Why do we focus on what’s wrong rather than what’s right?

Wouldn’t it be great to breeze through life with a smile on your face everyday?
Sounds great eh, but in reality that’s not sustainable. We all have ups and downs, and we all have tough times.

The good news is though, if we learn to think like an optimist, we can make the rough patches and challenges more bearable. And guess what, there’s even research that if you tweak the way you think to see the glass half full rather than half empty, it can help you live longer. (Source 1)

How can you do this? It’s simple. In a nutshell, when bad things happen, believe that they won’t last forever and that the good will return.

Easier said than done, we hear you cry.

We understand. It can feel impossible to reset your head sometimes. But you don’t have to be a born optimist to harness the power of positive thinking. It’s something you can learn.

Try the following technique. It will only take a few minutes but it will raise the level of dopamine (a neurotransmitter in your brain) which makes us happy and increases our motivation.

Grab yourself a notebook and practise ‘The act of gratitude’ each day. Write down what went well or three good things that have happened in your day. It’s as easy as 1, 2, 3:
1. Recall three positive things that happened to you today.
2. Write them down. They can be smaller (My boyfriend bought me coffee) or larger (My daughter got into the team she wanted at school)
3. Beside each positive event, describe why the good thing happened e.g. ‘My partner loves me’ or ‘My daughter worked so hard at school’
If you can do this as a ritual, perhaps just before you go to bed at night, it not only helps to reduce depressive symptoms but also provides lifelong tools to combat negative thoughts and boost your wellbeing.

Optimism is a hopeful, positive outlook on the future, yourself, and the world around you. It is a key part of resilience, the inner strength that helps you get through darker days. It shifts your perception to help you see, feel, and think positively.

If we learn the techniques to be an optimist, it doesn’t mean that we’re trying to gloss over our struggles. We’re just choosing to focus on the good stuff rather than getting bogged down in life’s more muddy moments.

Check out this free App www.nhs.uk/apps-library/my-possible-self

Take control of your thoughts, feelings and behaviour with the ‘My Possible Self’ mental health app. Simple learning modules will help you manage fear, anxiety and stress and tackle unhelpful thinking. You can record your experiences and track symptoms to better understand your mental health too.