A Few Reasons Not to Let Pessimism Get You Down

 

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If we’re being honest with ourselves, everyone likely has to admit that – at least at certain points in their lives – it can be difficult to stay positive.


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Between personal tragedies and difficult workplace deadlines, uncertainty and frustration, and any number of other setbacks and challenges, it’s not hard to find pessimism creeping in.


While no one can feel perfectly positive all the time, pessimism – in other words a tendency to always expect a negative outcome – can be deeply detrimental to your sense of well-being in a whole host of different ways.


Rest assured, though, you don’t need to let pessimism win. Here are a few reasons not let pessimism get you down.


We tend to be very good at convincing ourselves of false doom and gloom scenarios


The first reasons not to take your pessimistic thoughts too seriously, or to give them too much credit, is because of the simple fact that we all tend to be very good at convincing ourselves of doom and gloom scenarios which – in actual fact – are not true, or likely.


Whenever you find yourself feeling hopeless, or as though you simply can’t overcome a particular obstacle, or achieve a particular goal, you’ll likely find that you have an entire negative mental map in your mind of how the situation is likely to unfold.


Realise, however, that these mental maps are only estimates and narratives that you have adopted and reinforced in your own mind. They do not reflect an inevitable reality, and are often very different from how things are actually likely to unfold if put to the test.


Don’t give your pessimistic doom and gloom narratives too much trust.


There are very often ways to overcome issues that you might not immediately notice


Although difficult and outright negative events are inevitable in life, and although it can be very hard to see light at the end of the tunnel when confronted with these kinds of situations, it is important to note that there are very often ways to overcome or deal with issues that you might not immediately notice.


If you find that your hearing is declining, for example, you might naturally feel very pessimistic and assume the worst. But If you find an audiologist to consult, there’s a good chance they will be able to offer you potential solutions you wouldn’t have imagined on your own.


One reason why pessimism can be so destructive, is because there are often many good paths to take that you will struggle to find if you have a pessimistic outlook.


With small actions repeated each day, unimaginable results can often be achieved over time


Pessimism tends to deal in the “big picture” stuff, such as by leading you to believe that you can never be in great shape, or learn to become a good musician.


The way things actually work out in practice, though, is that most of these desired outcomes are achieved as a result of small actions repeated each day, rather than via big and ambitious projects.


Even without having any idea of where you might end up, by adhering to good daily habits and routine actions unimaginable results can often be achieved over time.


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