It's often impossible to know what life will throw your way, so change and transition can be hard to cope with for a lot of people. Hopefully the information we've gathered can help!

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An external locus of control is the perception that chance or outside forces beyond our personal control determine our fate. Those who experienced PTSD symptoms have a higher tendency to have this perception. An internal locus of control, or the belief of free will, is the perception that we control our own fate. This is seen more in those who acted more independently, enjoyed better health, and felt less depressed than those with an external locus. Those with this type of control, such as military or business leaders with high willpower, exhibited less obesity, lower blood pressure, and less distress at age 30. They also showed better performance and productivity, enjoyed making decisions, favored punishing rule breakers, and opposed behavior-restricting government regulations. When it comes to handling unexpected changes, having a mindset that aligns with an internal locus of control will help you focus on yourself and stay away from negative states of mind.

Learned helplessness is the hopelessness and passive resignation an animal or person learns when  they're unable to avoid repeated aversive events. When we perceive a loss of control, we become more vulnerable to stress and ill health. Nursing home elderlies with little perceived control over their activities declined in health faster and died sooner that those given more control. Pessimists tend to have external loci of control, and attribute their poor performance to a basic lack of ability that can't be helped. Avoiding this type of perspective will allow people to be proactive and not blame other factors for their situation. Contrarily, optimists have more control, cope better with stressful events, and have overall better health (less fatigue, fewer coughs, aches, and pains).

Studies demonstrated that nurses with top scoring optimism were 30% less likely to have died than those in bottom 25%. Optimism is largely based on genetics. The genetic marker of optimism is a gene that enhances the social-bonding hormone oxytocin, which is released by cuddling, massages, and breast-feeding. However, this does not mean those who are born without this gene need to live viewing the world in an unsatisfactory way. Pessimists in skill-building groups can learn ways of seeing bright side of difficult situations and viewing their goals as achievable, leading to lower reported levels of depression.

 

Furthermore, Close relationships and social support have predicted happiness and health in both collectivist and individualist cultures. Forming these can have a significant positive impact, as long as the quality of the relationships are genuine. Social isolation’s association with risk of death is equivalent to smoking. In addition, support programs can empower those of mental or emotional disturbance and change environments that breed loneliness. This can renew fragile family ties,  and harness positive psychology interventions to enhance human flourishing.