Episode #35: Optimism: How Full is Your Glass?

Summary: On this episode of the ACT to Live podcast, Jaime and Scott discuss the commonly asked question - “Are you a glass half-full or a glass half-empty kind of person?” The two talk about the term optimism and make the realization that ‘being optimistic’ does not mean being happy all the time. Instead, being optimistic actually describes how a person views, thinks about, and responds to a challenging situation. Scott and Jaime then wrap up the episode by talking about some of the brain science that exists connected to optimism and creating a brand new word!  ACTion Event of the Week: Identify something in your life that you feel pessimistic about. Then, think about one step you could take, connected to this thing, in order to ‘practivate’ (practice + cultivate) a more optimistic mindset. On our next episode of ACT to Live, we’ll talk about the importance of connection - just in time for Thanksgiving! So Come On, Let’s Take a Walk! References  Hooper, E. (2017). Look on the Brightside: The Science of Optimism. HealthyPsych.  https://healthypsych.com/the-science-of-optimism/#:~:text=Optimism%20is%20correlated%20with%20better%20mental%20health.&text=Another%20study%20found%20that%20new,levels%20of%20depression%20among%20caregivers. Gaines, J. & Babble, B. (2012). The Neuroscience of Optimism: An MRI study Reveals an Optimistic Brain. Psychology Today.  https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/brain-babble/201208/the-neuroscience-optimism Sharot. T. (2011). The Optimism Bias. Time Magazine.  http://content.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,2074067-2,00.html