Optimism. Such an important characteristic to have, especially during these unordinary times. This specific outlook is a vital part of maintaining good brain health.

Few people are “optimistic by nature”, rather it is a virtue that can be trained into one’s mind. Although many may think that optimism is directly correlated with happiness, it is in fact not.

The power of optimism allows humans, even in a bad situation, to make light out of it. According to the National Institute of Health (NIH) the trait of “optimism, which primarily involves a cognitive orientation toward more positive expectancies of future outcomes (Carver and Scheier, 2014), has been credited with contributing to successful emotion regulation, which builds resilience to anxiety.”

Not only is optimism good for your mental health, it is very good for your physical health as well. “Science shows that those with an optimistic outlook have better cardiovascular health and a stronger immune system, earn a higher income and have more successful relationships”. Optimism has also “been shown to motivate active and persistent coping behavior (Nes and Segerstrom, 2006), and as a result, it has been linked to reduced anxiety symptoms in both healthy (Scheier et al., 1994) and clinical (Zenger et al., 2010) participants.”

Even though the world can be a scary place, trying to be optimistic can improve your life in so many ways. Here are a few things you can do at home:
O:   Go outside!  Be a part of nature!

P:   Choose a positive outlook.

T:   Think about what you are grateful for.  Every little & big thing.       :

I:     Inspire yourself and others by visualizing positive outcomes.

M:   Make every moment matter – especially the quiet ones.

I:     Internalize your positive thinking – it starts with you.

S:    See the glass half full.  There is always more than one perspective.

T:   Try, try again, if at first you don’t succeed.

I:   Innovate to improve and simplify your life.

C:  Concentrate and allow yourself to be present.