Optimism is hopefulness and confidence about the future or the success of something.
Optimism will seem to elude you in midlife. There will come a time wherein you might feel lost, get mood swings and not feel happy about the body. With multiple challenges like this, feeling optimistic about life will seem like a herculean task.
That doesn’t mean that you need to make an effort or force yourself to feel optimistic. What you would need is to make positive thinking a way of life. Negative thoughts come sooner than positive ones. But we need to keep them at bay to live a happier and fuller life.
Midlife triggers many health concerns. You could face problems of lack of sleep, loss of energy due to poor eating, lifestyle habits and little exercise. All these factors affect your mood. While you are low on mood there are high chances of not thinking positively.
However, to embrace the transition and the change of midlife you will have to look at life with optimism and hope.
That is what I plan to do as well and thus have been reading a lot for the past few weeks on Midlife.
My learnings:
- Optimism helps to deal with unexpected change (and there will be many in midlife), overwhelming stress and inevitable disappointments.
- Optimism breeds confidence and vice-versa.
- Focus on solutions and not on the problems.
- Try to minimize the obstacles to success.
- Nurture your body. During Midlife your body starts giving you signals if you are not healthy. Understand these signals and work to nurture your body. Eating right and a little bit of daily exercise should help to look at life with optimism. Read about N Is For Nutrition #DecodingMidlife
- Do not discount your own achievements. Everyone has achieved something in big or a small way. Appreciate your achievements. Feel worthy. This will make you more optimistic about the future.
- Midlife is the ideal time to build healthy habits which will improve your life now and enable you to be the best as you age. Look at midlife with hope.
- Do not blame yourself. You will tend to do this a lot in midlife. Avoid it. Keep repeating positive affirmations.
- Acknowledge the challenges. Optimism doesn’t mean to believe that nothing can go wrong in your life. Rather it means that you believe that you have the ability to meet those challenges and fight them successfully.
- There would be times during midlife years when there is an overwhelming feeling of loneliness. This leads to negativity. Surround yourself with optimistic people and spend more time with friends.
“Optimism is the faith that leads to achievement. Nothing can be done without hope and confidence”.
-Helen Keller
What would do you do to keep yourself positively motivated? Are you always optimistic about your life?
Do share your views and suggestions.
Good one, Aesha again! Optimism is an attitude that we need to consciously cultivate. Esp in our mid-life when responsibilities pile up and our children enter their adolescence and adult hood 🙂
Optimism is the key. That’s it 🙂
Optimism surely helps but its easier said than done. Sometimes it depends on a particular situation and even if we try its not possible to stay positive. Great pointers.
Yeah optimism is great for you and people around you. And what’s more it’s fun to be optimistic. Nobody likes a whiner or a pessimistic person.
I always try to find positive things even in the heap of negativity. Doing such things make me optimistic. And optimism is a energy that helps us to move forward. Well Written, Aesha. Very nicely, you have explained it.
Thanks Sayanti
You can overcome a lot of your fears if you are optimistic. It creates positive energy. Like you said surrounding yourself with positive people also changes your outlook.Good one Aesha.
Thanks Meha
I am facing many of these problems, Aesha! And sometimes it’s hard to rouse up optimism too! But, I have realized good food (especially nuts and seeds) perks me up and so does exercise. All I need to do is start feeling grateful for what I have; something which I don’t do very often. Thanks for this post!!
trying to be optimistic always although is not possible, i try to be. it gives good vibes.
Optimism helps you deal with everything and it actually works. Whenever I feel optimistic the work gets done.
Optimism is the best way to look at the things! It has the best side effects ever. So why not try and be one? Insightful pointers Ayesha.
Not always optimistic but far more optimistic than I was when I was younger. These are indeed worthwhile suggestions Aesha. Its all on the mental state of mind. Acknowledging that there will be problems but focussing on solutions and patting our back for our achievements rather than undermining them would help us stay optimistic. Loving this series girl
Thanks for today’s challenge – face the day with optimism in my heart and attitude! I am leaving in about an hour to visit my son, daughter-in-law and two little boys. They live nearly 5 hours away from me. I am optimistic that we’ll be able to spend a great time together. Next in A to Z Challenge: O is for Take every Opportunity to improve your life, improve your mind.
Optimism is the best word – and attitude.
It can be quite tough to stay optimistic all the time. Everyone comes up with their own solutions. The key indeed is to concentrate on the positive, not underestimate self or give self less credits, and to put in best efforts to ward off all the negativity. Quite good list of learning there 🙂