Looking ahead in life is one of the most important thing – for life keeps moving forward and there is a need to keep up with it. Becoming optimistic in life can be a challenge for many. Not everyone has the natural inclination to keep hope alive despite all the lemons that life throws at you. For some, even the task of nursing an ambition might feel challenging. Pessimism is a very common occurrence in many cases, and a lot of people tend to have to deal with it. As much as a challenge that it is, pessimism can be overcome with some effort on part of the person nursing this tendency. Here are some ways to build confidence:Love yourself and accept yourself as you are. Half the time, we battle with our own identities and lose ourselves in our negative perceptions about ourselves. When you accept yourself, you tend to look ahead with a sense of inner calm and peace, knowing that things are going to be good, no matter what.

            

•  Don’t avoid doing something because you feel pessimistic about it, or its outcomes. When you avoid something, it reinforces your negative feelings towards it, and doesn’t allow you to escape the pressures of attending to something that still needs your attention. By force, you will be obliged to attend to obligations – and avoidance many times sets a precedence of inability. If you do something with a negative attitude or a mindset, you wind up doing it badly.
• Don’t guilt yourself into optimism – you should be sensitive to others who are worse off, but you shouldn’t tell yourself that because someone is worse off, you have to feel guilty about being optimistic.
•  Indulge in meditation and breathing exercises that help you de-clutter your mind and de-stress. Breathing deeply helps you ease out the tensions that run in your mind and eases out the anxieties you feel. This way, you tend to look at things with a clearer mind.
• Surround yourself with people you trust and feel comfortable with. Never allow other people’s negativity to bog you down, as it only augments your anxiety. Allow yourself the luxury of believing in yourself. Self-doubt plagues everyone – it is but natural. But don’t let it overwhelm you.
• Maintain a journal and ensure that you write out your thoughts and issues on your mind so that you have a route to vent.
• Avoid taking to substance abuse such as cigarettes, caffeine and drugs. While some may claim that it makes one feel better, it is really damaging to your body and mind.
• Don’t hesitate to take professional help when it gets too much to bear. Anxiety can be treated with counselling and cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT). A professional who intervenes to help can assist a person’s thinking and help them find direction and a way out of anxiety.
•  Indulge in some me time, and give yourself a chance to take a break and unwind by doing things you enjoy most. In a day, make sure that you have at least an hour for yourself.

References:

http://www.mindbodygreen.com/0-21147/how-to-be-optimistic-even-at-rock-bottom.html
http://greatist.com/happiness/how-be-optimistic-about-everything

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