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We have the ability to impact our level of happiness.

When life keeps on life-ing, we can find a path forward through hope.

Using a structured framework for hope can create a path forward.

Connection and community will make challenging times easier.

If you’ve felt more mentally exhausted than usual lately, you’re not imagining it.

Every time you open the news, scroll through social media, or walk into a conversation at work, there seems to be another layer of uncertainty, conflict, or pressure. Even when your personal life is “fine,” the constant exposure to global stress can quietly drain your emotional reserves.

If you’re feeling overwhelmed, hear this clearly: you’re not alone.

By pretty much any metric, Americans are feeling more hopeless than ever. A record 18% of Americans are clinically depressed, Americans are fleeing the country in record numbers, and according to a Gallup poll comprised of over 22,000 participants, Americans are feeling less optimistic about their future and less satisfied with their lives than ever before.

Any way you crunch the numbers, the result is the same: as a society, we're struggling.

Is there any hope for us? It depends on who you ask. If you were to ask Charles R. Snyder, a psychologist who specialized in positive psychology, you’d quickly start to feel optimistic again about the future.

Charles R. Snyder reframed hope not as a pleasant emotion but as a positive motivational state. In Snyder’s Hope Theory, hope is grounded in three interconnected elements:

Goals — you identify a destination that matters to you.

Pathways — you generate one or more routes that could lead you there.

Agency — you believe you have the motivation and strength to use those pathways.

Hope is not wishful thinking. It is an active process where clear direction, thoughtful strategy, and sustained motivation work together. When one part falters, hope can slip away. Snyder shows us that a positive outlook is something that can be cultivated by making a concrete plan.

His research also highlights the powerful role of connection. Hope rarely develops in isolation. Supportive relationships and shared purpose expand our perspective, spark new strategies, and reinforce our confidence that progress is possible.

You may have felt this firsthand when you go to the gym. Those who hit the weights with a friend go to the gym 35 percent more often than those who lift without spotters. When you’re with a supportive buddy who keeps you accountable, you also work out longer and harder than when you go it alone. Of course, the positive impact of having a supportive relationship isn’t exclusive to working out.

If you’re trying to cultivate hope in these difficult times, here are four practical, science-based ways you can use now:

1. Define one meaningful goal.

Not a five-year vision, but rather one important thing for this season. Direction fuels hope. Make sure this goal is concrete, measurable, and reasonably attainable. It’s also helpful to identify small goals that you have the ability to impact- think baby steps!

For example, instead of saying, I want to learn Spanish, say, I will be able to have a basic conversation in Spanish or reach a B1 level.

2. List possible pathways.

Identify two or three realistic ways to move forward. Options restore a sense of control. Create a plan of attack by writing out ways you intend to achieve your goal. Be as specific as possible and be sure to list how often and for how long you’ll invest in each pathway. For example, identify how you will be able to have that conversation. I will connect with my Spanish-speaking neighbor twice per week for a brief conversation.

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3. Notice your agency.

Remind yourself of times you succeeded before. Motivation grows when you recognize your capability to act. When you’re just starting out, success can seem unattainable. Increase your chances of success by thinking back to when you overcame difficulties in the past. For example, remind yourself of how you set a goal to run a 5K and achieved it.

4. Lean into connection.

Talk to someone who sees your strengths. Share your goals. Two engaged minds can see more pathways than one. Even invite this person to go on this journey with you. But if they don’t want to go along for the ride, at least invite them to cheer you on from the sidelines.

So, how have I used this in my own life, given our current situation? I was feeling isolated from some of my family with different beliefs and thus not able to share my frustration about the world. I set a goal to find a community of like-minded people. I asked around and ended up finding a friend who was feeling the same way. We decided to reach out to other friends and create a monthly coffee meet-up. That has turned into a group text to share information, express frustration, and support each other as all that is happening in the world is unfolding. We’re not solving all of the problems of the world, but having this space to connect, communicate, vent, and share resources certainly is a source of hope during these difficult times.

When everything around you feels heavy, remember that hope isn’t a sudden burst of positivity. It’s a clear goal, a clear path forward, belief in your ability to act, and people walking with you.

And in uncertain times, choosing that process is not unrealistic; it is a courageous and intentional act of resilience.

The reason we feel so hopeless is that we’re failing to see our own agency. We see the world around us moving and shifting, and feel as though we have no control over what’s going on. Snyder’s way of thinking about hope is designed to put the reins back in our hands. It gives us a framework and the motivation to begin to shape the world around us.

Now it’s your turn to not just find hope, but to make it.

https://positivepsychology.com/hope-theory/

https://news.gallup.com/poll/694199/u.s.-depression-rate-remains-historically-high.aspx

https://www.wsj.com/us-news/americans-leaving-the-us-migration-a5795bfa?gaa_at=eafs&gaa_n=AWEtsqdejHSPsBfju-x6vDXnLlemeXp-bargKHed1aPNd9oxn1SqMsLtvwu5naBPb2o%3D&gaa_ts=69ad8b64&gaa_sig=E6pO1aQGquuP8BoVSb3X2hPFOYSR_ENNSNkrf-Dad52HfKamvogYKjDeMlS3rbKiNMBIdDB_C2LTJo-C7HBfDg%3D%3D

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