Cultivating Optimism in Challenging Times

Having just returned from our family vacation in Mexico, I headed to the gym Monday for a quick workout before diving back in to projects that were calling to me.  I was rested, refreshed and eager to return to the work that feeds me on so many levels.

While getting a cardio workout on the treadmill, my attention was drawn over and over to the television monitor mounted above it. The station was tuned to CNN news in the situation room. Within five minutes of reading the headlines, I could feel my body tensing and losing the freeflowing optimism I’d been enjoying so steadily for the last eight days.

Thankfully, I caught myself and pulled my attention back toward what I do have control over, those things that I have the power to change.  The cost of indulging in those kinds of shows is much higher than most of us might imagine. People say, “I want to stay informed.” I’m not suggesting that we bury our heads in the sand, and the reality is that we are bombarded with dire news from every medium in our culture. We must be selective about what information we digest, and let the rest of it blow past like so much warm wind. 

Cultivating a sense of optimism and hopefulness pays off exponentially. Those who do have less stress-related illness and stronger immune systems. They are less likely to become depressed and more likely to be successful in any economy.

Here are a few ways to keep your happiness quotient high and maintain awareness of what is going on in your world:

• Give the lion’s share of your attention to those things you actually do have some control over. Most of us are not in a position to single-handedly reverse the economic situation playing out in our world. We do have the power to impact our business activities in a positive way by focusing on what we can do to create, improve and refine, and then divide the rest of our time between renewing our bodies, minds, spirits and relationships. Once we have done that, there really isn’t time left for worrying over or watching scary predictions.
• Keep self care at the top of your daily priority list. Get in a half hour of exercise, even if you grab it in three ten-minute segments throughout the day. Give yourself time to be quiet and reflect on those things you appreciate in every day. Comparatively speaking, so much more is going right in our world than wrong. Perhaps you can use commute time to unwind and express gratitude. Maybe you catch the sunset with a loved one.
• Choose the three to four most important projects on your plate to make headway on and give your undivided energy and attention to the first one until you reach a natural stopping place—maybe you require input from someone else or are waiting for data to incorporate. Then consciously let it go, and give your undivided attention to the next one, and so on. Try not to multitask, as it creates stress and dilutes effectiveness. Instead, give yourself over completely to the conversation or activity you are in. Live fully present in each moment, bringing the best of what you have to bear on it.
• When you do take a break for lunch or to refresh, get away for a little while from your work station. Take a walk, visit a gallery, do something completely different to change perspectives and really refresh yourself. Perhaps you look for people who inspire you to share lunch with once a week. Your energy will flow more easily with a restorative break between morning and afternoon. Sometimes, a five-minute walk around your building or block will help shift energy and provide a wakeup.
• Stay away from programs and people who drain your enthusiasm with negativity. Be selective about how you stay informed. Be in touch with the signals your body gives. If some conversation or news program causes you to tense or creates a knot in your gut, move away from it. Each of us is responsible for maintaining our optimism and wellbeing, and the payoff is a happier, healthier, more successful you.