Three Keys to Connecting with Hope
Connecting with hope oftentimes means recovering lost faith in a specific thing or situation. This isn’t an easy thing to do. However, it’s important to try our best to regain it since it’s very difficult to start projects without it. We need hope in order to enjoy life and grow. Remember that hope is, in fact, one of our biggest life guides. It helps us go toward the path we want to go. Without it, it’s very easy to get carried away and lose ourselves in the way.
Hopeless emotional states tend to be perpetuated in the individual. It’s easy to feel listless, discouraged, and live life crestfallen. You’re actually the one who, with the help of will and personal abilities, will have to take on the challenge of changing that emotional state. Begin to take action as soon as you realize that this state is doing nothing but harm you. Be bold and ready to see things differently.
What makes us lose hope?
There are many factors that make us lose hope. For example, the death of a loved one, a permanent separation, failing exams, among others. In these situations, our lack of control, resources, or aptitudes is mainly what makes us lose hope. What puts an end to our hope is the feeling that we don’t have enough resources to face a specific challenge. Sometimes, we may feel as if something inside of us is going to go wrong, which will lead us to fail terribly.
Connecting with hope is essential when looking to accomplish goals. Imagine not having faith in yourself and what you do – how are you going to achieve your dreams? As we previously mentioned, negative emotional states, for some reason, tend to last longer than positive ones. If we don’t do anything to change our perspective, it’s likely we’ll have to face psychological, as well as physiological, consequences. Remember: the mind is everything.
This, in turn, can greatly affect our interpersonal relationships. Nobody likes to constantly be around a negative person. If someone from your circle tries to cheer you up and encourage you to believe in yourself, the worst thing you could do is reject them. In the end, they’ll get tired and end up distancing themselves from you. Take advantage of the help people offer you.
Lastly, many people lose hope because of fear. The formula may vary, some may be more complicated than others, but the truth is that fear is a common component. Something we recommend is to ask yourself if that fear is actually plausible or if it’s irrational. Would the world end if you couldn’t get what you wanted? Is that specific goal the only thing that matters to you? Is your fear bigger than your dreams?
Keys to connecting with hope
Connecting with hope may be easier said than done, especially if the person constantly keeps a negative outlook on things. It’s important not to follow the path of self-destruction and try to recognize cognitive bias if you really want to get better.
Learn to prioritize
Having a good scale of priorities can help you accept failure in a healthier way. That way, what you don’t give excessive importance to won’t condition your emotional state to a great extent. It’s good to evaluate how realistic your goals and fears are so that the possibility of an error doesn’t frustrate you as much. Having this clear will for sure motivate you to pursue something that may seem out of reach at the moment.
Surround yourself with positive people
We previously mentioned how awful it is for most people to be around negative individuals. This goes both ways. What would happen to a negative person if they only surround themselves with even more negativity? That, for sure, is a deadly combination. It may rain or hail, but in the context of a positive emotional state, the plant of hope will be much stronger in the face of failures or impossibilities.
Regain control
Connecting with hope after being submerged in a well of pessimism won’t be possible without self-control. When we feel hopeless, we often get this huge temptation to let ourselves be carried away by chance. We no longer take matters into our own hands due to our immense fear. The common question that accompanies this mindset is “Why try so hard if when we always get the same awful result?” Thus, the feeling of not having anything under control translates into unease. In those moments, it’s important to remember that, in reality, we are still in control of a good part of what happens to us.
Beyond these steps
Now, you may be clear of the importance of the keys mentioned above. However, you may not know how to put them into practice. We repeat: connecting with hope is easier said than done. In the end, this also depends on the person. Anyway, here are some simple and useful exercises that can make it easier to connect with hope:
- Fight laziness. As attractive as laziness may seem, it contributes to frustration. Just as we feel good when we succumb to it, we feel guilty for falling into its trap.
- Write down your goals. Writing down what you want to do can motivate you to keep moving forward. Keeping a diary or an agenda are other great ways to organize your life and, therefore, your thoughts.
- Connect with nature. Nature is an amazing escape we all can turn to. It helps to disconnect ourselves from our bad thoughts and focus on the positive.
- Listen to positive music. Music is subjective. What may be positive for me may not be positive for you. This exercise is all about you focusing on your favorite music and letting yourself go. Use it as a healing tool. Pay attention to the lyrics. Choose something that makes you feel motivated.
- Exercise your body. Exercising doesn’t only affect the body but also the mind. It helps you release endorphins and dopamine, which make us feel better and happier. Remember tip number one if you’re feeling too down to exercise and focus on the long-term results. As a matter of fact, working out can greatly boost your mood.
- Rest. As lack of exercise negatively affects our mood, so does lack of sleep. Not getting enough rest can make your mind and body slow down, which is the opposite of what you’re looking for.
In short, connecting with hope isn’t about changing your personality, nor about reaching impossible goals. It’s about caring for both your physical and mental health and avoiding the temptation to feed negative emotional states.