“Optimism is the faith that leads to achievement. Nothing can be done without hope and confidence.”

– Helen Kellar, Optimism

As per the Cambridge dictionary, optimism refers “the quality of being full of hope and emphasizing the good parts of a situation, or a belief that something good will happen.” Optimism helps people to maintain a productive mindset and take actionable steps even during challenging times. Maintaining a positive outlook is one of the key mantras of achieving success.

Life is not easy. It inadvertently throws us a curveball at times when we least expect it. We often find ourselves off balance from time to time. When the dark cloud of negativity engulfs us, it is up to us to find the silver lining and get back in the game of life. Having an optimistic attitude helps us increase our productivity, enhances our motivation, helps us recover from any illness, improves our relationships, and makes us self-reliant.

We have to agree that it is not always easy to remain optimistic in the face of challenges. There are times when we feel it is easier to just give up instead of trudging on. It is during these times we need to actively work on being optimistic.

Let us have a look at some of the strategies that can help us cultivate optimism during challenging times.

Welcome Challenges as Growth Opportunities

We all face challenges, but we don’t have to let them define us. Instead, we can learn to welcome them, as they shape who we are—depending on how we respond to them. This shift in mindset can give us a deep sense of optimism because, in a way, we’ve been preparing for these moments our entire life.

How does that work?

Our goal in life should be to become the best version of ourselves. This is what brings us—and the world around us—true joy. It’s important to understand that this doesn’t mean acquiring wealth, possessions, or a prestigious career. What truly matters is our character and our soul.

Why stay optimistic during challenges? Because we can always choose to be good human beings. In fact, these hard moments are the perfect opportunities to prove this to ourselves. The ancient Stoics would welcome these moments, seeing them as necessary tests of virtue.

When struggling to stay positive, we can focus on our strengths and the support around us. Believe me, I’ve had my share of difficult times, but looking back, I can see they helped me grow more than any period of comfort ever did. It was during these moments that I learned the most about myself. Now, when facing adversity, I remind myself: this is my classroom. It’s time to pay attention—and the subject is me.

Another benefit of this mindset is that it reminds us everything will pass. We need to be cautious about labeling things as good or bad in the moment because we rarely know how events will unfold. What matters most is making sure we come through with our character and soul intact.

Stoicism offers many practices to help maintain this outlook. One is negative visualization, where you imagine the worst-case scenario and how you would handle it. Just a quick reminder: don’t dwell on this too much—it’s a tool, not a trap.

Above all, remember: you are stronger than you think. Whatever comes your way, you can handle it. Welcome it, and you may even greet it with a quiet smile, knowing your test has arrived—and you are ready.

As Seneca wrote: “You are unfortunate in my judgment, for you have never been unfortunate. You have passed through life with no antagonist; no one will know what you were capable of, not even yourself.”

Benny Voncken, Stoic Life Coach, Motivational Speaker, Podcast Host, Via Stoica

Transform Problems Into Stepping Stones

Personal, professional, or global challenges can severely test our resolve to stay positive. In my experience as a psychologist, I have witnessed the process of building optimism, even under tough times, as a protective resilience factor that enhances mental health. Here are ways to maintain optimism and some tracks for those who find it a struggle to stay positive:

To be positive does not mean to wear blinders. It only means to look at it from another view. Ask yourself these questions: What have I learned from this situation? How have I grown from it? Opportunities can be created through challenges that allow seeing them as growth experiences so that meaning is found in suffering.

Sadness or feeling overwhelmed are okay emotions. Stuffing feelings may impede the progress and acknowledgment needed to move on. Allow yourself to feel, but do not let that feeling define you. 

When challenges feel too heavy to bear, carry out your duties for today, or if it becomes too heavy, then for just that hour. Divide tasks into smaller bits so that you will not feel paralyzed.

You do not need to tackle life’s challenges by yourself. Call on your friends, family, or even a therapist to be there for you emotionally. Express your struggles. It makes a big difference in lightening the load.  

Generally speaking, there is an advantage to be had from something in tough times—whether it’s building character, learning some new skill, or giving a greater understanding or appreciation for what really matters. Train yourself to hunt for these silver linings.

Scientific research maintains a direct relationship between optimism and better health that has physiological, mental, and emotional manifestations, including survivalism. Optimists view and approach issues, seek social support, and retain hope when the going gets tough. The best part? Optimism is not an inherent trait; it can be trained and learned. 

To have hope in darkness does not pretend that the troubles don’t exist. It is deciding to hold on to hope; it is about focusing on what you can control and seeking out meaning in the part of the struggle. Reaching out if you have difficulty being positive is okay—take it day by day. How you respond to problems stands between you and your best life. In time, with self-compassion and having worked at it, you will build a hope-fueled, resilient stance.

Shebna N Osanmoh, Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner, Savantcare

Reframe Setbacks as Detours

It’s a common question, isn’t it? How to keep that spark alive when things get tough. I’ve found a lot of it comes down to reframing. Instead of seeing a roadblock as a dead end, I try to see it as a detour, an unexpected turn that might lead to something even better. It’s about training your mind to look for the silver lining, even when it’s just a tiny glint. You’ve got to practice gratitude, too. Take a moment each day to appreciate the good stuff, no matter how small. It’s amazing how much that can shift your perspective.

Here’s what you need to know, you can’t ignore the tough stuff. It’s okay to feel down, to acknowledge the challenges. But don’t let those feelings take over. Find healthy ways to process them, whether it’s through talking to someone, journaling, or just taking some time for yourself. What’s more, remember that setbacks aren’t failures. They are learning opportunities. Each time you face a challenge, you come out a little stronger, a little wiser. Focus on your strengths, celebrate your wins, and surround yourself with people who lift you up. It’s about building a toolkit of positive habits that you can rely on when the going gets rough.

Cindy Cavoto, Founder, CindyCavoto.com

Adopt a Growth and Experimentation Mindset

As an ADHD business coach who works with entrepreneurs daily, this is something we tackle constantly.

I’ve found that the most powerful mindset shift isn’t just about “staying positive” in some vague way, it’s instead about combining a growth mindset with what I call an “experimentation mindset.”

With a growth mindset, you believe challenges are opportunities to develop. But the experimentation mindset takes this further! It makes problem-solving enjoyable. Instead of thinking, “This didn’t work, I’m a failure,” you think, “This didn’t work, what should I try next?” The process of experimenting becomes genuinely interesting rather than frustrating.

What I love about this approach is that you don’t have to force positivity. When you’re genuinely curious about finding solutions (which ADHD people like myself generally are), and see each attempt as data rather than a failure, optimism emerges naturally from the process itself.

For anyone struggling right now, I’d suggest reframing your challenges as experiments. Ask yourself: “What could I learn from this?” and “What’s another approach I could try?” This shifts you from feeling stuck to feeling engaged in an interesting puzzle that’s worth solving.

Phil Drinkwater, Founder, Phil Drinkwater Coaching

Select Where to Allocate Your Energy

Optimism in caregiving isn’t denying difficulties; it’s selecting where to allocate your energy. Guilt, exhaustion, and stress are unavoidable, but minute changes in frame of mind can prevent them from becoming overpowering. Acknowledge what lies within your power, i.e., the ability to establish boundaries, seek support, or change routine.

Shifting to positive thoughts alters mindset. Instead of saying to yourself, “I am disappointing my parent,” ask, “What is one thing I showed up with today?” This discourages guilt and encourages self-compassion. Gratitude practice is equally potent. Observing small moments—a shared smile, a good conversation—instills resilience and prevents emotional exhaustion.

Loneliness exacerbates stress. Caregivers need connection, whether through support groups, therapy, or open discussions with friends. Talking openly about challenges makes the experience seem less unusual and brings relief. A strong support network helps you ground and engage more easily, even in the most stressful moments.

Dr. Barbara Sparacino, Founder, The Aging Parent Coach

Define and Resolve Negative Emotions

The first thing I tell clients is to stop trying to be positive. Negative emotions aren’t just obstacles—they’re signals. They might be telling you to change something, pay attention, or address a misalignment in your life. But when you fight them, you waste energy resisting instead of resolving. The only way to move through them is to define them—name them, put edges around them, understand what they’re really about—and feel them. Because once you do, you can either solve them or finally let them go.

Kimberley Thiel, Coach, Writer, Speaker, Courageously Independent

Manage Perspective Through Reframing

We often believe changing our circumstances will make us more positive, but I’ve found maintaining optimism during challenges is really a matter of perspective. Here are three, related ways to manage perspective. First, I rely on the following framework: this is all happening FOR me—for my growth, for my development, for my ultimate self-realization. My personal belief in the Universe, Love, the Divine, Magic, “the Big Good Thing,” as Frances Hodgson Burnett called it in “The Secret Garden,” or whatever you want to call it if you so choose, certainly supports that framework but I don’t think it’s necessary. Simply a knowing that by some ridiculously precise set of circumstances, you are here and alive and part of the ever-evolving world, connected to every other part, is enough. 

Holding this framework to be true automatically puts things in a more positive light. It also makes reframing easier, which is the second tool and probably best shared with an example. Suppose I am going through a divorce and there are kids involved. I am feeling stressed because I won’t have the time to which I’ve grown accustomed with my children. I might instead think about how I now have more time for myself, more space to handle everyday tasks allowing me to be a better mother, and that I could have a far worse helping hand than the children’s father. 

Reframing the situation in this way, such that the facts remain true but my perception of them changes, leaves me feeling less resistant and more at peace. The last tool is to intentionally choose positive words and affirmative statements. A client once shared, “I want less toxic relationships.” I invited her, instead, to think about “building more beautiful relationships.” This simple shift in language changed her energy and put her in a more positive frame of mind. While the two perspectives seem similar, and can even result in similar actions at times, the intentions behind them couldn’t be more opposed. One perspective positions you to fight against something undesired. The other positions you to move toward something desired. 

In the end, the trajectories and destinations are completely different. These tools, though by no means exhaustive, are effective, work well in tandem, and can shift perspective, and therefore life, dramatically with practice and consistency. Ultimately, the choice to be resilient in the face of life’s inevitable challenges, is exactly that: a choice. Choose wisely.

April Clay, Creator, Life and Lovely Things, LLC