Thursday, December 29, 2011

The Mindset of Optimism

Learned optimism more useful than truth

From an Omni interview with Martin Seligman, monitored for the Institute by Roger Knights.
'High scores for optimism are predictive of excellence in everything from sports to life-insurance sales'
Martin Seligman, researcher and director of clinical training at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, and author of 'Learned Optimism', has developed an Attributional Style Questionnaire (ASQ) which ranks individuals on an optimism-pessimism scale. In a longitudinal study of school children, those scoring highest for pessimism were most likely later to suffer depression. High scores for optimism are predictive of excellence in everything from sports to life-insurance sales (a finding that saved Metropolitan Life millions of dollars in personnel selection).
'Analysing campaign speeches for the prevalence of optimism, Seligman predicted the election winners'
Optimism wins votes as well. Analysing campaign speeches for the prevalence of optimism, Seligman predicted the winners of the 1988 presidential and Senate elections more accurately than veteran political forecasters.
'I used to be an agent of both truth and happiness,' says Seligman. 'That's still a central premise of most therapists. But research in our lab and others is increasingly challenging that view. Even when offered a monetary incentive for accuracy, optimists consistently overestimate their ability. Optimists have a set of self-serving illusions that enable them to maintain good cheer and health in a universe essentially indifferent to their welfare.
'Optimists are more resistant to infectious illness and are better at fending off chronic diseases of middle age'
Optimists are more resistant to infectious illness and are better at fending off chronic diseases of middle age. In one study, we looked at 96 men who had their first heart attack in 1980. Within eight years, 15 of the 16 most pessimistic men died of a second heart attack, but only five of the 16 most optimistic men died.
Good therapy for depression may entail bolstering a set of benign illusions. Depressed people may need to adopt the same self-serving illusions that most normal people hold. We can choose how we think. Styles of thinking can become habits. We can control our thoughts as we can our muscles.
'My goal would be to get that person to speak to him- or herself more kindly, the way a loving friend might'
Specifically, if something goes wrong, pessimists tend to have hopeless thoughts. They tell themselves, 'I'll never get it right,' or 'I always screw up,' or worse, they stamp themselves with a negative label - 'I'm a jerk.' My goal would be to get that person to speak to him- or herself more kindly, the way a loving friend might. The person might learn to say, 'Things didn't go well today, but I learned a lot from the experience, and I'll do better tomorrow.' Instead of negative labels like 'jerk', the pessimist would learn to say, 'Sometimes I'm not as considerate as I'd like to be, but overall, I'm a kind person.'
'My recommendation is to do something pleasurable that will distract you from your troubles'
My other advice for overcoming pessimism is not to ruminate about bad events that happen to you, at least not immediately afterwards. If your boss fires you or you fail an important exam, my recommendation is to do something pleasurable that will distract you from your troubles. I recommend fun distractions because studies show, if you think about problems in a negative frame of mind, you come up with fewer solutions. And you're likely to spiral into deeper depression. By boosting mood and self-esteem, people with pessimistic tendencies can break that cycle and free themselves to think more creatively.It takes most people a few weeks to get the knack, but once the technique is learned, the less likely they are to relapse. That's well documented.

A 'pathologically optimistic' genius

'Mozart was almost pathologically optimistic'
A psychological analysis of Mozart's correspondence shows that he was almost pathologically optimistic, with an exuberant self-confidence. Optimistic people who suffer setbacks tend to attribute them to external causes that are temporary and can be changed. Writing in The Psychologist, Professor Andrew Steptoe of St George's Hospital Medical School says that towards the end of Mozart's short life, when he suffered the deaths of four children, serious illnesses and repeated professional and financial disasters, his optimism actually rose.
This last paragraph is based on an item by Jeremy Laurance in The Times.

Saturday, December 10, 2011

10 Reasons  Why You’re Tired
  1. You’re under-stressed.  We all know stress can lead to fatigue, but research shows being too laid back can also make you tired. In short bursts, stress not only stimulates you, it helps boost your immune system. Try an acidity that takes you out of your comfort zone.
  2. You’re buzzed.  Researchers in Sweden found using a mobile phone an hour before your bed may interfere with sleep pattern and lead to less time in deeper sleep stages. “Keep electronic gadgets out of the bedroom.” Says associate professor Delwyn Bartlett, from the Woolcock institute’s sleep and circadian group.
  3. You’re dehydrated. Dehydration reduces your blood volume, making your heart work  harder so you feel tired. Dr Simon Floreani, chiropractors association of Australia president , says you should drink 30 ml of water a day for every kilo you weigh.
  4. You’re out of balance. “when your body is out of balance it puts stress on isolated areas.” Says Allan Mourad, director of the wellness club. ‘this places pressure on organs such as liver and kidneys, which cn be draining.” So make sure your lifestyle is healthy.
  5. Your liver is lack lustre. Scientist and Naturopath analysis course says an under-functioning liver could be responsible for unexplained exhaustion. “the liver is the main detoxifying organ in our body. If it’s overwhelmed or working incorrectly, your body will feel sluggish,achy, and lethargic.” Food liver foods include artichokes, beetroot, broccoli, garlic and onion.
  6. You lack vitamin C. “ vitamin C is critical when you are fatigued as a reluslt of prolonged stress, illness or surgery,” Course says. “adrenal glands generally support  us in times of stress, but they need vitamin C to keep fatigue at bay.” The recommended daily intake for adults is45 milligrams ( up to 60 mg when pregnant, and 85 mg  while breastfeeding) good sources include apples, broccoli, berries, asparagus, cabbage cauliflower, watermelon, citrus fruits, kiwifruit, fortified foods, dark leafy greens and tomatoes.  For  example,eat one banana(10.3mg) one apple(12 mg)and one tomato(25 mg) a day.
  7. You need magnesium.  “Low magnesium levels are one to fht most overlooked nutrient deficiencies and often result in symptoms similar to chronic fatigue syndrome,” Course says, “Magnesium becomes depleted by excess alcohol and the oral contraceptive pill.” Adults need 320 to 420mg per day. Try 6 brazil nuts (107mg) 100 grams of tuna (64mg), a cup of plain yoghurt(42mg) half acup of broccoli (16mg) one cob of corn(31mg) and a cup of greenbeans(99g). 
  8. Your alarm clock is wrong. “Having the same waking time each day is more important than the time you go to bed, as it communicates the end of your sleep cycle to your brain and body,”   Professor Bartlet says. This is why sleeping in for more than an hour on the weekend can mak you feel jet-lagged. The perfect waking time? According to our research , 7:22am is ideal.
  9. Your thyroid is under-active.  Your thyroid sets your metabolic rate, (the rate at which you burn food). If you are tired, sensitive to cold, forgetful, and have gained weight, see your doctor for a thyroid test.
  10. You’re exercising too much. Personal trainer Pete Tansley says: “Exercise releases seretonin and adenine, which help regulate sleep rhythms.”  Too little exercise and you miss out on these. But too much, particularly  at night, can lead to higher stress levels.  “exercise elevates the stress hormone cortisol, leaving you tired,” Tansley says.  “Stay clear of alcohol after exercise and have a routine to set your body up for sleep.

          for more information go to:  http://www.grasselhypnotherapy.com.au/

     I have lost my notes as to the original author of this article. If you are the author, please advise and I will give you full credit.