Half Full

Hello all! I’m Maggie and I’m here as a guest writer to generate conversations revolving around psychology. I am Rachel’s younger sister who advocates for women in STEM as well as mental health and the stigma that accompanies it. I recently graduated with my Bachelor’s degree in psychology and a part of the Psi Chi psychology honors society. I plan to go forth and pursue a Master’s degree. I’m here to share my insight and experience with psychological constructs and the research that connects it.

I’m so sore that I can hardly make it up the stairs, but I love it. I prioritize and make time for a workout at least 4-5 days out of the week. Some days I have to nag myself to go downstairs to get my workout in, but in the end I always know that it’ll be worth it. This is often my hour to increase my energy, release stressors, and replace them with endorphins. This is how I keep an upbeat and positive attitude about the day ahead of me.

Currently, the COVID-19 pandemic has taken everyone by storm and placed each one of us into positions we may or may not enjoy. The circumstances of this pandemic has affected the way we think, feel, and function. It’s important to recognize that this series of events has taken away things we once took for granted and may have caused us to feel a sense of loss towards having control over aspects in our lives.

I recognize that everyone’s situation is different and it’s hard to make a point blank statement about mental health and well being when there’s so many individual differences and life events that separate each and every one of us. I’m not going to sit here and drone on about doing a face mask and deeming it as ‘self-care’, but it’s noteworthy to discuss our well-being. Given the 30 day challenge that has been wrapping up, I wanted to explore the possible changes that can be adopted through a few of these practices. 

The practice that’s important is the battle between optimism and pessimism. These two different dialectic mindsets may influence us more than we think. Optimism regularly refers to having a positive outlook on the future, while pessimism refers to adopting a negatively charged outlook on future events (Barnett & Anderson, 2020). We often see these two outlooks in individuals and the language they utilize when discussing views that revolve around future events.

For example, being asked about the outcome of this pandemic one can look at it as having a devastating effect on social gatherings with no hope in sight in returning to normal activities, but someone else may suggest that the pandemic is pushing individuals to come together to discover a cure and beat the odds to resurge as a thriving community. As noted, these two outlooks differentiate in language and the views of the pandemic. It has also been suggested that adopting a more pessimistic view on future events may be related to mental health and physical health (Barnett & Anderson, 2020).

So, why is this important? This could suggest that a negative outlook may have negative consequences in our mental health as well as physical health. If we sit here and dwell on the negative outcomes of every future oriented event then one may start adopting those views into the perception of self-esteem and caring about physical health. (i.e. ‘why should I workout if it’s just going to make me sore tomorrow? Or ‘why should I get out of bed today when there’s nothing to accomplish?’).

Mindset is critical and in a few exercises given in the 30-day challenge have prompted us to create a more optimistic outlook on things (i.e. ‘describe your future self, showing gratitude, & cheering someone on’). This forces us to push all the negative events or mindsets we may be dealing with and to switch views towards more positive spotlights on ourselves or others. Especially when dealing with future outcomes, these practices hopefully sparked a realization of creating a more positive viewpoint within.

As humans, we also feel the need to create and retain connections with those we surround ourselves with. We are able to easily tell someone positive things that we see about themselves, but we often find it hard to pick out positive things that we see in ourselves. Is it because we feel like it’s wrong to give ourselves the praise we deserve? Or does it feel wrong to devote that positivity to yourself? Whatever is causing the cognitive dissonance, tells us that we need to do better at appreciating our qualities that we bring to the table.

Thus, the 30-day challenge brings to light to learn more about ourselves and look into the morals we stand by or appreciate (i.e. ‘share your favorite podcast, your favorite picture of yourself, and your happiest memory’). These exercises aid in affirming that it is okay to appreciate these things and to share what we appreciate about ourselves with others. We need to give ourselves the time of day and the positivity we deserve just like we find the time to give it to those around us.

Outside of my workouts, I find myself making time for small mindful moments that are overlooked. When I sit down to pet or play with my cat, it sparks a form of joy that lets me feel thankful for what I'm doing in that specific moment. Remind yourself to stay grounded and stay positive regardless of what events are going on around you

- Maggie



References

Barnett, M. D., & Anderson, E. A. (2020). The glass is not half empty: Optimism, pessimism, and health among older adults. International Psychogeriatrics, 32(1), 135–139. https://doi.org/10.1017/S1041610219000498