"Help! I feel hopeless"

With everything life throws at you, it’s easy to lose faith in the future. But our experts share simple ways to spark joy today and hope for tomorrow

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Feel better in the now

Begin with awareness

Hopelessness is often an overwhelming mix of multiple emotions, which is why it’s key to try to identify exactly what you’re feeling, says expert Crystal I. Bryce, Ph.D. “Is it fear, dread, helplessness? When I moved to a new town, everything that could go wrong did, and I felt all of those things at once.” But once she identified each feeling, she was able to find ways to ease them— from reaching out to neighbors to asking friends for advice. Says Bryce, “This helps you feel more in control and less stressed about what’s to come.”

Take a tiny step forward

They may seem interchangeable, but optimism and hope are quite different. “While optimism simply means having a positive mindset, hope is action-oriented,” explains Bryce. When you’re feeling hopeless about a situation, ask yourself,