Last week, I had a lengthy conversation with a Chairman's Club producer who talked about being "down in the dumps".

In tough markets such as the one we've seen this year, maintaining a positive mindset can be a huge challenge. What with depressed markets, bad news on the economy, apocalyptic newspaper headlines creating anxious client and pressure on our own bottom line, there are days when staying upbeat can seem overwhelmingly difficult.

For advisors, nothing is more important than staying positive and appropriately optimistic - not only does it enable you to stay productive and to get through your day doing what's needed, it greatly increases the chances that interactions with clients and prospects will be successful. If clients sense that you're tentative, uncertain or verging on depression, you have next to no chance that your meetings and phone calls will have the desired outcomes. Clients don't want an advisor with a perpetual "the sun will be out tomorrow" stance - you need to be credible in how you present your advice - but they do want to deal with someone who makes them feel better after a conversation, not worse.

Anyone can stay positive in good times - it's periods like this one that set apart those with true resiliency and mental toughness. Here are six strategies to help stay positive and upbeat and to maintain a sense of "balanced optimism".

1. Consider starting your day with exercise. The research is conclusive - even 20 to 30 minutes of brisk exercise at the start of the day raises your metabolism and can help lift your spirits.

2. Don't ignore the role of fresh air and sunlight. Schedule ten minute morning and mid afternoon breaks to step outside and fill your lungs with fresh air (or as fresh as the air happens to be where you work) - just be sure to avoid the smokers. And consider incorporating a fifteen minute walk into your luncheon routine - this will be especially beneficial as we move to warmer weather.

3. Work on keeping a balanced perspective on the positives versus the negatives in today's market. You may want to consider putting together a balance sheet, with all the causes for concern on the left hand side, all the reasons for optimism on the right - and in some cases using this as a tool to talk to clients about market prospects.

4. Get organized. Few things sap our energy more than feeling out of control. Invest the time at the beginning of each week to lay out your highest priority activities for the week ahead.

5. Don't beat yourself up mentally - we all fall short of accomplishing everything we set out to do. Begin each day by writing down the three most important things to do and tick them off as they happen. Every morning, write down a list of ten clients or prospects you need to talk to; as you speak to each one, put a line through their name with a yellow highlighter - it's remarkable how good a page full of yellow lines at the end of the day can make you feel.

6. Finally, avoid toxic colleagues. We all know people who are perpetual voices of doom and gloom, capable of finding the bad news in any situation. Regrettably, this kind of negative sentiment is as contagious as any flu - if you happen to work with someone who fits this description, make it a point to minimize contact with them; you're not going to change them and they'll only bring you down. Simultaneously, resolve to spend time with those who give out positive vibes.

However we do it, for many of us keeping an optimistic frame of mind is Job One - maintaining a positive mindset could be critical in helping us navigate through the challenging environment in which we find ourselves.