

Protect the physical and psychological well being of caregivers (Hulbert & Morrison, 2006), undergraduate students adapting to their first college semester (Sergstrom, Taylor, Kemeny & Fahey, 1998), pregnant women (Fontaine & Jones, 1997) and even the elderly (Giltray, Zitman, & Kromhout, 2006).Provided you maintain a stable level of optimism over time, when experiencing a chronic illness optimism appears to represent an important personal resource that will exert a strong influence over how you experience illness (Karadema, Kynigopoulou, Aghathangelou & Anestis, 2010).Experience lower levels of distress, slower disease progression and even improve survival rates in patients with HIV (Ironson & Hayward, 2008) and some cancers (Allison, Guichard, Fung, & Gilian, 2003 Carver et al.In fact, Maruta, Colligan, Malinchoc, and Oxford (2002) found that optimism was associated with a 50% decrease in the risk of early death among 447 participants over a 60-year period. Have a reduced risk of cardiovascular and, general morality (Chida & Steptoe, 2008).Recover more quickly after a cardia-related event (such as a coronary artery bypass surgery or mycardial infarcation)with a better report of quality of life and a more rapid return to their normal lifestyle (Agarwal, Dalal, Agarwal, & Agarwal 1995 Scheier et al., 1989).

More specifically those found to have an optimistic explanantory style have been found to Optimism has been related to better psychological and phyiscal well-being, particularly in times of stress (Brydon, Walker, Wawrzyniak, Chart, & Steptoe, 2009). The benefits of optimism- Why you should consider a change What does the research say? "A generalized positive expectancy that facilitates the pursuit of goals in the face of adversity"- (Assade, Donnellan & Coner, 2007) "Optimism can bouy us up when things go wrong: deluged by feelings of hoplessness and despair, optimism is the raft we cling to until the skies clear" (Paul, 2011)ĭefinition of optimism generally These techniques have been rigorously validated and have helped thousands of people change lifelong habits of pessimism. Rather than employing cheap mindless devices, this chapter will teach you a new set of cognitive skills developed through research conducted by leading psychologists. It is possible to learn to be an optimist. This chapter will help you discover if you, yourself have pessimistic tendencies, or someone around you. Many people are living in this shadow and don't even realise it. It is not always easy to know if you are a pessimist. However, pessimism is escapable.” (Seligman, 2006, p.5) “ A pessimistic attitude may seem so deeply rooted as to be permanent.
