Maybe you've heard the saying "happiness is a choice" or "believing can be achieved", and it seems that with a positive mindset, most difficulties will be solved. But psychology tells us that things are not so simple.
Positive thinking can lead to good results, but sometimes it can also backfire and feel worse. In different situations, everyone has their own delicate balance between choosing the positive and accepting the negative.
Psychologists have found that the way we process information depends on how we feel. And, when you're frustrated, your brain tries harder to analyze the world around you in detail, as it tries to figure out the best way to deal with your negative feelings of brokenness.
Studies have found that negative emotions enhance the brain's system processing capacity. In other words, pessimism can help you form firmer, more persuasive arguments and help you distinguish between fact and fiction.
At the same time, pessimism can also improve memory. Studies have found that when you're in a good mood, your brain doesn't take the time to distinguish between important information and extraneous details. That's why I can't remember anything.
Negativity can also help you avoid making mistakes. Because dealing with all the worst-case scenarios will make you work harder to avoid those potential pitfalls.
These statements do not encourage people to indulge in grief and deal with everything with negative emotions.
Positive thinking is still necessary.
In a 2015 study that examined brain imaging results in 67 people, it was found that self-affirmation, based on participants' values, activated the reward centers of their brains, and this positive emotion motivated them to change their behavior in the future.
The researchers also found that the effectiveness of positive thinking depends on individual factors. Such as your level of anxiety, personality, cultural background and belief system, and the coping mechanisms you have.
Studies have found that positive self-statements can be counterproductive for people with low self-esteem. Conversely, positive self-statements can be effective for people with high self-esteem.
Positive thinking almost never works for defensive pessimists. These people think too much about everything and imagine everything that could go wrong in a situation.
Doesn't sound like you're talking about you in front of the screen?
However, you are not alone. Psychologists estimate that up to 30% of people may be defensive pessimists.
Many studies have found that imagining all the worst-case scenarios is the preferred response for defensive pessimists, and it is even worse if it is ruled out.
Negative thoughts make them less likely to feel depressed when they experience something bad, such as the death of a friend, because they have to spend more time coping with the worst-case scenario.
Their pessimistic attitude also helps motivate them to take control of the situation and even boosts their confidence, even though it may seem weird. But when they are forced to be optimistic, they perform much worse.
So for some people, it's actually better to always see the dark side of life than to see a glimmer of hope.
As with most things, there isn't any universal strategy to raise your self-esteem level or deal with all the terrible things that come your way in life.
By now, you should already know what kind of coping is right for you.
If you don't feel like it's useful to force yourself to think positively and optimistically, forget it.
If repeatedly saying "I'm a great person" gives you confidence and joy, go for it.