Optimism is just what the doctor ordered. But what if I’m already too negative?

Prince Bhojwani never considered himself a negative person until three trips to the hospital in a month forced him to reconsider.

Before May 2018, he was a healthy but chronically worried start-up founder who regularly went on 20-mile bike rides. When he suddenly could barely walk, with his vision blurred and his blood pressure rising, emergency room doctors suspected a stroke but were unable to pinpoint the cause of his illness.

A close friend, however – “one of the most optimistic people I know,” he said – pointed out that Bhojwani often lacked faith that things would work out and suggested that this led to his burnout.

“I started seeing the world very differently literally the next day,” said Bhojwani, who lives in New York City. He I started meditating and taking a moment every morning to feel grateful to be alive. He also found purpose by co-founding a nonprofit, Asana Voices, a South Asian advocacy organization.

Since then, he has not had any similar health crises despite working longer hours. He credits his new positive outlook.

“After there was a life-changing event in my life, it forced me to be optimistic,” he said. “I can’t even imagine living life the way I did back then.”

Optimism itself is not a panacea, but numerous studies over the decades have demonstrated a link between a positive outlook and good health outcomes.

Experts say a standard for measuring someone’s relative optimism has long been the 10 questions Life Orientation Test Revisedpublished in 1994. (Sample question: On a scale of 1 to 5, respondents are asked to what extent they agree with the statement: “In times of uncertainty, I usually hope for the best”?)

Generally, optimism is defined as the “expectation that good things will happen, or believing that the future will be favorable because we can control important outcomes,” said Hayami Koga, a postdoctoral researcher at Harvard’s Center for Population and Development Studies.

She was the lead author of a 2022 study that found optimism associated with longer service life and a greater chance of living beyond age 90. In another study, published in May in JAMA Psychiatry, she and other researchers said that optimists generally maintained better physical functioning as they aged. They looked at 5,930 postmenopausal women over a 6-year period.

“We know that people who are more optimistic are more likely to live a healthier life, with healthier habits, with a healthier diet and with more exercise,” said Koga.

Some people are born more optimistic, but it can also definitely be learned, said Sue Varma, clinical assistant professor of psychiatry at New York University and author of “Practical Optimism: The Art, Science, and Practice of Exceptional Well-Being.”

Optimism training, she said, can improve life satisfaction and decrease anxiety.

“Even if you weren’t born with this natural disposition to anticipate favorable outcomes and see the glass as half full, there are skills you can learn,” Varma said.

Start by looking at how you deal with uncertainty, she said. Do you tend to worry? Assume the worst?

Try to reframe your thoughts in an objective way. “Is there a silver lining? Is this a problem to be solved or a truth to be accepted?” said Varma, noting that his book is based on the work of Martin Seligman, one of the fathers of positive psychology.

Try to imagine the best possible outcome and a step-by-step path to get there. Varma asks his clients to describe in detail the path to problem resolution and encourages them to build on their success.

“So you’re already approaching your day and your life as if things have worked out,” she said. “And you tend to be more proactive, more positive, more resilient and more dynamic in the face of obstacles.”

Finding a sense of purpose can also help. Volunteering would be beneficial, but for those who can’t find the time, Varma suggested trying to rework their role at work to better align with their interests. This could be as simple as a very sociable person organizing outings with co-workers.

Trying to master a skill, whether it’s a sport, a musical instrument, a language, or a hobby like knitting or chess, can help keep you from ruminating on negative possibilities.

Even with these and other interventions, changing mindsets is not easy, Varma noted. But practice helps.

“It’s a set of tools, it’s a mindset,” she said. “I have to practice this every day in my mind.”

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Albert Stumm writes about food, travel and well-being. Find his work at