There can be phases in our life where we feel that life is not good and will not get better, and that feeling can make us feel quite hopeless.

Hopelessness can squeeze the joy and gratitude out of our life, making things seem grey, meaningless, and pointless. It is not an easy feeling to get through, especially if it happens during difficult life circumstances like death and loss, sudden life transitions, instability in relationships, repeated failures in life, and disruption in life goals. When our basic needs, aspirations and dreams are unfulfilled, or we make series of mistakes, we are bound to feel disappointed, self-critical, and disheartened.

There are times when managing without adequate support systems like family and friends, along with financial, health, relationship stress, violence or abuse, can create immense psychological pain which is hard to carry. This can increase risk of suicidal ideation and self-harm behaviours in individuals.

Hope

On the other hand, hope is an emotion that elicits the feeling of care, a sense of belonging and connection. It shapes our motivation to do things that matter to us, others, and the world at large. We can find courage and internal motivation to face life’s challenges through hope, optimism, and perseverance- like working through the challenges in a relationship, building skills at the workplace, learning to set healthy boundaries etc.

What can you do?

You can identify when the feeling of hopelessness becomes a problem by checking:

Does it appear most of the day?

Does it persist steadily for more than two weeks?

Does it negatively impact functioning at work or home?

Does it increase thoughts or behaviours related to self-harm and suicide?

A few tips to combat feeling hopeless:

• Observe when (and around whom) you feel hopeless, defeated versus hopeful and delighted
• Reach out to expand your support circle with people you can trust
• Make time for routines and rituals that matter to you like sleeping, exercise, skin care,
• listening to music, gardening, volunteering etc
• Journal your feelings and thoughts as a gateway to understand what you are going through.

If you or a close one is struggling with feelings of hopelessness, reach out to our counsellors who can help you through this. You are not alone!