10 THINGS TO DO WHEN THINGS LOOK HOPELESS

1) Pray. If you’re not the praying type, then sit quietly and meditate on something good, true or beautiful. A few minutes, or one minute. You might find it so beneficial that you stay with it for longer periods of time and eventually might want to do it every day.

2) Call a friend and pour your heart out. Go ahead. Don’t be shy. Don’t convince yourself nobody wants to hear about your problems. Just call and ask if your friend has some time to spare and tell them that you’re needing a shoulder to lean on. Then let it out—the hurt, anger, sadness, grief, despondency, fear. Sometimes just being allowed the freedom to express how you’re feeling, and to know you’re supported, can lift a huge boulder off your back and help you to believe that things can get better. We’re not meant to carry our burdens alone.

3) Remember another time when things seemed hopeless and they ended up working out okay, or better than you thought, even if they got pretty unpleasant (or even horrendous) in the middle.

4) Watch something—like a movie or video about someone who overcame impossible odds, survived and went on to lead an amazing life. You could even watch nature—the way an ant will carry a piece of dirt or food that seems too heavy for it and try again and again until it succeeds. Or a bumblebee. Did you know that aerodynamically, it’s actually “impossible” for bumblebees to fly? Bumblebees don’t know that though, so they go right on flying.

5) Listen to a song that inspires you and makes you happy (sing along at the top of your lungs). If you don’t have access to music for some reason, sing or whistle. It’s medically proven that both are good for your health and mind.

6) Get moving. Moving your body can release endorphins in your brain which will help you feel more positive. Dance, go for a walk, go running, do yoga, just do something that reminds you that you have a body. And don’t forget to breathe and notice your breathing. This alone can help you feel more grounded.

7) Do something nice for someone else. It makes the other person happy and it will automatically make you feel better. It’s an amazing principle woven into the fabric of the universe.

8) Make a gratitude list. You might be thinking, “A gratitude list?! I’m going through the worst thing imaginable.” I know. Just try it. Start with 1 thing. Then 3. Then 5. Then work your way up to 10. You may find that just writing down one thing will lead you to think of a bunch of other things you hadn’t thought about till now. Examples: friends, the ability to see, the ability to hear, good books, drinkable water, etc.

9) Do something—anything—to improve whatever you feel hopeless about…even if it seems pointless and like it won’t make any difference at all. Joan Baez said, “Action is the antidote to despair,” and she was right. One small positive action might be the beginning of everything turning around for the better. Don’t underestimate the power of starting small.

10) Believe that everything will be okay. It’s better to be an optimist and be wrong than to be a pessimist and be right. If everything ends up turning out well, think of all the days and hours you will have wasted fretting and worrying and being anxious. It’s always better to have faith. It’s better for your entire immune system, your muscles, and every part of your brain. Pessimism isn’t good for anything.

If you need help getting started with any of these and you’d like to schedule a free 30-minute exploratory coaching call with me, please click here for an appointment.

Grace & love,

Monique