Is your glass of milk half-full or half-empty? This saying is often used to test people's outlook in a situation; do they focus on the positives (a half-full glass) or the negatives (a half-empty one)? Thinking positively, with a belief that most things will turn out fine, is called optimism and it's known to boost your well-being.
Why is thinking positively good for you?
Research shows that people who are optimistic and think positively tend to experience less stress and cope well when faced with life's challenges. People who are more pessimistic (expect that the worst will happen) may find it hard to believe that these challenges will pass. Scientists have even found that thinking positively can make you live longer. This is because you believe your goals are achievable and within reach, which encourages you to work towards them.
Everybody can worry from time to time. Worrying can help to keep you safe. If you were never worried and were greatly positive about how things would turnout, you wouldn't recognize risks. "Worrying is our brain warning us that there might be something threatening, which functions as a fire alarm." says child psychotherapist (心理治疗师) Rachel. "The trouble is that sometimes it goes off when there isn't a huge danger to face."
You should learn to think positively.
Optimism is shaped by your genes, which carry characteristics obtained from your parents, and by what happens to you. Research has shown that it can help to draw or write an outcome that's positive, like an image of you playing guitar and having passed your next grade. Imagining this can motivate you to work to achieve it, such as practising everyday afterschool.
A. Worrying is like a fire alarm.
B. Avoid worrying is beneficial to our health.
C. Asking others for help positively makes sense.
D. The good news is that everybody can learn to think more positively.
E. When this happens, you can feel anxious and hopeless about what lies ahead.
F. However, whatever your starting point is, you can learn to be more optimistic.
G. Being positive about the future goals can make you happier and more successful.
