How to Find Hope in Uncertain Times: Part 1
“Hope in uncertain times” is a very important and very relevant phrase, that rings with a particular importance at the present moment. Hope feels like a vital antidote to anxiety or despair in times when outcomes seem unclear and some possibilities can seem downright scary.
Photo by Mark-Olivier Jodoin
But how do we get to hope? Depending on our circumstances, it might not seem easy to find. Is there anything that we can do, or can be aware of, that can genuinely help us to find hope in uncertain times?
Hope is important for our life journey. Not only does it lead to reduced anxiety; it also increases our resilience, our capacity to move past obstacles, to endure and to move forward.
For many of the clients I see in my practice, hope, and where to find it, are very important life issues. How can we begin to address this deep need in our lives?
Increasing Control, and the Power of Possibility
Hope is often very much related to increasing our sense of control in a situation. Psychologist Angela Richardson of the University of Houston has researched the interconnection between anxiety and hope. She notes that hope has two major elements that combine to produce what she calls “goal oriented positive expectancy.” A person with a higher level of hope will pursue more different approaches or avenues to reach a goal. Secondly a person with higher hope levels may be aware of future threats, yet not experience the same level of distress about future outcomes, because they possess greater determination and motivation to overcome future obstacles.
So we can say that three things are true that are related to hope:
- Knowledge is power. The more information you have about an anxiety-provoking situation, the more it will tend to decrease your sense of helplessness;
- Options are advantageous. The more different pathways we have to reaching a goal or preventing a loss, the better we will feel; and,
- It’s good to plan in advance. Where situations are controllable, it’s empowering to approach them with a plan.
But What About Hope in Situations We Don’t Control?
This is all well and good, but someone might ask about how we have hope in situations where we really don’t have control? The person might point out that there are many situations in life where big political or economic or environmental factors are at play, and an individual doesn’t see an easy way to increase their sense of control or options. How do we hold onto hope then? This takes us into a whole other realm, that is connected to what Jungians refer to as the Self.
We will be exploring the dimensions of this kind of profound hope in my next blog post: “How to Find Hope in Uncertain Times, Part 2”
When a person is confronted with major life issues involving hope and basic trust, working with a skilled and supportive depth psychotherapist can play a vital role in finding and restoring meaning, value and resilience in life.
With very best wishes for your continuing personal journey,
Brian Collinson
Registered Psychotherapist and
Certified Jungian Analyst (IAAP)
Certified Clinical Anxiety Treatment Professional
© Brian Collinson, 2024