Christmas came early this year, as retailers ran holiday campaigns from October. This was their way of coping with supply chain disruptions, but it took on the appearance of a spontaneous outpouring of joy.

Gap and House of Fraser heralded a season of togetherness. John Lewis and Boots evoked the magic of giving. And Lego invited viewers to ‘Rebuild the world’.

These campaigns are far more upbeat than their 2020 counterparts. Back then, brands like Aldi, Coca-Cola and Amazon came out with tales of adversity.

Yes, advertisers have returned to their usual optimistic selves. They know it, quite literally, pays to be positive. Customers will spend money with any brand that can legitimately promise a better tomorrow.

And optimism can work wonders for you, too. Show people the silver lining and they can’t help but like you. It’s science! When researchers asked 248 test subjects to read descriptions of people with a range of personality types, most found the optimists more socially attractive.*

All of which is to say, if you’re asking for a favour, pump up the positivity in your writing. But don’t copy the style of Christmas ads. When Sports Direct says ‘Go all out this Christmas’, it sounds like a highly motivational life coach. It’s the perfect tone for a tagline, but too bossy for an email.

So, how can you infuse your writing with gentle rays of sunshine?

Use adventurous adjectives. Describing something as ‘good’ or ‘great’ won’t cut it. They’re lazy claims that could be used in any context. Genuine compliments are specific. For instance, ‘The TED talk was unforgettable; real insects were released into the audience.’

Avoid absolutes. While pessimists deal in absolutes, optimists see more possibilities. They use ‘often’ and ‘sometimes’ instead of ‘never’ and ‘always’. In this way, optimists don’t limit the thinking of those around them. When something’s ‘improbable’ rather than ‘impossible’, it’s almost worth a try.

Don’t dwell on problems. When things go wrong, people can get stuck. They describe painful problems without thinking of solutions – asking rhetorical questions like, ‘Why aren’t we winning contracts like our competitors?’ Snap them out of it by talking confidently about specific actions: ‘Our next sales meeting is in three days. And we have as good a chance of winning the contract as anyone. So let’s talk about our pitch. What needs to change?’

Celebrate the people around you. Say ‘thank you’ more often in your emails. Optimists see the best in people and recognise when they’ve had help. You can even use these moments of gratitude to set up a compliment. Try something like, ‘Thanks for giving feedback on my report. No one else knows this industry like you do.’

Find the good in the bad. Use positive language even when you’re having difficult conversations. For example, when optimists want to change someone’s behaviour, they say, ‘I like it when you X’ rather than ‘Don’t do Z’.

Unsurprisingly, the best way to write with optimism consistently is to actually feel it.

The attitude comes naturally to most, but there’s hope for even the most miserable scribbler. A study in the Journal of Behaviour Therapy and Experimental Psychiatry found it’s possible to change your mindset with a simple exercise.

For five minutes each day, imagine your best possible self. This usually means writing a description of a bright future, a future in which you’ve found personal and professional success.

Within a couple of weeks, you’ll start becoming more optimistic. And, as your mindset changes, so will your emails. Quite a result for an hour or so of journaling.

Changing a brand’s tone of voice is a tricker business. It takes time and planning, but we know it can be done. In fact, we’re positive.