Thursday, August 06, 2015

5 Ways Pessimism Boosts Well-Being

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/12/09/pessimism-health-benefits_n_4392525.html

By Catherine Pearson
Posted: 12/09/2013 8:22 am EST Updated: 01/23/2014

Sometimes it seems like eternal optimists get all the credit. Half-glass-full-thinking, good! Half-empty, bad, the prevailing wisdom goes. And there are, of course, extremely good arguments to be made for having a positive outlook -- many of them health related. The 89 percent of people around the globe who self-identify as optimists may have better cholesterol, stronger immunity and lower risk of stroke, to name just a few.

But if your natural view of the world isn't all sunshine and roses, that's okay, too. "There are several different constructs that are called 'pessimism,'" said Julie Norem, Ph.D., a professor of psychology at Wellesley College in Mass., and author of The Positive Power of Negative Thinking.

•••••

"There's an awful lot of pressure for people to present themselves as optimistic, and it probably causes more pain than the pessimism itself," she said. Which isn't to say that anyone should actively attempt to cultivate a more pessimistic view, but if it comes naturally, and doesn't interfere with day-to-day functioning, there can be "positive benefits to negative thinking," she said.

So, carry on, Negative Nancys (or Neds)! Here are just five of the ways a little pessimism might actually be good for your health and overall well-being.

1. Pessimists might live longer ...

A much-buzzed-about study published last winter found that older adults who had lower expectations for their future were more likely to enjoy longer, healthier lives than those with more positive outlooks.

•••••

Though the study falls short of establishing clear cause-and-effect, Lang hypothesized that "pessimism about the future may encourage people to live more carefully, taking health and safety precautions."

2. ... And have particularly durable relationships.

In recent years, several investigations have suggested that when it comes to maintaining healthy, long-term relationships, a little bit of negativity might be a good thing. One, published in July in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, found that certain forms of optimism may actually put couples at risk for so-called "marital deterioration," largely, the theory goes, because these couples don't proactively problem-solve.

Another found that couples who try to force themselves to stay positive in order to deal with marital distress actually end up hurting their relationship. According to Your Tango, that study's researcher concluded that "couples who approach marriage with a more pessimistic attitude end up experiencing more success and satisfaction in the long run, since their expectations were low to begin with."

3. Some types of pessimism boost productivity ...

Though people are often encouraged to think positive, and stay positive, in order to maximize success at work or school, defensive pessimists -- or those who typically approach a potentially stressful event by envisioning what could go wrong -- actually tend to perform well because of their pessimism,

•••••

Because their natural tendency is to envision, specifically, what the worst-case scenario would entail, they are often motivated to try harder and, therefore, get a lot done.
[And they take steps to avoid potential problems.]

4. ... And helps with anxiety.

In the same vein, Norem's research also suggests that defensive pessimism can help to provide a form of protection against worry and anxiety.

•••••

"If the anxiety is broken down into very specific pieces, you can focus on them in a way that gets you actually working toward an outcome in a positive way," Norem said. "The people we study do very well [with anxiety] when we let them use that strategy." But if you try to help a defensive pessimist to relax by thinking about a sunny beach, or a happy outcome, she said, it can backfire.

5. Pessimism may make you a 'better' gambler.

WebMD reported on a 2004 study in the Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, in which a group of college students played blackjack and used a simulated slot machine. Overall, the optimists were more likely to say they believed they would win, and to reframe their losses into a positive, according to WebMD, whereas pessimists were more apt to reduce their bets based on poor past performance.


•••••

No comments:

Post a Comment