Pessimism, the inclination to expect the worst, can not only make you a bummer at parties, it can keep you from having enough energy to even go to the party.
A terrible spiral
When everything around you seems to be going in the toilet, and you cannot see things changing, your body responds by powering-down. Sleep seems the best defense for a world gone awry. You will not sleep if your body is awake and charged with possibility so it naturally produces fewer endorphins. With fewer endorphins (the chemical in our bodies that make us feel happy) it is more difficult to find reasons for happiness. So you see, pessimism and fatigue go hand in hand. One feeds the other and before you know it, even getting out of bed takes too much energy, which makes you more pessimistic about life in general. This is indeed a terrible downward spiral. One many people live with day after day.
Breaking the spiral
I certainly understand not everyone will respond to these suggestions; heaven knows the Psychological community would experience a massive downturn in patients if one suggestion worked for everyone. With that disclaimer made; the most effective way to break the downward spiral of pessimism and fatigue is to recognize one, just one, thing about your day that went well when you expected otherwise. Recognize this event; write it down in a journal, put it on a post-it note on your mirror, write it in the dust on your dresser. It doesn’t matter how you recognize this turn of events, what is important is to recognize it in the first place. At first this may look like “My car didn’t break down today (but it probably will tomorrow.”) The next day it might look like “Well, another day and my car is still running, but it has to sometime.” In just a few days, if you are honest with yourself, you might find yourself writing “I am happy I got the car fixed, I may not have to walk to work in the rain.”
Changing how you think
This is the key to minimizing pessimism and its resulting fatigue in your life. One thought at a time. Believing something good is possible and then receive the possible into your life. Read Think, Believe, Receive for more invigorating ideas.
