Find a Healthy Dose of Hope

With a healthy dose of hope, people can power through stress, feel empowered to chase their dreams, and find a beacon of light when the going gets tough. Research has shown that hopeful patients heal faster and hopeful employees are more satisfied with their jobs. Conversely, people who aren’t hopeful often feel sluggish and have little motivation and energy. So how can you amp up the hope in your life? Read on! Seek mastery: Obtaining mastery provides a sense of empowerment and purpose, instilling a sense of hope. Expand your skill set by imagining what you want to achieve and make plans to reach those goals. Write down steps you need to follow to get the results you seek. Find role models: If you suffer from a sense of hopelessness, find people who have overcome similar situations to yours. Learn from their experiences. Surround yourself with others who can help you through particularly trying times. If you don’t know anyone personally, check projecthopeexchange.com for support. Evaluate options: Feeling trapped can stifle hope. During those times when you feel stuck, think about how you’ve handled similar situations in the past or how similar strategies from different situations can help you with this particular issue. Make a plan…even a few steps you can take right now can give you something concrete to focus on. Give hope to others: Perform small acts of kindness. By doing so, you offer hope to others, and this can help boost your mood and outlook on life … and increase your feelings of hope in the process. The positive effects of acts of kindness build on each other, so make this a part of your daily routine instead of following a one-and-done approach.