Hope plays a crucial role in positive mental wellbeing
Hope plays a crucial role in positive mental wellbeing; hopeful people are less likely to experience depression and anxiety, and more likely to actively participate in their own recovery when they do face mental health challenges. Having a strong sense of hope also builds resilience, and makes it easier to cope with life’s challenges.
Hope makes such a difference to our mental wellbeing because it gives us a sense of purpose, something to look forward to and work towards. If you have hope, you’re more likely to set goals and work towards achieving them, which means you’re creating more positive change in your own life.
We might think of hope as a feeling, but it’s also a mindset which you can build and sustain through positive actions. When you have hope you can see the possibility of good things in your future, but you also have belief in yourself that you can take steps to bring those good things about. Hope is a catalyst to taking positive action.
When someone is experiencing depression or suicidal thoughts, it could feel harder to cultivate hope - some may even resist hopeful thinking, because it feels too difficult.
It is possible for anyone to cultivate hope. It may help to seek support from people you trust to work through some of the actions below.
You might make a list of things each day you feel grateful for, or make an effort to thank others and express your gratitude when they do something kind for you. Regularly practising gratitude can make it easier to recognise all the good things we have in our lives.
When you know what you’re passionate about, you can set yourself goals and work towards achieving them. When we're working on something we care about, we’re more likely to feel motivated and to make greater progress. All of this builds our self-confidence, and in turn creates hope.
Reflect on things you’ve achieved in your life (big or small!), and let yourself feel proud. By recognising our strengths and feeling confidence in ourselves, we’re cultivating hope that we can take action toward a positive life.
If you’re feeling anxiety or fear, try to reflect on the emotion and what might be causing it. Is there anything you could do to directly address the issue? It might be that the anxiety or fear is not rational, in which case you might try the ‘Opposite Action’ exercise found in Dialectical Behavioural Therapy. Taking a step to resolve or manage your own fear can build a stronger sense of hope.
Hope doesn’t just have to be an individual practice. You could build it together with friends and whānau by taking positive action for your community. Connecting with people who have a hopeful attitude toward life is a powerful way to build and sustain hope.
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