#11 "What does it mean to be an optimist?!"

Good morning!

It's Monday, time for happiness research😊

Hello, fellow happiness researchers!

well-being✨

Let's have fun learning again today♪

Last time, we covered #10 "Can you really handle stress?!"

Mindfulness reduces stress!

It clears your mind and eases feelings of anxiety!

Let's try out positive psychology methodologies to manage stress!

was the topic😊

This time's theme

⭐️ "What Does Optimism Mean?!"

When you hear the word optimism,

what kind of image comes to mind?

That everything will work out no matter what,

that it's not good to think about negative things,

that complaining is also not good,

that you shouldn't think about bad things, only good things

Do you think of it as this kind of mindset?

⭐️ What true optimism is

When you want to complain, you want to be able to,

and when you want to criticize, you want to be able to...

It means

accepting yourself,

including those negative and pessimistic parts!

✨

And,

analyzing past and present events,

searching for your strengths and the reasons why things went well,

believing that what you are doing now

will go well,

and feeling that

you will somehow be able to accomplish it in the future!

<From "Practical Positive Psychology" by Takashi Maeno>

That is what optimism is, apparently ✨🤗

That's right, isn't it!

It's not about refusing to think about bad things,

and it's also not about only focusing on good things, is it!

In a similar discussion,

we also learned about positive emotions!

This article👇

This time, it's about perspective!

Whether you view things

optimistically

or pessimistically

affects your life's success and happiness

It makes a difference!

⭐️ How you perceive things = Explanatory style

○ Optimistic explanatory style

⭐️ Think broadly about positive influences!

When a good event occurs, perceive the cause of the event as

internal (the cause is within yourself),
permanent (it will continue for a long time),
universal (it applies in all cases) !

When a bad event occurs, perceive the cause of the event as

external, temporary, and limited!

Perceive good things very broadly!
It's always like this, it's always this way, it's thanks to me✨
Bad things are just by chance, bad luck, etc.!

Perceiving bad things narrowly and good things broadly is
an optimistic way of looking at things!

○ Pessimistic explanatory style

Think broadly about negative impacts!

When a good event occurs, view the cause of the event as

external (caused by others), temporary, and limited!

When a bad event occurs, view the cause of the event as

internal (my fault), permanent, and universal!

Good things are just luck, a fluke, and might not happen again!
Bad things are my fault, will happen again, and are always like this!

Viewing good things narrowly and bad things broadly is
a pessimistic way of thinking!

Seligman says that

by changing this explanatory style,

even people with pessimistic thinking

can learn to think optimistically!

he says!

(Amazing✨👀)

Whether you think optimistically or

pessimistically

is not determined solely by your innate personality,

but changes significantlydepending on your explanatory style!

In that case,

viewing good influences broadly

and adopting an optimistic explanatory style

to achieve optimistic thinking

is what well-being is all about, right?✨

When you are having fun or feeling happy,

when you are in a positive mood,

you naturally smile✨🤗

A smile has a wonderful power!

When you laugh, a type of lymphocyte,

NK cells (natural killer cells) are activated, so

your immune system is boosted✨

When you are laughing,

you are naturally using abdominal breathing,

so more oxygen is taken into the body,

which leads to improved blood circulation and metabolism!✨

Laughing reduces stress,

makes you feel relaxed and secure,

and activates the parasympathetic nervous system!

Therefore,

your autonomic nervous system functions in a balanced way!✨

Furthermore,

neurotransmitters called "happiness hormones" such as

dopamine, oxytocin, serotonin,

adrenaline, and endorphins are secreted,

making it easier to feel a sense of happiness!✨

Even just forcing yourself to smile by raising the corners of your mouth,

actually tricks the brain into thinking, "I'm in a fun mood right now,"

and by actually feeling happy,

it is known that your immune system improves✨👀

("Fascinated by 6th Grade Japanese Textbooks" also talks about this)

Happy people,

compared to those who are not,

have the benefit of being able to stay healthy✨

A smile is

a treasure trove of well-being💖

So, what will you do?

Even so,

will you continue with pessimistic thinking?

Or will you choose optimistic thinking,

and achieve well-being with a wonderful smile?✨😊

[Summary]

⭐️ Acknowledge your negative and pessimistic self too!

⭐️ Believe things will go well based on your past and strengths!

⭐️ Think optimistically and perceive positive influences broadly!

(Good events are internal, permanent, and universal)

⭐️ Positive moods and smiles bring health and happiness!

It's the best!💖

Next time #12 "Let's review what we've covered so far!"

References
"Practical Positive Psychology" by Takashi Maeno

<Back Issues>
#1 "Let's think about well-being"
#2 "You don't have to be 100% positive"
#3 "Are happiness and dieting similar?!👀"
#4 "The study of positive psychology"
#5 "Resilience and PERMA?!"
#6 "The 5 conditions for happiness: PERMA"
#7 "What is flow?"
#8 "Is concentration mindfulness?!"
#9 "A switch to change your mindset"
#10 "Can you handle stress?!"

<Well-being Magazine>👇
If you'd like, please follow the magazine✨

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