How to Overcome Feelings of Hopelessness
Understand hopelessness., Recognize hopeless thoughts and statements., Identify where your feelings are coming from., Adjust your view of happiness., Find something to appreciate., Find one thing you can change.
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Understand hopelessness.
Before you can break the cycle of any negative emotion or feeling, it is important to understand what the term means.
Hopelessness is an emotion which is typically characterized by a lack of hope, optimism, and passion.
A person who is experiencing the emotion of hopelessness will often have no expectation that their future will improve or get better.
A person who is feeling hopeless may also have low-self esteem, low self-worth, feelings of powerlessness, have increases in isolating behaviors, and feelings of helplessness.
A person who is feeling hopeless may exhibit moods that are dark and low.
They may also lose interest in prior activities, events, people or objects they once found enjoyment in, or they may not value things which were important to them before.
Hopelessness is very closely linked to poor mental, cognitive, emotional, and physical health. -
Step 2: Recognize hopeless thoughts and statements.
It’s important to recognize when you or someone around you is feeling hopeless.
Some examples of hopeless thoughts you may have, or statements you may hear a friend or loved one who is experiencing feelings of hopelessness make, are:
There is no future for me.
It will never get better.
No one and nothing will be able to help me.
I’ve already given up.
I am a lost cause.
I have no hope.
I will never be happy again. , Realize that your feelings of hopelessness may be a symptom of other mental health concerns that may not have been addressed.
Additionally, the feelings of hopelessness could also be a result of feeling discouraged, dissatisfied, distressed, or experiencing negative events.
Take stock of your life, and think about whether a particular situation is causing you to feel hopeless.Loneliness, chronic illness, and low self-esteem are just a few of the common causes of hopelessness.
Hopelessness is also listed as a symptom for several behavioral and mental health concerns, such as major depressive disorder, anxiety, PTSD, bipolar disorder, substance dependence, and suicidal ideations. , Examine your current assumptions about happiness.
Ask yourself whether you’re waiting for a new job, a significant other, or some other external influence to make you happy.
If so, try shifting your focus to yourself instead.
Realize that you don’t need anything outside yourself to feel content with your life.Inner happiness can’t come from outer sources.
If you aren’t happy now, you won’t be happy when your circumstances change for the better, either. , Even if you feel miserable today, look for something that you can enjoy.
It doesn’t have to be big.
Insignificant things that you might take for granted are often the easiest to enjoy when you’re feeling hopeless.For example, you could take a moment to appreciate the free coffee at work or the wildflowers growing along the side of the road. , Making changes in your life can improve your outlook, but when you’re stuck in the depths of hopelessness, it’s not easy to take action.
Start small by identifying just one thing you can do to improve your life.
It doesn’t have to be a big change, just something you can do on a regular basis.For instance, maybe you could wash your dishes right away after you cook, apply to one job every day, or start going to bed before midnight.
Hopelessness thrives on the idea that nothing will ever change.
Challenging this belief will help you start to feel better. -
Step 3: Identify where your feelings are coming from.
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Step 4: Adjust your view of happiness.
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Step 5: Find something to appreciate.
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Step 6: Find one thing you can change.
Detailed Guide
Before you can break the cycle of any negative emotion or feeling, it is important to understand what the term means.
Hopelessness is an emotion which is typically characterized by a lack of hope, optimism, and passion.
A person who is experiencing the emotion of hopelessness will often have no expectation that their future will improve or get better.
A person who is feeling hopeless may also have low-self esteem, low self-worth, feelings of powerlessness, have increases in isolating behaviors, and feelings of helplessness.
A person who is feeling hopeless may exhibit moods that are dark and low.
They may also lose interest in prior activities, events, people or objects they once found enjoyment in, or they may not value things which were important to them before.
Hopelessness is very closely linked to poor mental, cognitive, emotional, and physical health.
It’s important to recognize when you or someone around you is feeling hopeless.
Some examples of hopeless thoughts you may have, or statements you may hear a friend or loved one who is experiencing feelings of hopelessness make, are:
There is no future for me.
It will never get better.
No one and nothing will be able to help me.
I’ve already given up.
I am a lost cause.
I have no hope.
I will never be happy again. , Realize that your feelings of hopelessness may be a symptom of other mental health concerns that may not have been addressed.
Additionally, the feelings of hopelessness could also be a result of feeling discouraged, dissatisfied, distressed, or experiencing negative events.
Take stock of your life, and think about whether a particular situation is causing you to feel hopeless.Loneliness, chronic illness, and low self-esteem are just a few of the common causes of hopelessness.
Hopelessness is also listed as a symptom for several behavioral and mental health concerns, such as major depressive disorder, anxiety, PTSD, bipolar disorder, substance dependence, and suicidal ideations. , Examine your current assumptions about happiness.
Ask yourself whether you’re waiting for a new job, a significant other, or some other external influence to make you happy.
If so, try shifting your focus to yourself instead.
Realize that you don’t need anything outside yourself to feel content with your life.Inner happiness can’t come from outer sources.
If you aren’t happy now, you won’t be happy when your circumstances change for the better, either. , Even if you feel miserable today, look for something that you can enjoy.
It doesn’t have to be big.
Insignificant things that you might take for granted are often the easiest to enjoy when you’re feeling hopeless.For example, you could take a moment to appreciate the free coffee at work or the wildflowers growing along the side of the road. , Making changes in your life can improve your outlook, but when you’re stuck in the depths of hopelessness, it’s not easy to take action.
Start small by identifying just one thing you can do to improve your life.
It doesn’t have to be a big change, just something you can do on a regular basis.For instance, maybe you could wash your dishes right away after you cook, apply to one job every day, or start going to bed before midnight.
Hopelessness thrives on the idea that nothing will ever change.
Challenging this belief will help you start to feel better.
About the Author
Teresa Gutierrez
A passionate writer with expertise in home improvement topics. Loves sharing practical knowledge.
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