Whether your glass is half full or half empty, everyone could use a little more positivity in their life. Nobody enjoys being around that person. You know the person I’m talking about – the one who is constantly complaining about how it is going to be impossible to finish their homework, or the person who never seems to not be grumpy. By adjusting the way you think about the minor setbacks, you may improve your physical and social life, along with your mental well-being and more.

Everyone has gotten a bad grade in school before, and there are plenty more to come. Next time, instead of thinking to yourself, “the teacher must have entered this into e-school wrong,” or “I can’t take honors anymore, I need to drop down to an easier class,” just take a moment to relax and realize that there will be plenty of other opportunities to improve that grade. I know this sounds cliche, but learn from your mistakes. People who have more of a dogged mindset are going to do better in performance-based and academic environments since they aren’t going to abandon a goal when they hit their first obstacle.

As humans, we are not drawn to negative people. It’s just not part of our nature to try to converse with someone who is clearly not interested or displays a scowl on their face. Consequently, we are drawn to happy and friendly people. Optimism is contagious- if you are always happy, then your friends will pick up on this, and you will all be loads more fun to be around. On the other hand, pessimism is also contagious. Don’t be the person who spreads the negative emotions around, because it will make all of our days a lot worse. Instead, try to be the person who makes everyone laugh, because you never know who may need that extra touch of positivity.

In addition, having a forward-looking mindset will make your days more enjoyable and will also improve your physical health. According to a study conducted by the Harvard School of Public Health, those who see the good in life are also less likely to have breaks in their cardiovascular health, and are less prone to have a stroke. I mean, think about it. By not focusing on the bad things in your life, you will be less stressed. This major stress relief is going to benefit your body physically and mentally.

Problem-solving: a skill we all need. Optimists are 10 times better at problem-solving, since they won’t be frazzled, and they will handle the problem coolly and in a collected manner. If you don’t take the problem too seriously, you will be motivated to settle it efficiently and calmly.

Do me a favor: the next time an obstacle comes in the way of a goal, look at the bright side of the situation. Start by doing this once a day, and it will slowly build up to a habit. And the next thing you know it, you will be living a happier and healthier life.

Opinion articles written by staff members represent their personal views. The opinions expressed do not necessarily represent WSPN as a publication.