Do you feel low?

If you are told to judge yourself, will you call yourself an optimist or a pessimist? If your thoughts circle around negative outcomes, you automatically focus on the negative aspects of life and anticipate something worst is going to be happen, then most likely you are a pessimist!

Pessimism is a mental attitude, and guess what? Yes, you can gradually overcome this attitude! Many well-known researchers and philosophers published many ways of it.

Here I will share with you some useful ways to kill your negativism:

1. Keep optimist companions. We are greatly influenced by our surroundings; you will see the change yourself soon!

2. Try to find out positivity in each incident and in every human being. Believe me, there are positive qualities everywhere!

3. Work on your self-esteem. Write the negative beliefs about yourself in a paper and destroy that after you are done. You will feel better once you are regularly on to it!

4. Challenge your negative thoughts! Ask yourself, "am I really right?" or "am I overestimating?".

5. Stop comparing and finding others flaws. It will not take you anywhere. Focus on the gifts you have in life rather than what you do not have.

6. Start the day with a positive thought and a piece of good work.

7.  Do not emphasise on the problem, focus on solutions. Seek help and information from proper sources if you cannot solve it alone.

8. Admit your own faults but do not blame yourself for everything. You are a human, not a robot that can end everything always perfectly.

9. Do not regret over past too much. You cannot change your past, but can modify the present and future.

10. Practice self-care. Take care of your sleep and diet patterns. Exercise every day for 30 minutes. You will feel much better.

The main obstacle during overcoming pessimism is in our mind. Finding optimistic views are precious for self, because – "What consumes your mind, controls your life."

The author is the Lead Consultant Psychiatrist and Managing Director of LifeSpring Limited, a community-based mental health institute. E-mail: kushal@lifespringweb.com