Hopeless is a difficult mindset to be in. Contrary to what some may think, this kind of feeling doesn’t just happen to those who are clinically depressed. It can happen to anyone.
More and more young people are reportedly feeling stuck in life, depressed or hopeless. According to a Harvard Youth Poll, 51% of young Americans (aged 18-29) said in their poll that they have felt down, depressed or hopeless.
What Is Hopelessness?
Hopelessness is an intense emotion characterized by a lack of hope and optimism. Someone who is feeling hopeless often becomes increasingly isolated, losing interest in activities and passions that once made them happy.
There are several causes that can trigger feelings of hopelessness. Below are some examples:
- sudden major changes in life
- losing a loved one
- losing a job
- being diagnosed with a terminal illness
- ending a relationship
- pandemic and other health crises
- mental illness
- hormonal imbalance
You don’t necessarily need to experience a life-changing moment to feel sad or hopeless. Sometimes, this can also be triggered by small things. Hopelessness can hit you suddenly, even if your life seems to be going fine.
If you are currently in a place where you feel hopeless, know that you are not alone. Many people have gone through the same situation and have survived it. Also, know that there are several things you can do to combat this feeling.
Here are eight things you can do to fight the feeling of hopelessness and make your life a little bit better:
1. Stop unhealthy social media comparison.
Social media has completely distorted our society’s views of how life should look. We are constantly bombarded with filtered images of travel, shopping, flawless selfies, crazy adventures and more. It is not surprising that many individuals feel depressed after browsing their social media feeds.
Seeing other people, especially friends, post perfectly curated photos of lavish travels and lifestyles can make anyone feel like they are not living up to society’s standards of success. But, in truth, most of these people are just like you. They don’t always go on crazy travel adventures. The average person spends most of their time doing mundane tasks like driving, working, eating, doing house chores, running errands, etc. So, don’t compare your life to a curated feed, because chances are high that their offline lives look a lot similar to yours.
2. Celebrate your little wins.
Successes don’t always have to be major. You don’t need to achieve grand things or change the world to celebrate yourself. Little wins matter. These can be simple things like getting out of bed, replying to emails, taking a walk outside or talking to other people. These little things matter because they are little seeds that eventually make up an amazing life.
It is important to track your little wins to remind yourself that you are progressing. Use a handy app like Tally to track absolutely anything — from your workouts to pain symptoms and more. This app is completely customizable, so you can use it however you want.
3. Realize that your mind can be lying to you.
When you are feeling hopeless, you may also be thinking about negative thoughts. It can be hard to stay positive when you have nagging thoughts that make you feel worthless and horrible. But, here’s an important thing to keep in mind — your brain can be lying to you.
Our brain’s cognitive behaviors aren’t entirely accurate. There are times that it can make assumptions rooted in feelings or fears. Personal biases, life experiences, traumas, and other external factors also affect the conclusions our brains create.
“I am feeling pathetic right now, which means I’m a pathetic person.” This is one example of a negative thought fueled by emotion. To fight off these destructive thoughts, remember that your feelings are transient. Try to step aside from your emotions and tell yourself that your feelings do not define who you are.
4. Be more physically active.
Pushing yourself to workout can be the hardest thing, when all you want to do is stay in bed all day. But, physical activity has been proven to improve mood and reduce anxiety. Exercise is an all-natural treatment for depression and feelings of “being stuck.”
“For some people, it works as well as antidepressants, although exercise alone is not enough for someone with severe depression,” according to Harvard psychiatry professor Dr. Michael Craig Miller.
Don’t overwhelm yourself with tough exercise regimens just yet. Start small and work your way through. Even just 5-10 minutes of walking outside can do wonders for your mental health. Consistent exercise will help regulate your mood.
5. Practice gratitude.
Many studies have proven that practicing gratitude improves both physical and psychological health. Those who make a conscious effort to count their blessings instead of focusing on the bad will have greater life satisfaction.
Practicing gratitude is a healthy habit that anyone can do. You don’t even need expensive gadgets or tools for this. To make gratitude tracking fun and easy, download the Grateful app to get you started on your journey. You can write simple notes to track what made you smile, what keeps you going, and more. You can also add photos to make your grateful moments more memorable.
Cultivating gratitude can help you get out of an emotional rut and remind you of all the positive things in your life. There are so many things to be grateful for, you just have to know where to look.
6. Set a long-term plan and slowly take action.
One of the reasons people feel hopeless is because they feel that they have reached a plateau or dead end. This is, of course, not true. Even the biggest problems can be solved. Maybe not immediately but things will definitely get better with time, as long as you take action.
Draw out a long-term plan and slowly take actionable steps to reach your goals. Don’t pressure yourself in solving all of your problems right away. Small steps in the right direction will help you get motivated to keep going.
7. Talk to a trusted friend or family member.
Airing out your grievances always helps in releasing tension. Bottling up your emotions will just make things worse. Just make sure that you are talking with a trusted friend or family member, who is willing to hold space and listen compassionately.
Opening up your feelings to someone who doesn’t have the emotional capacity to understand you could potentially harm your mental health even more. So, carefully choose people who you know will support you.
8. Seek professional help.
If you don’t have people around you that you can trust, you can also seek out a support group or community. Like-minded people who have gone through similar situations will be able to better understand you and give you much-needed advice.
Talking might not always be enough; you may even need medication and therapy to help you out. Consider getting help from a mental health professional, who is better equipped to treat you.
Remember that mental health issues are treatable. With the right mindset and action plan, you are well on your way to getting better.
