[CHAT] Spring is Sprung! Spring cleaning for your brain.
Ah September, the beginning of spring. The sunshine is starting to come back, the
weather is warming up, and flowers are in bloom… You know how that sounds to
me? No, not like the beginning of the end for all of us fellow allergy sufferers, it
sounds like a pretty good time for some optimism!
Now most of us know that optimism is about having a generally positive outlook
on life, which when you say it like that sounds like a bit of a no-brainer that we
should all have a bit of it in our lives. Unfortunately, sometimes it can be pretty
difficult to be optimistic about things, maybe because there are bad or stressful
things going on for us or there are people around us who don’t make us feel good
about ourselves. Having moments in life where you feel sad, angry or worried
are totally valid and healthy things to experience, but they can become an issue
when they take over how you view the world.
In a world that in many ways in becoming increasingly cynical, some people even
think that being optimistic is a bad thing! These people say that being optimistic
isn’t realistic and that by trying to look at the positives we ignore the bad things
that are happening in the world. I agree that we can’t walk around happy and
smiling all the time, pretending that the negative things we feel and experience
aren’t there.
A little bit of optimism can go a long way though. Working to change our
thought patterns to be more positive through things like self-talk can be hugely
beneficial, especially for people experiencing mental health issues like
depression and anxiety.
Who's winning in your head, Optimist prime or Negatron? Want to learn a bit more about optimism and how we can have more of it in our everyday lives? Awesome!!!
Come and join us at 8pm AEST on Monday the 14th September where we’ll chat about positive thinking and what it can do for our
mental health.
For anyone who wants to come chat or chill - i've just started a new thread!
http://forums.au.reachout.com/t5/Hanging-out/bd-p/Intros
See you there for a little bit!
@cathtastrophe that's a really cool thing to do.
sort of reminds me of a thread we have on reachout. have you ever seen it? this is the link.
i need to go add my three positives before i get offline tonight!
@FootyFan26 I hope you're okay, we're here if you need! Get some rest and maybe come back to it tomorrow.
5. Sometimes it can be pretty difficult to be optimistic, whether it’s because of your own life or looking at the things going on in the world. What are some common things that might hurt our chances at being optimistic?
I think being in a group/community that doesnt encourage you, or where you're comparing yourself to others and getting dissapointed can really damage your tendency to be optimistic. My specific example would be going to uni, where you're surrounded by people who are constantly comparing you to others. It can really start to hurt your optimism and your self esteem, and make you stop being motivated about something that you really once enjoyed.
@AllyJane uni is such a good example and i've never properly thought about it like that. sometimes just listening to others can effect how you feel.
and @j95 fast food is another good example haha. im never optimistic about eating out at certain restuaraunts because in the past they f up my meal haha 😛 AND IM A FOODIE SO DOING THAT IS LIKE THE WORST
Everyone is different, everyone sees the world differently and everyone is at a different stage in their journey through life @Sveto
I prefer positive thinking simply because it feels good. I love life as it is, accepting everything as it is. There is no much effort needed because this life has mechanisms built in to protect me. I trust life and love it. There are no more negative things in my life. Well, almost, I am still working on this 🙂
Some people aren’t really big fans of optimism, saying that it’s an unrealistic way of looking at life. What do you think about this idea? Why do you think that is?
I think the saying "no expectations, no dissapointments" is pretty relevant for this. If you have a negative expecatation of a situation, you're never going to feel dissapointed when it doesn't work out because its exactly what you were expecting.
It's much easier than facing how it feels when we're let down, but that doesn't mean it's not worth getting your hopes up about things.
You can fail in the school, on the job, in the relationship etc but don't fail to be happy.
It improves the quality of our lives. The quality of our lives has nothing to do with our knowledge, sucess, goals, situation, material posession etc. They can only be a means to get there, but usually they don't produce long lasting happiness.
The quality of our lives depends solely on how we feel.
3. What do you think would be some of the benefits of practicing optimism??
I think the benefits to your own self esteem would be substantial. You would feel more confident, and this would also improve your self efficacy making you generally a more positive person, and you would perservere more for the things you really want to achieve.
Optimistic thinking is good, decisions made in positive state of mind are mosly better than ones made in negativity. Positive thinking calms the mind and increases the quality of the thinking process.
2. Would you say that you’re an optimistic person? Why/why not?
Unfortunately I'm a bit of a mixed bag with this one. I'm super optimistic towards other people - for their sake. I'll encourage people as much as I can and always try to find their silver linings for a crummy situation. But I struggle taking my own advice a lot, and I end up snowballing into a really negative mindset because I can't see the bright side, but it's definitely something I'm trying to work on.
@AllyJane wrote:
2. Would you say that you’re an optimistic person? Why/why not?
Unfortunately I'm a bit of a mixed bag with this one. I'm super optimistic towards other people - for their sake. I'll encourage people as much as I can and always try to find their silver linings for a crummy situation. But I struggle taking my own advice a lot, and I end up snowballing into a really negative mindset because I can't see the bright side, but it's definitely something I'm trying to work on.
Ally Jane, you say you struggle taking your own advice, maybe you are a bit harsch to yourself. Maybe you need to forgive yourself more. There is one absolute fact about you: in everything you did, you've give your best! Like everyone on this planet.
@Sveto that is a really kind thing to say, I will deifinitely write that down and look at it when I'm feeling a little pessimistic. Thank you 🙂
Hey everyone!! Sorry I'm late and if I stop replying it probably cause I have fallen asleep (footy training was beyond exhausting)! Keen to jump in
I think some of the benefits are it can keep things happy and positive !!
