How to Develop a Positive Outlook
You may have heard this statement with reference to someone you know, “That person’s outlook towards life is very negative.” The primary reason behind the statement would be the manner in which said person speaks and behaves, which generally leans towards pessimism, and demonstrates cynicism.
People with a negative outlook often find it difficult to see anything positive around them. Their approach towards life is generally to see the negatives, and crib about what is not going as planned in their life.
The purpose of this post is to make it easy for you to understand how to develop a positive outlook using scientific methods. A lot of advancement has been made in the field of Neuroscience to understand what makes some people super positive about things, and others super negative. From a Neuroscience perspective, our brain circuits, code the experience of a particular emotion. How these brain circuits are configured then enables us to respond to different experiences in our lives.
Outlook configuration ~ Positive outlook or Negative outlook from a Neuroscience Perspective:
A person with a Positive Outlook generally has high activity in the ventral striatum {the Reward Circuit is within this part of our brain}, the ventral pallidum, and the prefrontal cortex {PFC}. The prefrontal cortex is the main thinking part of our brain which allows us to plan, execute, and decide, and so on. A person with a high positive outlook will exhibit a strong connection between the PFC and ventral striatum. On the other hand, a person with a negative outlook will exhibit lower activity in the ventral striatum, and their connection between the PFC and ventral striatum will be weaker.
Here are a list of habits that can turn a gloomy outlook into an effortlessly optimistic attitude {i.e. these are methods for how to develop a positive outlook}
Resisting an impulse {Provides immediate gratification}:
By resisting temptations and impulses {by focusing on long-term rewards ~ delayed gratification} you strengthen your prefrontal cortex and its connection to the ventral striatum.
Example 1: You are at a mall, and you see an electronic gadget you desire. Your first impulse would be to buy it. Your thought process to justify the same would be that you deserve an expensive gadget, so you should reward yourself. But if you resist the buy and think about the money you will save, which can perhaps be used to fund an exotic vacation in the near future with your family, you are exhibiting delayed gratification. In the bargain, you end up strengthening the connection between your PFC and Ventral Striatum. The more you resist impulse buying and apply thinking processes concerning long term rewards, you are increasing your outlook configuration towards positive in your life.
Example 2: You have completed a lot of your pending tasks during the day, and at the end of the day you are tempted to indulge in chocolate cake or nachos with a mayo dip or steaming hot pakoras, with the underlying thought process, “I deserve this reward”, or “I have done enough hard work today.” But by diverting your though process towards not giving in to the impulse, and continuing to eat healthy food, you are working towards your goal of a healthier lifestyle.
Well being therapy {Strengthens connection between the prefrontal cortex and ventral striatum}:
A simple way to enhance a positive outlook in life and to sustain positive emotions is a technique called Well Being Therapy. Developed by Giovanni Fava {University of Bologna, Italy}, the technique focuses on personal well-being, self-acceptance, accepting others, one’s purpose in life, being influenced by environmental factors, and so on. This is a powerful method for how to develop a positive outlook in life.
Every day for a week, do these three exercises:
Write down one of your positive characteristics, and one of someone you regularly interact with. Do this activity 3 times a day, and each time reference a different trait.
Express gratitude regularly ~
Develop a habit to journal daily. In your journal, write about the things that you appreciate in your life. Write about the different people you appreciate in your life, and what it is that you appreciate about what they do for you. Write about the different things in your life that make your life comfortable {let these be as trivial as being able to afford healthy food, or sleep on a comfortable bed}. Write about appreciating what you have achieved in your life, and are proud about. Write about appreciating what has worked for you in life, and what is presently working in your favour.
Compliment others regularly ~
Whenever you get the chance, compliment another. Make eye contact, pause, make conversation, and pay a genuine compliment. Express how they have been able to make a significant contribution to your life.
Mindful meditation also improves your overall outlook
Here are a few simple examples of mindfulness mediation:
- Breathing awareness
Choose a time of day when you are the most alert. Sit in an upright position on a chair or on the floor on a mat, while maintaining a relaxed but erect back posture.
Inhale slowly, and while you inhale focus on your breathing. Now bring your awareness towards how the air moves into your lungs, and how the air moves out with each exhale. While you are inhaling and exhaling, pay attention to the sensations that develop in your body. Inhale with your nose and exhale using your mouth, maintaining a rhythm. 1 x time inhale from your nose, 1 x time pause, 2 x times exhale from the mouth, 1 x time pause, and then inhale again.
Whenever a thought or a feeling develops, let that pass and bring your focus back to your breathing and the associated sensations.
You may practice with eyes closed or eyes open, depending on your preference and your experience. You may start with 5 minutes, and then gradually increase it to 30-40 minutes. Do this twice a day to start with, and once you are comfortable you can increase the duration.
Continue to practice to increase your awareness of what is occurring in the moment without judging it.
- Body Scan
You may also try another powerful mindfulness exercise I practice called the body scan.
Choose a time of day when you are the most alert. Sit in an upright position on a chair or on the floor on a mat, while maintaining a relaxed but erect back posture.
Start from your toe and bring your attention towards your foot, ankle, calf, knee, hip, back, abdomen, chest, shoulders, neck, face, and the top of your head. Do not think about the body parts, but experience the vibrations as you move your awareness towards each part. Pay attention to the sensations, as you are moving from the tip of your toes to the top of your head. Notice the temperature, pressure, and texture of the sensation.
If at any point your attention drifts towards your thoughts and feelings, bring your attention back towards your breathing pattern and let that settle your thoughts.
Perform this activity in conjunction with mindful breathing.
Continue your practice to raise your non-judgment awareness to settle your thoughts and feelings. Body Scan is by far one of the best techniques for promoting emotional wellness and emotional control.
To conclude: Given the current crisis, our world is grappling with anxiety and uncertainty. This is where this guide on how to develop a positive outlook will aid you on a personal level, to cope with the crisis and stay healthy and foster a positive mindset. Empower yourself with knowledge ~ it goes a long way in improving mental health and well-being.
About Vikram Dhar: He is an award-winning Celebrity Life Coach, Speaker, Author, and the founder of NLP Coaching Academy, NLPCA {NLPCA is the premium Coach Training Academy of India}.