When is the last time you felt hopeful? Hope can be defined as “a feeling of desire and expectation for a positive outcome” (www.Merriam-Webster.com ). When we hope, we believe that something good is going to happen. When is the last time you anticipated something good happening?
With everything that is going on in the world, hope can feel out of reach. Gas prices are soaring, we are currently at war with Iran and the cost of food and housing continues to rise. Anxiety disorders have seen an uptick since 2020. We are still feeling the effects of COVID not only emotionally, but mentally. And, school test scores show that our youth continue to fall behind, especially in math and reading.
With so much negative news, how do we carve out hope? When clients come in struggling to find hope, I often encourage them to start with two simple things—control and gratitude. Everything in our lives can be divided into two categories—what we can and cannot control. I cannot control the price of food, but I can control what I purchase and choose to put into my body. I cannot control whether or not we go to war, but I can control how much news I consume–which in turn affects my mental health.
If you are feeling hopeless, start with focusing on what you can control. Put your energy there and make positive choices that engender peace. Two simple things we control are our attitude and how we treat others. Maintaining a positive attitude and treating others with kindness do wonders for instilling hope.
Second is gratitude. Practicing gratitude disciplines your mind to focus on the good and celebrate it. You will find whatever you look for. And you will feel the result of it. If you look for the negative, you will always find it and if you look for the positive, the same is true. Spend time noticing the positive and feeling grateful for it.
Focusing on control and gratitude help us find hope in difficult times. However, if you have been feeling down for two weeks or more, you may be depressed. If you are feeling helpless or hopeless more days than not each month you may have major depression. We can help. Whether you are struggling to find hope or dealing with depression or anxiety, our trained and seasoned Hernando counselors are here to help. We would be honored to walk alongside you on your path to healing. There is hope. Please call 662-506-3836 today to make an appointment.
