There are two different types of people in the world: optimists and pessimists. They can be in the same situation, yet they react to it differently. Do you have a positive focus, or do you tend to dwell on the negative?
If you are a positive person, it’s not that you have a delusional sense of reality. Optimism doesn’t ignore the feelings of fear, grief, or frustration. It just helps you cope with reality in healthy ways.
Even the strongest optimists can have bad days and feel gloomy. The difference is that they don’t stay in a rut of negative self-talk. Instead, they use coping strategies to keep difficult situations in the right perspective.
When you awake in the morning, do you greet the sun with anticipation, or do you hide your head under the covers? Do you try to see the best in people, or are you sure that you can’t trust anybody? Are you surrounded by strength and joy or smothered by sadness?
If you feel depressed and discouraged, you should know that there’s hope. It’s just as easy to cultivate a positive attitude as it is a negative one. Perhaps you’ve had hurts and disappointments that hinder you from living your best life.
You can become an optimist and change your attitude about your life and circumstances. All it takes is for you to exchange your pessimist self-talk for an internal conversation of optimism. Optimistic and joyful people often attract other optimists and more blessings.
10 Ways a Positive Focus Improves Sadness
Are you ready to kick the sadness and bring more joy and satisfaction to your life? You’ll be surprised at the benefits you’ll see as soon as you make this change. Here are ten ways that keeping a positive focus can improve your sadness and increase your joy.
1. It May Reduce Depression
The fact that negativity and depression often go hand in hand isn’t surprising. People who have been diagnosed with clinical depression often say it starts with pessimist thinking. Mental health experts aren’t sure if the negative focus causes depression or vice-versa, but they know they are related.
Are you stuck living in the past? When you ruminate on past hurts and regrets, it can keep you stuck in despair. Living in the past prevents you from living a fulfilling life now.
When you have a positive outlook, it’s difficult to be sad and gloomy. You realize that nothing is forever, and you can make it as you’ve always done. Being an optimist can help reduce the draining effects depression has on your well-being.
2. Your Social Life May Improve
Remember the old saying that nobody likes a party pooper? Putting a pessimist in a social setting is like covering a campfire with a wet blanket. Even the liveliest conversations get smothered when somebody in the group has nothing good to say about anyone or anything.
However, maintaining a positive focus boosts your mood and lightens your conversation. Optimism is contagious and makes people feel good. They enjoy an optimist company because they can talk, laugh, and temporarily forget about their troubles.
3. It Helps Build Your Self-Esteem
Nobody is born with self-esteem. Instead, you depended on your parents and your growing up experience as a mold. If your childhood was adverse and unconducive to creating your self-worth, it is probably affecting you to this day.
Have you ever felt like you weren’t good enough and that blessings only come to other people? Perhaps you’ve never been happy with your appearance, your accomplishments, or your station in life. All this negative self-talk does nothing but undermines your esteem.
Learning to be positive can help you silence your internal negative voice, and you replace the destructive with uplifting affirmations. You begin to see that you are just as good as anybody else, and you are worthy of love, respect, and joyful life. It all starts with how you focus on yourself.
4. You Can Improve Your Relationships
Understandably, chronic pessimists usually don’t have lasting relationships. They are so busy complaining and wallowing in self-pity that they’ve no time for others. Even family relationships are strained when you are held hostage by your negative thought patterns.
Since pessimism is a small apple that rots the whole bushel, people tend to avoid those who do nothing but whine and grump. Such avoidance isn’t productive for any relationship, especially a romantic one. The more negative thoughts you entertain, the more you attract them.
Meanwhile, optimists tend to bond well with family and friends. They also make superb lovers because they can find hope in the bleakest situations. A positive attitude helps you remember who and what’s the most important in your life.
5. You Can Have More Joy
People often use the terms happiness and joy interchangeably. However, there is a difference between them. Happiness is temporary and depends on your present situation and state of mind. Even a pessimist can be happy for the moment.
While happiness is an emotion, joy is a decision. When you are experiencing hardships, and your situation seems beyond control, you have a choice. You can be miserable, or you can claim joy in your life. Either way, you still have the problems, but happiness can inspire you to work through them.
When you maintain a positive focus, you’ve decided to make joy a priority. Regardless of your circumstances, you’ll see the cloud’s silver lining. The more you practice being an optimist, the more fun you can expect to experience.
6. You’ll Give Up Grudges
Turning over to an optimistic view, frees you from a lifetime of bitterness and grudges. You’ll discover that forgiveness is a gift to yourself. Although it doesn’t excuse the offense or cancel the memory, you’ve broken the chains and can get on with your life.
7. You’ll Have More Gratitude
Did your parents ever tell you that you’ll never get more in life until you’re thankful for what you already have? It’s a sterling rule that so many adults have forgotten. An ungrateful spirit can never be satisfied and will stay embittered and jealous, no matter how blessed they are.
When’s the last time you sat down and expressed gratitude for all the beautiful people and blessings in your life? Optimists rise above materialism and petty jealousy. They are gracious and express gratitude for everything, which builds spiritual wealth.
8. You Can Develop Better Habits
When you are feeling hopelessly cynical, you often forget to take care of yourself. A pessimistic attitude may lead to mental, physical, and spiritual issues. You also may be more apt to fall into substance abuse, especially if you have an addictive nature.
A positive focus allows you to love and appreciate your body, so you’ll take care of it better. Maybe you’ll be inspired to follow a healthier diet and fitness plan as recommended by your healthcare provider. Positivity and self-love can make it easier for you to seek help to break your unhealthy habits and addictions.
9. Your Health May Improve
No, positive thinking is not a miraculous cure for diseases and disorders. However, many studies show a correlation between optimism and higher chances of recovery. Did you know that negative thoughts can foster undue stress?
Having too much stress can wreak havoc on your whole body. You can be more prone to mental illness and severe ailments like heart disease, hypertension, stroke, and many others. Positive focus can ease tension, improve your health, and enrich your well-being.
10. You Can Inspire Others
Who are some of the people you admire the most, and what are their qualities? As you reflect on your list, you’ll notice that these are individuals who believed in themselves and made a positive change in their world. Your list probably won’t have names of those who are negative and have zero initiative.
Do you want to immolate your role models? If you’re going to be like them and make an impact for good, you need positivity. Think about people like Sojourner Truth, Susan B. Anthony, Dr. Martin Luther King, or Clara Barton. Their positive focus left no room for negativity or defeat, so they became the changes they wanted.
You need not be a superhero to inspire those around you. People are drawn to those who are focused on positive outcomes and joyful living. Even more than the things you say, they are impressed by your actions.
Final Thoughts on Keeping a Positive Focus to Reduce Sadness
Are you tired of being in the dumps all the time and existing instead of living? Learning to develop a positive attitude can give you the determination to make changes in your thought patterns. If you need help, there’s no shame in working with a mental health professional on your goals.
