Improve Your Life Through Becoming Optimistic
Edited by Msanzo, Eng, Visihow Admin
Our everyday lives are filled with so many strings that are pushing and pulling from all angles. Whether it's stress at home, an overload at work, or even a rut in your relationship, it can be easy to lose track of what is really important. The truth is that sometimes the best remedy is to take a deep breath and realize that it's all going to be fine. By instilling a sense of optimism you are not only putting mind over matter, you are asserting a better lifestyle. Through thinking positively you are improving many essential aspects that are crucial to your day-to-day living.
Rise and Shine
Having a positive attitude is essential for improving any situation. From the moment you wake up, it is imperative to remind yourself of your goals and the reason they are important to you. One of the keys to avoid waking up grumpy and gloomy is to get a good night sleep. Sleeping well goes hand in hand with feeling good, therefore making it easier to tackle your goals.
- Prepare your essentials for the morning during the night before, this way you will save time and energy in the morning
- Get your breakfast ready prior to going to bed. Having a good breakfast in the morning will set you up to have a good day.
- If possible, set your coffee pot on a timer the night before. Even consider buying a thermos or a to-go cup so that you can drink your coffee on the way to work.
- Set your alarm for a few minutes earlier in order to subconsciously buy yourself a few extra minutes in the morning to avoid rushing and adding stress.
- Drink a large glass of cold water to help you wake up.
- Listen to some music as you get ready to help give you energy and pump you up for the day!
Eat Good Food
While it not only results in better health, eating well is important in making you feel better. Certain foods that are filled with nutrients and vitamins are proven to make you feel positive and brighten your mood. As tempting as it may be to devour a pizza or a greasy hamburger and fries, the later effects will likely leave you feeling somewhat regretful and thus lead you to feel not too great. The effect of good food is critical in how the brain functions and makes your body feel. Not only will you feel healthier, you will be healthy as well.
Eating foods such as broccoli, turkey breast, and even mashed potatoes help the brain control moods and emotions due to a mineral called chromium. It also may be used to fight depression in some cases.
Calcium is important to your body because it supports healthy blood vessels and promotes strong bones. For females, it also may help more. Studies found that having low calcium might be correlated to depression through premenstrual syndrome. Calcium is not hard to come across and can be found in everyday foods, so be sure to keep it in your diet.
Foods such as spinach, asparagus, and avocado are all in common not just because they are green, but more so because they are rich in folate. This is important because folate promotes serotonin. A lack of serotonin and folic acid may cause fatigue and dips in mood or behavior. Not only will these foods contribute to your bodily health, they will help you feel better mentally.
Keeping iron in your diet is also very important in maintaining an optimistic lifestyle. A lack of iron will often cause fatigue, mood swings, and can even lead to depression in some cases. Higher levels of it will promote energy in your body, thus helping you carry on in your everyday lives, ready to take on whatever is in your way. Other important foods and minerals are magnesium, which can be found in almonds, spinach, peanuts, and many other types of everyday essentials. Magnesium also promotes serotonin that is helpful in contributing to the mental and emotional wellbeing of the human body. It is known to commonly be of use as a natural remedy for harmonizing mood fluctuations. The intake of vitamin D is also important in warding off depression. Low levels of vitamin D are often spiked during the winter due to a lack of sunlight, but it can be found in foods such as: eggs, milk, and salmon to name a few.
While of course eating healthy may visibly make one feel and look better, the internal results are also important. Feeling good is essential in staying optimistic.
Get Some Exercise
Exercise is one of the main elements of living optimistically. It doesn't always have to consist of running a five kilometers daily and working out like a machine, it can even be something as simple as stretching and doing work outs at home. While working out in a gym is not always cost effective, there are easy ways to work out at home that won't cost much.
A study by Maria Kavussanu and Edward McAuley at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign looks into the relation of exercise and optimism. Through it, one of the aspects shows that motivation is essential in living optimistically. Those that are pessimistic are less driven and exercise less. So, by getting proper rest and eating healthy, subconsciously you are helping with self-motivation.
One of the common goals for exercising is to feel more confident in look and appeal, which is also a factor in how a person feels about their lifestyle. Studies show that exercise has an effect on many levels such as self-expression, social interactions, self-fulfillment, and even physical strength. Recreational activities can also be used as forms of therapeutic aid.
Simple methods such as going for a brisk walk or run, doing yoga, or even playing pick-up soccer with a few friends can help one to find an escape and de-stress.
Don't Stress Out At Work
Unless you've won the mega-millions lottery, chances are that you have to work everyday. Some jobs more than others require many long, hard hours and result in stress. The unfortunate relationship with work and stress makes it easy to fall victim to pessimism and losing track of how important it is to think positive. Of course, grueling days that require waking up early can never be easy.
Some ways in which to keep an optimistic Outlook on life during your day at work are by following steps one and two: getting proper sleep and nutrition. A good amount of sleep will definitely help get you started on the right track and you'll feel more alert and energized. A proper breakfast will also contribute to that.
It's easy to find yourself in a hole at work. One of the ways to avoid this is to become organized and focused. By prioritizing tasks, it allows you to take a deep breath and remind yourself that maybe the situation isn't as bad. When a task or objective is made a priority it often results in clarity in the situation, thus allowing you to see the true objective. There is nothing that cannot be overcome.
By taking on too many tasks it may therefore feel like a landslide of work and you might feel like the walls are closing in. It is important to make sure you don't take on too many things at once. Stressing yourself out unnecessarily is not a good idea. Organize your workday and make sure you schedule accordingly. Many times, it is easier to feel better about what is ahead if you zoom out and map out your goals.
A good way to stay positive at work is to also create friendships or bonds with coworkers. By doing so it will avoid the feeling of alienation in the workplace, ultimately resulting in a disparaging attitude about your career. If you are surrounded by optimistic, happy people, chances are that the similar feeling will rub off on yourself.
Allowing yourself to feel optimistic at work is very important because of how much time is actually spent in the workplace or work environment. Positive vibes here will open doors to optimism in other aspects of your life as well. Less stress leads to a longer, healthier life.
Be Surrounded By Optimistic People
Aside from work, people typically spend a majority of their time at home. This environment is also critical in helping determine one's mindset. The relationships that are built with spouses, friends, siblings, or significant others can all take a toll on how you feel.
Studies find that people who are more optimistic tend to have greater relationships with others who are like-minded. Always thinking negatively will only create a bad situation, and continuously using lingo such as "never" and "won't" will only further way of living. By having a mindset that promotes the idea of "can" and "will", you are allowing yourself to stay optimistic. Being critical and rash will only end up bringing out flaws. The best way to avoid this is to remind yourself of how grateful you are, whether it is smaller or large scale. For example, instead of looking at what you don't have, try rather looking at what you do have.
Overall, it sometimes can be hard to see the light in certain situations in life. And while being positive is sometimes much easier said than done, there are plenty of simple, everyday techniques you can implement into your daily routine that will help to improve your life through becoming optimistic. After all, eliminating stresses and negativity will result in a longer, happier, and healthy life - it's a fact.
If you have problems with any of the steps in this article, please ask a question for more help, or post in the comments section below.
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Article Info
Categories : Health & Wellness
Recent edits by: Eng, Msanzo