The odds are stacked against you. There is one bad news on top of another. If your life gets better, you hear of atrocities in the news that make you scared. This is on top of a global pandemic. And you hear yourself questioning how can I see the silver lining?
Hope springs eternal
Admittedly, it is not easy having an optimistic outlook. One can even argue that it is actually easier to be cynical and jaded, rather than trying to have a sunny disposition.
Hope also is considered an aspirational and fictional emotion. A folly, hope is taken as an antithesis of pragmatism. This is why so many people are anything but hopeful.
However, hope is not just an expression to appease the crowd, but it is backed by scientific data that attest to its effectiveness as well. Also preached by Best Psychologist in Karachi, it is imperative that we inculcate hope.
Benefits of hope
Hope breeds resilience
Hope should not be confused with delusion. Hope is recognizing that there is a problem and that you can work to resolve it. It thus makes people more capable of dealing with adverse conditions.
People who are hopeful also try to see the good and take home the positive even in the aftermath of a traumatic event. This characteristic is also imperative for breeding resilience, as the adage also goes, ‘what does not kill you, makes you stronger.’
Better coping
Hopeful people are better able to recover from adverse events that transpire in their life. They see it as a growth, learning experience, and identify the positives from it. Their hope makes them strong and gives them fuel for battling the problem in the future as well.
Optimism and motivation
Another great benefit of hope is that it breeds an optimistic outlook. Even when the challenge is big, people who are hopeful think they have a chance at conquering it, and thus they work towards achieving it.
On the other hand, hopeless people tend to throw in the towel much quicker, thinking that the hurdle is far too big for them to surpass.
Helps people gain control
Hope also alludes to the fact that there is a positive outcome from your situation, and you have control over getting to the point.
So, for example, a student who may be failing a course may hope to make it through by doing well in their final, may very well achieve it.
How to become hopeful?
Many of us do recognize the benefits of hope but find it very hard to become hopeful. The realists especially have a hard time. However, you can become more hopeful by:
Laughing
Laughter is the best medicine, for becoming hopeful as well. It helps the body get rid of stress and other negative emotions, thereby making sufficient room for hope to settle in.
Create Goals
Try to create specific future goals so that you have a clear vision. Then, think of ways for reaching that goal. The more pathways you create, the more hope you generate of making it towards the goal.
Listen to others’ stories
Listening to other people’s tales of triumph in the face of adversity is also a great way to be more hopeful. It helps with the realization that if things happened for others, they can for you too.
Inspirational stories also help you get out of your closed-off mind and get into the world of possibilities.
Therapy
Negative emotions like sadness, anxiety, etc. can leech hope. Your cynicism may also be a result of some trauma. It may thus help to contact a Psychologist in Islamabad who can help you improve your outlook for the better.
