe there will be life after death. ฀ 8. Realize that part of pessimism and optimism may be genetic as well as circumstantial. Think of family members who were optimistic. ฀ 9. Identify and ‘work through’ any pain left over from unresolved conflicts and losses, move from anger to underlying emotions (fear, guilt, sadness, emptiness, and low self-worth) but not too soon. ฀ 10. Think of your life from a transcendent perspective, and that life is an adventure with tragedies and triumphs. Who said life would be easy? ฀ 11. Celebrate something. ฀ 12. Happiness is over-rated; develop a deeper meaning of life. ฀ 13. Like things about yourself and others, but stay humble and do not over-rate yourself. ฀ 14. Do things you enjoy. ฀ 15. Take care of yourself and others, e.g. food, rest, nourishment, exercise. ฀ 16. Laugh; tell jokes. Think about why something is humorous to you, and increase your awareness of humour. ฀ 17. Change “yes but” to “yes and.” ฀ 18. Think about what went well this week. ฀ 19. Be grateful for things both small and large; e.g. breathing and winning the lottery. ฀ 20. Avoid judgement; give others the benefit of the doubt, e.g. “maybe they’re having a hard day.” People usually mean well. ฀ 21. With permission, e.g. “Do you mind if I say what I see as your positive qualities?,” sincerely tell people what you think are their positive qualities. ฀ 22. Encourage others, and so build your own confidence and optimism. ฀ 23. Christian values and beliefs include much encouragement and optimism. ฀ 24. Roll with the punches and practice homeostatic flexibility, instead of rigidity. ฀ 25. If your life was better, what would it look like? ฀ 26. Accept that your and others’ suffering, pain and tragedy are normal to being human. ฀ 27. When you have a negative thought, think of its positive opposite. ฀ 28. Instead of “Being is suffering tainted by malevolence (J.B. Peterson),” think of life as a “banana waiting to be peeled, maybe with heartburn.” ฀ 29. Which is better: a positive delusion or an agonizing reality? ฀ 30. Try to stop over-thinking things, unless you think it might help. ฀ 31. Believe people generally try their best to believe and do what is right and true. ฀ 32. Understand that cynicism leads to bitterness and destructiveness, and that’s not good. ฀ 33. Think of the qualities of a healthy parent and be that for yourself and others as needed.