Five ways pessimism is sabotaging your life.
Many negative people are oblivious to their impact on the people around them – and frankly, they may not care. But what may help them change
their ways is realizing that their negativity is also costing them
money, friendships, health and even longevity. Here are five ways
negativity and pessimism can sabotage your life:
1.Negativity is killing you – literally.
Multiple research studies show that pessimists lives on average are 5 – 9 years shorter than optimists. With lifestyle and environmental factors being the same,
those who are most optimistic live significantly longer than those who
are most pessimistic. Neurologically, negative emotions actually show
up differently on brain scans than neutral and positive emotions.
2.It’s also making you sick.
Pessimists generally have weaker immune systems, are more likely to catch colds, and develop heart disease.
3.You’ll have fewer friends.
This is an obvious one, but because people often just stop interacting with the negative person rather than telling him why, the negative person often doesn’t understand why he has
a hard time developing deep friendships. Instead, he becomes more
negative, frustrated at not getting what he deeply desires in
friendships and relationships.
4.Negativity kills happiness.
Positive people tend to express gratitude, “look on the bright side,” and have more fun – all of which boost positive emotion. Positive emotion is proven to have a host of
benefits. People with more positive emotion are more likely to get
promoted, increase their income, and find contentment.
5.Negativity makes it harder to bounce back from setbacks.
Sometimes life drops a bombshell – a layoff, financial crisis, divorce or a health challenge. If you’re a pessimist, it’s much harder to bounce back.
The pessimist gets stuck in the unfairness of it all and feels sorry for
herself. She sees everything that has gone wrong without seeing the
opportunity for growth and a comeback. She’s more likely to be angry,
resentful and bitter. When you face a setback, you need strength and
energy to bounce back. That means seeing the possibilities for a better
future and mustering the courage to forge ahead.
Posted By: DAVID JOHNSON
Wednesday, August 11th 2010 at 1:36AM
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