Pessimistic yet positive
Mixed feelings are okay as this strange year ends
Do you find yourself in tears one minute and elated the next? Does the following pattern of the day feel familiar? In the morning the doom scrolling of bad news fills your cup with pessimism. Some mornings you find it hard to leave the house. Yet in the afternoon you positively stride out on your daily walk with a bounce in your stride.
Mixed and contrasting feelings are okay. It’s okay not to be okay is the strapline of a mental health charity here in the Highlands of Scotland, called Mikey’s line. I remind myself of this line regularly recently. A little bit of pessimism is probably a good thing, but too much of it can be bad for our health. Pessimism is linked with heart disease and other illnesses. Similarly, we all know folks who are seemingly positive all the time, often conveying a sense of falseness or unsustainability.
Here are my thoughts on staying positive whilst feeling pessimistic in these changing and uncertain times.
Pessimism
I am struggling to remain optimistic. The evidence I read feeds the dread which sits deep within me heavy like a slag heap. This feeling has been steadily creeping in for some time. The more the ice melts the larger my inner slag heap grows. There is a painful inevitability behind my personal pessimism which is linked to our collective future decline. And ultimately to our end as a human race. When I am feeling pessimistic, our end as a species feels more certain. The scientific evidence creates a compelling case for positive change in reversing the climatic chaos. My inner pessimistic self just knows this is not going to happen. Every day politicians of all colours reinforce this. Pessimism, like the tide, is steadily on the rise.
Positive action
Suzi, my daughter, and I dug a large hole in our lawn this autumn. A wildlife pond quickly formed. Within 24 hours a dragonfly hovered above, rewarding our positive environmental action. Being the micro change we want to see, felt satisfying beyond measure.
I am about to turn my compost heap again. The heap is a collective representation of all the small recycling food actions taken this year. Keeping eggshells, coffee grounds and vegetable scrapings. Gathering leaves and pruning fruit and veg plants on the plot. The compost is literally my life’s compost. A year of environmental action physically sifted through my fingers. It smells and feels great. I am looking forward to turning the hot heap this winter.
It is these positive actions that keep me going, keep me sane. Yes, pessimism continues like a slow flood overnight. But it is offset by the daily positive actions I habitually enjoy and look forward to.
Three steps to staying positive
Am I optimistic about the future? No, I still struggle with that.
Am I able to stay positive in light of all the terrible news? Yes, I can. You can too with these simple strategies:
- Identify pessimistic thoughts. Acknowledge them but don't feed them. Like noisy dogs on the beach, they will soon be gone.
- Find something which brings you joy. It could be turning your compost heap or sitting in the sun with a coffee. Get outside. Slow down, stop and appreciate nature around you. What do you notice? What brings you joy in this moment?
- Write down the positive actions you took today. Despite feeling pessimistic you can still take positive action. Write these down every day. No positive action can be too small. Tweet them if you want to or just keep them in a diary next to the bed. By reminding yourself of your positive actions, however big or small, you will be supporting yourself to keep things in perspective.
And if you know someone who is feeling pessimistic and is struggling, reach out to talk to them. Many folks are going through difficult times as this year comes to an end. It is important they know you are there for them. Knowing someone cares and will be your backup is sometimes enough. You can give them other sources of help too like Mikey’s line. Take some time today to find your local mental health charity. We are all likely to need them at some point.
So I am pessimistic yet positive. And actually, that is okay.
Onwards to another day friends.
