Silver Linings Playbook
Women's Health US|November - December 2024
You can learn how to become more optimistic, no matter your starting point.
Addison Aloian
Silver Linings Playbook

So, you're running late to work because you overslept (thanks for nothing, alarm clock!) and hit every single red light on your morning commute. You finally reach your destination, only to have a bird poop on you-no joke-as you walk through the door. Then you stub your toe mid-sprint to an important meeting with your boss (ya know, the thing you're already late for).

Ugh, just my luck, you think. Of course this would happen to me; stuff like this always happens to me.

Sound frustratingly familiar? If you often feel trailed by a personal, perpetual rain cloud, you might be a pessimist-i.e., someone who tends to have a negative outlook on life. Optimists, meanwhile, have a knack for finding the silver lining. They expect the best possible outcome in the face of uncertainty, says psychiatrist Sue Varma, MD, author of Practical Optimism: The Art, Science, and Practice of Exceptional Well-Being.

For better or worse, where you fall on the optimism-pessimism spectrum is at least partially out of your control. Only about 25 percent of optimism is genetic, meaning you inherit a natural tendency to see the glass as half-full or half-empty, according to Dr. Varma. However, other experts say more research needs to be done before the nature vs. nurture debate is settled; neuroscientist Claudia Aguirre, PhD, a Women's Health advisory board member, says it's still unknown just how much genes factor into optimism.

While experts agree that both nature and nurture play a role, the "nurture [component], with respect to optimism, is far more important than nature," says Ellen Langer, PhD, a psychology professor at Harvard University.

Esta historia es de la edición November - December 2024 de Women's Health US.

Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 9,000 revistas y periódicos.

Esta historia es de la edición November - December 2024 de Women's Health US.

Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 9,000 revistas y periódicos.

MÁS HISTORIAS DE WOMEN'S HEALTH USVer todo
Silver Linings Playbook
Women's Health US

Silver Linings Playbook

You can learn how to become more optimistic, no matter your starting point.

time-read
6 minutos  |
November - December 2024
THE RISE of the GENTLE C-SECTION
Women's Health US

THE RISE of the GENTLE C-SECTION

How a new surgical practice is transforming women's childbirth experience

time-read
4 minutos  |
November - December 2024
The Next Health Tech Revolution Is Here
Women's Health US

The Next Health Tech Revolution Is Here

From smart watches to tracking apps, devices are providing valuable insights.

time-read
7 minutos  |
November - December 2024
Planting New Roots
Women's Health US

Planting New Roots

Six late-bloomer lesbians\" share their stories of how they learned to live—and love—authentically.

time-read
8 minutos  |
November - December 2024
GROWING FORWARD
Women's Health US

GROWING FORWARD

Country singer KELSEA BALLERINI is working harder than ever to shake (and remake) old patterns that no longer serve her. Here, she opens up about her intentional journey and shares her mental health musts.

time-read
7 minutos  |
November - December 2024
"Learning to Ski at 57 Helped Me Embrace Uncertainty"
Women's Health US

"Learning to Ski at 57 Helped Me Embrace Uncertainty"

Tackling something new-and terrifying was exactly what one freshly single midlifer needed.

time-read
6 minutos  |
November - December 2024
Grain Gains
Women's Health US

Grain Gains

This cozy quinoa salad paired with juicy chicken thighs clocks nearly 50 grams of protein.

time-read
1 min  |
November - December 2024
Healthy Eats, Delivered
Women's Health US

Healthy Eats, Delivered

It might be possible to say soodbye to grocery stores forever. But should you? yee

time-read
4 minutos  |
November - December 2024
Shower Power
Women's Health US

Shower Power

How one writer improved her mental health by connecting with her body

time-read
4 minutos  |
November - December 2024
Scent Solutions
Women's Health US

Scent Solutions

What was once a taboo subject-body odor-is now a convo more and more people are happily having.

time-read
4 minutos  |
November - December 2024