Explore the eight pillars of "Practical Optimism." The book delves into purpose, emotional processing, and problem-solving - backed by science for enhanced well-being.
www.webmd.com/balance/video/s...
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[MUSIC PLAYING] JOHN WHYTE Hi, I'm Dr. John Whyte, the Chief Medical Officer of WebMD.
Are you a glass half full or half empty type of person? Does it really matter?
In a world often clouded by uncertainty and challenges, how important is it to hold on to optimism? Can a positive outlook genuinely impact our well-being and our mental health?
Joining me today is Dr. Sue Varma. She's a clinical Assistant Professor of Psychiatry at NYU Langone Health, and has a new book out entitled, Practical Optimism-- The Art, Science, and Practice of Exceptional Well-Being. In her book-- which I thoroughly enjoyed-- Dr. Varma offers a unique blend of scientific understanding and actionable advice.
Dr. Varma, thanks for joining me today.
SUE VARMA Thank you so much for having me. Really appreciate it, Dr. John.
JOHN WHYTE It's great to see you. And as I said, I really enjoyed your book, and you bringing in science, as well as practical advice. But I got to start off with, what inspired you to write this book?
SUE VARMA Thank you so much for the positive feedback. I have been thinking about happiness and wellness for a long time. And I have to say, I got distracted because in medical school, all we learn about is disease and pathology and the treatment of illness. And it wasn't until my work after residency, I was recruited to be the medical director of the 9/11 Mental Health program. And in that program, it wasn't until then that I really became fascinated by the idea of resilience.
So that was one of the big influencers and also, my own journey to therapy. And so things in my own life, blind spots, brought me to therapy. And what I loved about therapy was how certain types of therapy-- cognitive behavioral therapy, for instance-- was very actionable.
So when I was looking at my patients some years later, and I was putting together what I learned-- treating trauma, the big T. Life-threatening. All the loss of life and health that day-- is that what is it about some people that are just naturally, more resilient? And for those of us who may not be, what can we learn from them?
And that's when I sort of started the second phase of my career, which went beyond treating illness, was promoting wellness and promoting wellness in a way that all of us can have agency and access to tools. And that's what practical optimism is about. It's not just, a positive outlook. It's teaching people how to turn positive outlooks into positive outcomes through actions and skills that we can all tap into.
JOHN WHYTE Many of us haven't heard that term, practical optimism, so tell us a little more, what that is. And how do you apply it to everyday life?
SUE VARMA Yes. So practical optimism is a skill set, an action set, a mindset, a tool set so that in times of need, you're able to do certain things. You're able to regulate your emotions when in the midst of crisis. You're able to ask for help. You're able to develop confidence in your abilities. You're able to problem solve in a way where you're not pulled down by rumination, thoughts about the past, thoughts about the future.
A lot of times people ask me, what's the difference between toxic positivity, woowoo thinking, and optimism? And optimism, those of us who are naturally born are naturally having access to being able to look at the most favorable outcome out of any outcome. A pessimist, not so much. And practical optimists are in between in the sense that they have some of the good qualities of what pessimism brings, which is pessimists are actually more realistic, and are actually more accurate in their assessment of a situation. However, their pessimism prevents them from acting. They get paralyzed in some of their fears.
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