Take Charge of Your Health - Hope Helps!
Once you choose hope, everything is possible.
- Christopher Reeve
In a time marked by rising hopelessness, mark your calendar for July 12th, the International Day of Hope organized by iFRED - the International Foundation for Research and Education on Hope. iFRED is a 501(c)3 organization established in 2004 to reduce the sense of hopelessness through prevention, research, and education targeting individuals, communities, schools, workplaces, and governments. The iFRED Foundation and global leaders in mental health have partnered together to organize the annual International Day of Hope. This day, which is formally recognized by the United Nations, positions hope as a public health priority and celebrates the power of hope to transform lives and communities.
Research tells us that hopelessness has negative impact on our physical and mental health and is linked to anxiety, depression, low self esteem, PTSD, violence, abuse, self-harm and suicide. Hopelessness is characterized by a pessimistic view, sadness, and a sense of despair.
Unfortunately, we all go through challenging times that can make us feel hopeless. Thankfully it is very often a temporary state and there are a wide array of strategies to regain a positive emotional state and sense of optimism. These include:
Identify the causes and triggers to your feeling of hopelessness - this is the first step to rediscovering hope
Recognize the things that are out of your control and concentrate on things within your control
Avoid negative news. It seems that the only news reported is negative and it can easily take a toll - seek out “good news” - check out: goodnewsnetwork.org
Other resources include: Good Good Good, The Optimist Daily, Positive News, HuffPost Good News, Upworthy, And Reasons to be Cheerful
Try not to dwell on BIG global issues or challenges. Concentrate on you and your loved ones' well-being and the positive, manageable actions you can take
Find “the good” in challenging situations - shift your mind to a positive perspective
Connect with others: engage in fun, uplifting activities with upbeat people who care about you and bring you joy
Learn new skills, find a new hobby, shake things up a bit
Exercise, eat healthy, listen to music, talk to trusted friends and professional health advisors, take nature walks, help others, extend kindness to add meaning to your life, volunteer
Practice gratitude: focus on your blessings and what is going “right”
Look for solutions: reflect on good times
Remember miracles happen every day!
iFRED provides interesting information on how living life with hope impacts us and
the world we live in. Hope provides us with a belief and confidence in our success. It
boosts our problem-solving mindset, encourages us to explore, be innovative, and take
action. When individuals, businesses, schools, and governments cultivate hope and
positivity as a skill, they drive greater progress in conflict resolution/peace, collaboration, quality of life, well-being, equity, productivity, and sustainability.
In these days of negative news cycles, social inequalities, public health emergencies,
climate crisis, global wars, poverty, and financial challenges, it is more important than
ever to work together to find our way back to hope, because hope leads to resilience and our ability to manage the stress that surrounds us all.
For more details on how you can facilitate hope, visit iFRED.org. As a fun summer event consider being spontaneous and gathering friends together on July 12 for a Party Celebrating Hope!