How to Cope with Feelings of Hopelessness

How do we persevere or move forward when our life circumstances look hopeless? …when loved ones are struggling with illness and recovery seems frustratingly slow…when you listen or read the news only to discover increasing human suffering or economic headaches…when the world seems to be filled with more and more uncertainties?

Trying to “whistle a merry tune” just doesn’t make it! The power of positive thinking has limits. Covering up or ignoring the bad things in life doesn’t resolve the despair that continues to hover under the surface.

When experiencing deep-seated feelings of hopelessness, recognition and acceptance are the first steps to coping. Realizing that many negative things happen that may be beyond our personal control can be infuriating, sad, discouraging, or depressing. Allowing ourselves to experience the normal reactions to disheartening or deplorable situations gives us the opportunity to grieve. Grieving and embracing our present pain can help us move to another level of coping.

Acceptance can lead us to understanding what we can and cannot control and then acting on the part that we can control. We may not be able to speed our loved one’s recovery process, but we can find ways to comfort them along the way. We may not be able to eliminate human suffering, but we can take actions that will help. We can spread kindness when interacting with others and look for ways to have a positive impact in the lives of friends, neighbors, or anyone we meet. We can engage in meaningful activities volunteering at a food bank, supporting a political issue, donating blood, etc. Doing something to make a difference in someone else’s life also makes a difference in our own. By acting with intentional kindness enables us to have some control over our own lives no matter what is going on around us.

First accepting our own frustration and then directing it into meaningful action, can give us a sense of hope. And our actions can in turn give hope to others!