Why it is Important to Have Hope

It is important to have hope because it is a fundamental human emotion that helps us find meaning and purpose in life. Keeping hope alive is good for you, there are 4 non-negotiables to get through a hard time and have hope, and tips for fostering and maintaining hope.

Hope is one of the most powerful forces in human psychology. It is a complex and multifaceted emotional and psychological state. Hope helps us find meaning, purpose, and light in dark times. For when we keep hope alive, we give ourselves a reason to keep going. It influences our outlook and actions. This post about why hope matters, what it actually is, the four non-negotiable anchors that help you through a tough patch, and some simple ways to keep your own hope alive and well.

What is Hope?

Hope is an emotional state where you genuinely believe that positive change is possible, if not inevitable, even when you can’t see the path ahead. It’s the voice that says, Yes, things are difficult right now, but this isn't the whole story. Or like an umbrella we carry, not to stop the rain, but to walk through it with your head up.

Hope is not blind optimism ignoring reality nor wishful thinking. It’s more grounded than that. It acknowledges that right now, things aren’t going well. And it is based in the belief that things will get better, good can from this situation, and that you are resilient enough to make it through this period of unrest or uncertainty.

You become more aware of hope during these tougher times, but it is associated with positive emotions like happiness and contentment. It looks to what can go right instead of focusing all that is wrong or the redirection instead of rejection. It helps you bounce back and maintain a sense of purpose. And because of this, because it is rooted in possibility, it invites you to try new things, take new paths, trust yourself, and trust in something greater than us. This makes it essential to the human psyche.

So, what exactly are we talking about when we talk about hope? We are talking about something that lifts your mood, motivates action, builds resilience, and encourages belief that this too shall pass, and a better future is possible. And adding to its beautiful power: hope can be a shared experience.

“Hope is a waking dream.” ~ Aristotle

Why Keeping Hope Alive is Good for You

The science is pretty clear on this: hope is genuinely good for you, in measurable, meaningful ways. When you maintain hope, you're essentially:

• Strengthening your mental resilience. Your mind becomes better at weathering storms and seeing possibilities rather than dead ends.

• Reducing stress and anxiety. Hope acts like a buffer against the crushing weight of uncertainty and fear.

• Increasing happiness. It is easier to have an optimistic mindset and notice the small joys in a day when you have hope.

• Building self-efficacy. Hope helps you believe in your own ability to influence outcomes. It can also lessen feelings of helplessness.

• Encouraging growth. When you're hopeful, you're more likely to try new things, learn new skills, and push beyond your comfort zone.

• Improving relationships. Hopeful people tend to be more encouraging and uplifting to be around, which creates a positive ripple effect.

• Fuelling social change. On a larger scale, collective hope has driven every major positive transformation in human history.

"Hope sees the invisible, feels the intangible, and achieves the impossible.” ~ Hellen Keller

4 Non-negotiables to Get Through a Hard Time and Have Hope

When the fog of uncertainty has rolled in and the storms of the 24/7 news cycles are overwhelming, come back to these four fundamentals of life to help keep your hope alive:

1. Have an outline of how to get out of the situation.

Most of us can handle difficulties and some uncertainty, it is the feeling of being utterly lost that we struggle with. And life is unpredictable, so having a perfect plan with every detail mapped out is unrealistic. What you need is a loose, flexible plan that can give you a sense of direction to find the light at the end of the tunnel.

The outline doesn't have to be complicated. Sometimes it's as simple as: This week, I'll research my options. Next week, I'll talk to someone who's been through something similar. The week after, I'll take one small step towards change. Sometimes it can be as quick as doing each of these steps a day. The underlying point in having an outline to follow, is to give yourself something to work with and bring a bit more clarity.

There is an emotional memory in our actions - the reactions and actions we fall back on when confronted. And often, different habits and patterns need to be adopted to help you move forward. An outline of how to get out of the situation or mindset creates agency (the sense that you can influence what happens next). As you tick off each step, however small, you're proving to yourself that progress is possible. That evidence is incredibly powerful for maintaining hope.

2. Connect with others.

Along with feeling utter lost, feeling utterly alone is one of the very worst feelings. That sense of being completely alone with your struggles can drain hope faster than almost anything else.

One of the most important things to remember is that asking for help is normal and necessary. It's actually one of the most courageous things you can do. So share your outline, your worries, your hopes with trusted friends, family, or professionals who can provide invaluable support and fresh perspectives. You are not being a burden nor looking weak. Being a part of a tribe is how humans have survived, since always. Having community and connecting with others is an extremely essential part of your personal wellness wheel, and staying connected has to be part of your self-care in every season of life.

The quality of these connections matters enormously. You want people who genuinely support you, not those who drain your energy or dismiss your feelings. Consider seeking out people who've experienced and made it through similar challenges. They've already developed their own outlines and systems, and they can offer both practical advice and something equally valuable: proof that you can get through this. Therapy, support groups, and helplines are accessible tools for maintaining hope when your own reserves run low.

3. Live with hope daily.

Living with hope daily means believing that everything is going to be okay, even when ‘okay’ looks completely different from what you imagined. Sometimes the outcome you hoped for doesn't arrive, but a different form of okay does. Likely it’s one you couldn't have predicted, maybe not even imagined. But embracing it, surrendering to it, and moving on as if this is what you chose for yourself is what keeps you flowing with life instead of fighting it. These are some ways to practise living with hope daily:

• Gratitude: Each day, acknowledge what's working, what you have, what brought you even a moment of peace or joy. This rewires your brain to notice possibilities rather than just problems.

• Mindfulness: Stay present rather than catastrophising about the future or ruminating on the past. Right now, in this moment, you're okay.

• Self-compassion: Talk to yourself like you'd talk to a loved friend going through the same thing. That harsh inner critic won't foster hope, but kindness will.

• Celebrate small wins: Finished one task on your outline? That counts. Got out of bed on a difficult day? That counts too. Progress isn't always dramatic. Sometimes, it looks like the bare minimum, like survival.

• Keep a hope journal: Writing down your hopes, dreams, and small victories helps anchor them in your mind. It also creates a record you can look back on when you need reminding that you've navigated difficult times before.

Take care of yourself by eating well, moving your body, resting, and making time for what brings you joy.

4. Have a good sense of humour.

This might seem frivolous. It may seem silly and simple. But it genuinely is important. Laughter is medicine for the soul, after all. It reduces stress hormones in your body and can shift your perspective, even temporarily, which can be enough to help you see options you'd missed. Humour creates emotional resilience (the ability to bend without breaking).

Finding something funny shouldn't mean you're not taking your situation seriously. You're just refusing to let your situation crush every bit of joy out of your life. Watch that comedy special. Share silly memes or banter with friends. Look for the absurdity in everyday moments. It doesn’t matter how you incorporate humour into your life, it just matters that you do. It is an overlooked way to keep the light of hope burning. Finding moments of lightness during heavy times remind you not to get stuck in the moment, because the moment is not the future.

A Hope Experiment with Rats and Drowning

Dr Richter's 1950s experiment revealed something profound about hope's power (whilst ethically questionable by today's standards). Rats placed in water with no escape typically gave up after about 15 minutes. But when researchers "saved" them once (by pulling them out, drying them off, then putting them back in the water) those same rats fought for 60 hours. Two and a half days. They lasted 240 times longer simply because they'd experienced rescue once before.

The rats had hope that rescue was possible because they'd experienced it.

The lesson is stark: when hope is lost, so is your will to go on. When hope is present, you can endure far more than you thought possible, even when you're exhausted. This is why it is important to have hope, it's what keeps you going when everything feels impossible.

Hope Across Cultures and Communities

Recent research has revealed something rather remarkable: hope isn't quite as universal as psychologists once assumed. Whilst the basic concept exists everywhere, how people experience and source their hope varies significantly across cultures.

Traditional Western psychology has focused on what researchers call internal locus of hope (the idea that hope comes from within yourself, from your own ability to set goals and find ways to achieve them). It's very individualistic. But researchers have now identified external locus of hope, which includes sourcing hope from family, peers, and spiritual connections.

In more individualistic cultures (like much of North America and Western Europe), hope often sounds like: I can do this. I have a plan. I'll find a way. In more collectivist cultures (like many Asian, African, and Latin American societies), hope might sound more like: We can do this together. My family believes in me. My community will help me find a way.

Neither approach is better because they're simply different ways of accessing the same powerful emotion, it’s just interesting. Recent studies show that people in collectivist societies may actually benefit more from hope interventions that emphasise relationships and social support rather than individual goal-setting.

This matters because it means hope is even more flexible and accessible than previously thought. If you struggle to find hope within yourself during difficult times, you can legitimately draw it from your connections with others. It's how millions of people around the world naturally experience hope.

Recent cross-cultural research has also found that hope often involves beliefs about the world itself being benevolent, just, or abundant (not just beliefs about your own capabilities). Sometimes hope comes from recognising that you've been lucky in the past, or trusting that life (or something larger than yourself) has a way of working things out.

Hope and Mental Health: A Preventative Approach

Recent research has highlighted something particularly important: hope is increasingly recognised as a preventative factor in mental health, potentially stopping problems before they require clinical intervention. Rather than waiting until someone needs help, promoting hope early (particularly in young people) can build resilience that carries through into adulthood.

Large-scale studies across 22 countries have found that positive childhood experiences, particularly good health, supportive parental relationships, and regular community involvement, strongly predict higher levels of hope in adulthood. Conversely, childhood adversity correlates with lower adult hope levels. This doesn't mean your childhood determines your capacity for hope, but it does suggest that creating hopeful environments for children matters enormously.

For adolescents and young adults facing transitions (like starting university or a new job), hope interventions have shown real promise in improving adaptation and wellbeing. The key is tailoring these interventions to cultural context, because what works brilliantly in one community might need adjusting for another.

Practical Tips for Encouraging and Maintaining Hope

Beyond the four non-negotiables, here are daily practices that nurture hope:

• Create structure. Morning and evening routines provide anchors when everything feels chaotic. They can be simple, short rituals that create stability.

• Move your body. Walking, yoga, dancing in your kitchen, gardening, whatever gets you moving. Physical movement literally shifts your mental state.

• Be happy. Finding joy in play and making time for creative expression support physical, mental, and emotional health.

• Practise mindfulness. Even five minutes of meditation or deep breathing can reset your nervous system and create space for hope to breathe.

• Learn something new. Building new skills, however small, reminds you that growth is possible and that you're capable of change. Being a beginner at something takes courage and can help build your confidence.

• Choose nourishing foods. What you eat genuinely affects your mood. You don't need to be perfect, but being mindful about nutrition supports your mental health.

• Read and watch things that inspire you. Feed your mind stories of resilience, growth, and possibility. What you consume mentally matters.

• Rest properly. Hope needs energy, and energy needs rest. Don't feel guilty about taking time to recharge.

With these practical tips, you can build a hopeful lifestyle through simple, consistent habits that support your mind, body, and soul.

Hope is a fundamental human emotion that helps us find meaning and purpose in life. It's the belief that things can improve and work out, especially when we're facing adversity. Hope motivates us, comforts us, connects us, and ultimately keeps us moving forward.

While hope is often personal, it can also be collective. Throughout history, shared hope has driven communities towards better futures. We draw strength from each other's hope when our own runs low, and in turn, we offer ours when someone else needs it.

It is important to have hope. It is important to keep hope alive. Everything likely won’t turn out exactly as you planned. And with hope, you have the resilience, motivation, and courage to move through whatever comes next. That's what matters.

Everything is going to be okay. Perhaps not in the way you imagined, but in a way that works. Hold onto that.

[Updated in 2025]

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Affirmation: I focus on what I can control and make peace with what I cannot.

Journal Prompts: An accomplishment I’m proud of. A future event I am excited for.

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