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Many people are feeling worn down by prolonged uncertainty, pressure, and constant information exposure.

To navigate stress, build resiliency, and feel truly well in a complicated world, we need hope practices.

Small actions and shared connection can help restore our sense of hope and expand what feels possible.

What have you been doing with your hope lately? Do you notice yourself tucking it away or holding it quietly? Do you allow yourself to share it and speak it out loud? Is it bringing you to action?

Recent findings from the Gallup National Health and Well-Being Index provide a snapshot of how U.S. adults are viewing their future. Among more than 22,000 respondents, just 59.2% rate their life in five years as a 7 or higher out of 10, marking a record low.

When fewer U.S. adults rate their future positively compared to prior years, it tells us something important about the emotional climate people are living in. Over the past several years, individuals have navigated prolonged uncertainty, economic pressure, political division, social unrest, and collective fatigue. When people feel worn down by uncertainty, it changes how the brain scans for the future, and as stress becomes sustained, our nervous systems begin to prioritize protection over possibility.

This doesn’t mean people have lost hope entirely, but it does suggest that hope is under strain. There’s a collective weariness that is impacting our mental, emotional, and societal well-being.

And yet, hope remains one of the mightiest contributors to resilience and well-being that we have. Higher levels of hope are also associated with a stronger sense of meaning in life (Edwards et al., 2025). Research in positive psychology, particularly the work of C.R. Snyder, shows that hope involves three components: goals, pathways, and agency. When people feel unclear about goals, uncertain about pathways, or powerless in their ability to influence outcomes, hope withers.

Right now, many people feel stuck in at least one of those three areas. Economic pressures may make goals feel less attainable, rapid change can make pathways unclear, and large-scale problems can make individual agency feel small. When people feel they have little control, their outlook on the future understandably declines. This not only affects individuals but also ripples into family systems and communities.

Another important factor is cognitive load. We are living in an era of constant information exposure, and our brains were not designed to absorb this steady stream of input. This persistent exposure can amplify perceived threat, and when threat perception is high, our future-oriented thinking narrows, and we default to short-term survival thinking.

In my work, I see people craving hope and searching for ways to rebuild their sense of direction and possibility. The desire for hope is strong. What I see is often missing is the roadmap on how to activate hope, and in my book, I Hope So, I set out to provide exactly that.

Many people equate hope with wishful thinking. Yet hope isn’t passive. It is also different from blind optimism or toxic positivity. Hope is a practical strategy. It doesn’t mean we ignore the reality of challenge, and it doesn’t erase hardship. When we choose hope, we acknowledge what’s hard while still leaning into possibility. We trust that even in difficulty, the future can be bright and that we have a role in shaping it.

If we want to maintain and strengthen hope at both an individual and societal level, restoring a sense of agency is key. People need clarity on what is within their sphere of influence. One way to bring more hope into everyday life is to practice micro-goal setting. Each day, identify one meaningful but achievable action that moves you toward something that matters to you and aligns with your values. When we set and follow through on small goals, we reinforce our sense of agency and demonstrate to ourselves that we have the capacity to influence outcomes and shape our future.

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I’ve also experienced and witnessed just how powerful community and connection are when it comes to living hope-filled. Instead of a traditional book launch tour, we hosted tea parties. In a time when so much of our connection is digital and transactional, gathering around a cup of tea for real conversations about living well in a complicated world feels like a much-needed chance to slow down and reconnect, with ourselves and with others.

The gatherings created the opportunity for people to sit face-to-face, to listen, to share their stories of perseverance and possibility, and to borrow belief from one another. Being in such rooms surrounded by some truly remarkable people has reminded me of what’s possible when we move away from holding our hopes on our own and begin to share them and invite others to hold them with us and believe alongside us.

We are also inviting others to gather in their own way by bringing friends, family, or colleagues together to reconnect, reflect, and choose hope. Coming together in small but intentional ways reminds us that we are not navigating hard things alone. Community does not eliminate adversity, but it can strengthen our capacity to move through it. Such opportunities for connection also help us see that even in hard seasons, there are still things going well, still moments worth noticing, and still signs of movement forward.

The reality is that many people are feeling stretched right now. If you’ve been finding yourself tucking your hope away or holding it quietly, you’re not the only one. While it may feel harder to look ahead with a hopeful outlook, hope remains one of the most important forces we have for staying motivated and moving forward, even when outcomes aren’t guaranteed.

To navigate stress, build resiliency, and feel truly well in a complicated world, we need more than just a belief in hope; we need hope practices. When we begin to nurture hope within ourselves and share it with others, we start to expand what feels possible.

My final, gentle invitation for you is to name one thing you’re hoping for right now and consider one small step that could move you closer to it. Jot it down on a sticky note, say it out loud, or share it with someone. If it feels right, invite someone else to share theirs, too.

I truly believe what the world needs right now is people who are willing to get their hopes up, connect more meaningfully, and believe in brighter days ahead.

Edwards, M. E., Booker, J. A., Cook, K., Miao, M., Gan, Y., & King, L. A. (2025). Hope as a meaningful emotion: Hope, positive affect, and meaning in life. Emotion, 25(6), 1365–1380. https://doi.org/10.1037/emo0001513

Witters, D. (2026, February 10). American optimism slumps to record low. Gallup. https://news.gallup.com/poll/702125/american-optimism-slumps-record-low.aspx

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