Optimism Increases Productivity

How am I going to get through all this work?
I don't know what will happen if I fail?
What happens if we don't meet the sales budget?
I hope that I don't get sick!

If this is a familiar train of thought then you are in trouble!

Pessimism has been found to not only increase stress, but also increases incidence of illness &  absenteeism, tiredness, slower recovery from surgery, low self esteem, and causes the under use  of abilities.

You simply cannot afford to 'put up' with a bad mood, having a miserable day, or negative colleagues.  Pessimism will drain both your productivity and quality of life.

...yet, surely a little bit of healthy scepticism isn't really that bad?

No, it's not.

However, being pessimistic is not the same as being cynical.
Cynics simply don't trust what they hear - however, they may be very happy and hard working people.  Pessimists see themselves, and life, from a negative, bitter viewpoint - often making them feel stuck,  or even helpless - feeling that their situation will never change and that they will not be able to bounce back.

The very nature of pessimism cripples your ability to become resilient and bounce back from stress, pressure or burnout

The Mayo Clinic investigators believe that pessimism and depression are likely to be risk factors  for dementia. [4]
So, how to 'fix' pessimism? Use the anti-venom, naturally...a dose of optimism!
Test results found that 'optimistic' men were about half as likely to develop heart disease as men defined as pessimistic [4]

According to Martin Seligman, author of 'Learned Optimism':
"Within the American workplace, optimists overall stay with difficult and challenging jobs, while pessimists seem to do worse than predicted and even give up.  In our research on the roles of optimism and  pessimism, we conducted studies in the workplace. We looked for a demanding field in which there were a lot of challenges, frustrations, and rejection. The question was: 'What type of person copes with that kind of situation best?'

We tested 15,000 applicants for life insurance sales, a difficult job with frequent rejection and a high drop-out rate. We measured, by questionnaire, the explanatory style (a metric of optimism and pessimism) of the regular qualified people who were hired. Also included was a special force of 129 people who failed the industry test -- who wouldn't normally have been hired -- but who tested very well on optimism.

Our research followed both groups for two years and concluded with two basic findings. First, within the regular qualified group that was hired, the optimists significantly outsold the pessimists. Second, the special force of optimists who failed the industry test outsold everyone."[1]

So, can you become more optimistic overnight?

Well, let me ask that question another way... 'can you stop eating ice-cream from one day to the next?' Sure you can - you just stop buying the stuff or stop opening the freezer and it taking out in the first place.




It is a choice...like most things in life.

YOU choose what you eat.
YOU choose how you move your body.
YOU choose what you say to, and about, other people.
...and YOU choose what you THINK.

Yes - of course you can become more optimistic - you just choose different actions.
You think different thoughts, you express yourself with different words, you may even set different standards for yourself.

So, how do you create more optimism at work?

ACTION STEPS:

1. Get away from the garbage

If you don't want to smell - then don't touch the garbage!  If you want the optimism in your life, then you need to stop indulging in the complaining about the weather, traffic, politics, and everything else that isn't going perfectly.

Related:  How To Keep A Positive Attitude … When You Don’t Feel Like It

If the people you work or deal with each day are pessimistic, complaining, miserable sods then that's just tough luck.   However, it doesn't have to make you one as well.  You can choose not to get sucked into their vacuum of negativity and keep your own head strong.

How would you feel if someone walked into your living room and dumped a pile of rubbish on your carpet/floor boards?  I'm assuming this would upset you -
maybe even make you mad! You probably wouldn't tolerate anyone doing that to yourplace....so why would you tolerate people dumping their garbage thoughts and complaints in your
head?

Dave Boufford's website, http://www.mrpositive.com  is dedicated to sourcing positive news from around the world.  I recommend visiting his site and viewing his short motivational movie "Rules For Being Human".
Research suggests that optimistic attitudes can reduce risk of heart disease in older men, says Laura Kubzansky, assistant professor of health and social behavior at the Harvard School of Public Health.[3]
Make a choice about what you focus on and about the conversations you have.
2. External versus Internal
Do you spend more time putting yourself down and blaming yourself when things go wrong?  If so, then STOP IT!  Sometimes things just don't work out.  It doesn't have to always be about you!  There may be other circumstances that play a role in a disappointing outcome.
Optimists explain negative events in their lives as due to being a combination of them and circumstances - thereby not wearing the full burden of the problem on their shoulders.  In contrast, pessimists tend to see setbacks as mostly 'their fault'. [6]
Not everything is 'your fault' - share the burden with life.



3. Get into better thinking habits
Learn why some people naturally SWIM and become optimistic when dealing with stress and pressure  while others SINK and become pessimistic under the same circumstances.
I run regular courses on 'Becoming resilient to pressure in work and life' where I reveal the 4 key mindsets that will turn your pessimism into optimism.  You can find out more about them from:  www.bouncebackfast.com/public.html
References:
[1] http://www.learner.org/discoveringpsychology/12/e12expand.html

[2] http://www.apa.org/releases/optimismhealth.html

[3]http://www.researchmatters.harvard.edu/story.php?article_id=332

[4] http://www.harvard-magazine.com/on-line/03023.html

[5] http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/medicalnews.php?newsid=22934

[6] http://www.harvard-magazine.com/on-line/03023.html

For additional resources on optimism:
* 'A Healthy Attitude - Optimism, Pessimism and Your Health'http://www.warrenshepell.com/mindbodybalance/art-healthyattitude.asp

Michael Licenblat B.Sc.(Psych) is a
Resilience Expert who helps people in business bounce back fast from pressure, stress and burnout in their work and life. He is a professional speaker, coach and author of three books.

 

To download your free special report on the ‘Seven ways to prevent yourself becoming Over-Worked, Stressed-Out, and Run-Down’, visit:    http://www.BounceBackFast.com 

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Forget About Never Being Made Fun of: Here’s What to Do Instead

Being made fun of is probably one of the most common fears among people with confidence and self-esteem issues. And for many a good reason.

With the possible exception of Larry David and other deliberately self-deprecating comedians, nobody likes being made fun of. When somebody makes fun of us, a part of us is involuntarily exposed beyond our control. We don't get to decide when it happens, or in front of whom, or the specific subject matter.

If we feel particularly vulnerable towards ridicule, we might feel like preventing being made fun of by only surrounding ourselves with asskissers and yes-men. But really, show me just one person who's effectively made that idea work.

Or, we might feel like not surrounding ourselves with people at all - yet another common go-to idea amongst non-fidents. And can you guess if that's really a good, sensible idea?

Yeah, I thought so.

So, what do we do about being made fun of, then?

Well, as with a great many other things in life, there are options. And, as with life in general, there's no manual. So, in practice, it really comes down to personal preference and simply winging it.

However, if we wish to take the path of confidence, there are certain things to consider.

You see, confidence is all about latitude and inclusiveness. The more confident we are, the bigger we consider ourselves. And the bigger we consider ourselves, the more we allow ourselves to contain. Even being made fun of.

This doesn't mean we should lie down and take one insult after another like a little, submissive bitch. It means we should consider the reasons we might FEEL like a little, submissive bitch. Is it someone else "making" us feel this way? Or would we feel this way at all if we weren't disposed towards it in the first place?

This is a provocative question, I know. And as such, it's all the more important to consider.




And here's something else...

Have you ever noticed how no matter what happens in any given week, satirical shows will necessarily find a way to poke fun at it?

In fact, have you ever noticed how you're not the only person being made fun of? And, indeed, have you ever noticed how anyone can, in principle, make fun of anything, at any time?

Yes, they can. And this just so happens to include you. And me. In fact, everyone.

This is one of those inescapable conditions of being human. There's no changing it.

And this is why, when we try to actively escape or refrain from being made fun of, it only makes us look even more pathetic and hilarious. Because, considering how far we've come as a civilization, certain human traits ARE still pretty inelegant.

So accept it. Forget about never being made fun of. Instead, learn to embrace and love the idea that anyone can, in principle, make fun of anything, at any time - including you. Anything else is just fear-based insecurity.

Which everybody has. It's just that confident people act in spite of it. And Hell, confident people even make fun of themselves.

MENTAL EXERCISE

1) Turn off your phone, and eliminate all other possible distractions.

2) Close your eyes.

3) Now imagine that you're 200 feet tall and made out of diamonds.

4) Get heavy on the details. Imagine your surroundings. Where are you at? Is it a city? If yes, which one, and which part of it?

Try walking around. What do people, buildings, animals, cars, streets, etc. look like from up there?

Engage your other senses as well. Are you hearing the wind more clearly up there? Maybe tasting the cool air?

Are you walking slowly and confidently? Do movements seem slower? Maybe less risky than usual?

Try doing this for 5 minutes. Notice how you feel afterwards.

It's when we think of ourselves as big that we grow a little.

As a confidence coach, Andy Kay helps people who are held back -- by fear, overwhelm, anxiety, indecisiveness, anything. After years studying confident, successful people, he knows what works and what doesn't. He doesn't… tolerate "spiritual" BS about "higher powers" and "purposes". -- We have access to all the power we need to achieve our own purposes; period.

Visit https://www.getconfidencecoaching.com and get confidence and empowerment for free!