When you hear the word optimism, what comes to mind? Does it resonate as a tried-and-true life practice? Or perhaps it sounds too Pollyanna-ish for your taste. Essentially, optimism is hopefulness about the future—a general belief that things will work out in your favor. Whether you are a devoted practitioner or devout skeptic, you’ve likely asked yourself at least once, “Does optimism produce actual life benefits or is it just feel-good fluff?” A new study has provided evidence that cultivating optimism might be worthwhile. According to the paper, which was published last month in the journal Emotion, optimism appears to be particularly useful when tackling challenges or approaching situations that could elicit high levels of stress. Researchers Heather Lench and Zari Carpenter explored the benefits of optimism using two separate studies. In the first study, more than 1,000 undergraduates completed a survey two weeks before taking their first psychology exam, assessing …