How To Combat Hopelessness

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Battling hopelessness is a difficult burden that everyone goes through at some point in their life. Especially now, feeling hopeless can be initiated by so many external factors … COVID-19, the 2020 election, financial hardships, and so much more.  If you’re there right now, know that it is ok, you’re not alone, and that things will get better.

 

You can even get started on making things better right now. To banish those feelings of hopelessness, I strongly suggest the following:

Take a Social Media Break

It has been clear for some time now that social media is a lot more harmful than it is helpful, especially when it comes to stress and mental health. It isn’t hard to see why either. You’re either constantly being sold something with ads or you’re bombarded with negative news from the world. Even if you somehow manage to miss all of that you still see pictures of your friends doing things you can only dream of, without any context. People only share their best selves online and it takes the idea of keeping up with the Joneses and kicks it into overdrive. So, take a break from social media. I would recommend at least a month, but there are some who swear by taking a year off.  I sometimes feel like I need a year off, but I have fallen back a lot from social media.

 

Practice Self Care

I’m not talking about going and spending $400 on a spa treatment. A trip to the spa is great for your body, but it doesn’t do a whole lot for your mind. What I mean by practicing self-care is learning to be comfortable saying no and keeping a positivity journal. Things that will give you more time to yourself and help improve your outlook on life. Even during the darkest times, there is light to be found somewhere, you just need to know where to find it. That begins with a positivity or gratitude journal.

 

Set Small Goals

When things are feeling hopeless it’s important to give yourself a few small wins to help you start feeling better. Depending on where you are with this it might mean having a goal of eating a homemade meal once a day or maybe it’s saving $50 on your bills this month by BBQing more. Set yourself small, easily achieved goals to help boost your confidence and scale up to bigger goals.

 

Talk to Family and Friends

If you’re going through a difficult time your family and friends may not even realize it and if they don’t know it’s happening, they can’t help. Talk to the people who are closest to you about how you’re feeling. You might even learn that you aren’t alone. So many of us get feelings of hopelessness that even if they aren’t feeling it now, they can relate back to a time when they were. Sometimes just talking about things out loud helps.

 

Don’t Be Afraid to Get Professional Help

Finally, don’t be afraid to reach out for help when you need it. Counselors and psychologists are there for a reason and the reason is to help people work through things like feeling hopeless. They have tools and knowledge that you won’t have access to any other way. Gone are the days when seeing a professional is something to be ashamed of. Seek out the help you need.

I know we are experiencing some really tough times.  I too struggle with feeling hopeless at times, that’s what I decided to share how I get through it.  Everything listed is critically important, but I have found taking a break from social media, practicing self-care and seeking professional help the most impactful.  As an influencer, social media is partially how I get paid, but I have found ways to fall back and take some of my time back….it has helped.  If you’re battling with hopelessness also, please try one or all of these tips…I promise they will help.

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LaToyia, The Motivated Mom

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