368: How To Create A Positive Mindset (Even If You Have A Negative Outlook Right Now) w/ Dr. Sue Varma

The Healthy Skin Show

There is power in having a positive mindset, even if you have a negative perspective right now.
No, I’m not talking about toxic positivity, which encourages people to always look on the bright side (often ignoring or glossing over loss, pain, grief, etc.).
I’m talking about practical optimism, a concept I learned about from the book Practical Optimism by Dr. Sue Varma.
Practical optimism is a way to change your mindset that holds space for negative feelings and experiences, while equipping you with skills to deal with what you are facing and even possibly turn your challenges into opportunities.
This may seem impossible, especially if you are dealing with mental health challenges as a result of debilitating chronic skin rashes. But I encourage you to give this episode a listen with an open mind!
Joining me to discuss this concept and how to develop a positive mindset is Dr. Sue Varma who is a distinguished psychiatrist and cognitive behavioral therapist based in New York City. With over two decades of private practice experience, she has made significant contributions to the field of mental health, including serving as the pioneering Medical Director and Psychiatrist for the esteemed 9/11 mental health program at NYU for which she was awarded the Mayoral Proclamation. She’s also the author of the book Practical Optimism: The Art, Science, and Practice of Exceptional Well-Being.
In This Episode:

• The devastating situation where Dr. Varma discovered optimism
• Are optimism and a positive mindset genetic?
• Toxic positivity practical optimism
• Pessimism vs skepticism: what's the difference?
• Which personality type are you?
• The eight pillars of practical optimism
• How to change your mindset even if you feel like you are “broken”
• How to know if you're emotionally dysregulated
• Benefits of committing to therapy

Quotes
“A lot of times people dismiss optimism as a variety of things. It's woo-woo thinking, it's pollyannaish, it's very naive, it's toxic positivity, or it's something you're either born with or not. So why do we bother studying it? And what I found instead was that optimism, yes, there is a genetic component, but the reality is that only 25% of it is genetic. Seventy-five percent of it is learned.”
“Practical optimism…says, ‘I invite space for your loss and your grief, but I'm also going to equip you with skills that will help you deal with what you're facing right now, but also in the future, and help you prevent some of the bad things that might be coming your way.’”
Links
Find Dr. Varma online | Instagram
Get Dr. Varma’s book Practical Optimism HERE!
Healthy Skin Show ep. 131: Mindset: What To Do When Nothing Seems To Help Your Rashes
Healthy Skin Show ep. 361: How To Change Your Mindset (So Your Skin Doesn’t Control Your Mood) w/ Brad Bizjack

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Luvut

1. Introduction (00:00:00)

2. The devastating situation where Dr. Varma discovered optimism (00:03:40)

3. Are optimism and a positive mindset genetic? (00:05:22)

4. Toxic positivity vs. practical optimism for mental health (00:06:49)

5. Pessimism vs skepticism: what's the difference? (00:11:02)

6. Which personality type are you? (00:13:59)

7. The eight pillars of practical optimism to help improve mental health (00:20:08)

8. How to change your mindset even if you feel like you are “broken” (00:28:37)

9. How to know if you're emotionally dysregulated (00:34:44)

10. Mental health benefits of committing to therapy (00:37:15)

11. Final thoughts (00:46:22)