Increasing Your Connection to Hope
I’ve been on the cusp of something recently, a change in something foundational and deep within myself, a knowing that something needs adjustment. Not so much due to a change of circumstance in my outer life, but rather something more to do with my inner life. It is a need to reconnect to something powerful & profound… something called hope.
Hopefulness is to believe that things might turn out better than you think, to have optimism, a feeling of trusting in the future, a sense of feeling good about what is to come. And I don’t know about you, but I have found that to be a little more tricky lately, what with political, environmental and social crises being woven into every area of life.
I wonder if you, too, have felt a bit more disconnected from a feeling of hopefulness? Perhaps only realising it now as you read this, or maybe you’re already making efforts to improve feelings of hope, optimism and a general feeling that things can get better. Throughout my work as a hypnotherapist I have become so much more aware of the constant trickle of hypnosis that surrounds all of us in our day-to-day lives. Everyday hypnosis is best understood as subtle messaging or suggestion that you consume without conscious awareness - these messages then get filtered down into beliefs and meanings that get stored in the subconscious mind.
When we think about the idea of being disconnected from hope, I think it's really important to think about this constant trickle. What happens when we are surrounded by news, conversations, radio shows and general media about crisis, death, poverty, political uncertainty?
Because our subconscious beliefs are, by nature, outside of our awareness, they often go unchallenged, and can tend to be oversimplified and very black & white, and because their primary role is to protect us and ensure our survival, they would rather overestimate the threat, than under. (For more on this, look up the negative bias)
Some examples of what these subconscious or deeper beliefs might be are:
Everything is ruined
Bad things are ahead
I am not safe, the world is not safe
Things are only going to get worse
These might then go on to manifest as a feeling of fatigue, pessimism, low mood, anxiety or even a sense of dread or depression. Sounds like it’s worth being aware of, right?
One of the major benefits of reconnecting to hope is the way in which it improves our wellbeing right here, right now. When we find a way to imagine a better future and to feel more optimistic, we are much more likely to take actions that increase the likelihood of that good thing, or other good things, happening. The thing about hope is - we don't need to know ‘how’ things are going to be better, or ‘how’ things are going to change, we are just allowing ourselves to be open to the idea that it’s possible.
There are a number of ways you can increase your connection to hope, and I encourage you to think about what this looks like for you. For me, it has been mainly about two things; firstly, limiting my consumption of things that decrease a feeling of hopefulness in a way that by no means ignores or minimises such things but helps me gather the necessary strength to have a positive impact, and secondly, expanding things that increase my feelings of hopefulness and that actively help me to shift my thinking habits for the better.
What this looked like for me:
Things I am limiting my consumption of:
Mainstream media such as news, radio shows and newspapers
Post-apocalyptic films/ Disaster films/ Nature programs about impacts of climate crisis
Social media
Things I am increasing my consumption of:
Listening to full albums or uplifting playlists
Reading novels about hope, travel, culture
Speaking to older generations about things they have overcome
Being mindful about my use of language - E.g, We haven't solved that problem ‘yet’
Listening to my own Tailor Made Hypnosis Audio which is about hope, possibility and a brighter future
Other Ideas might be:
The use of a gratitude journal or gratitude focused meditation
Increasing your consumption of positive news, or stories of hope
Starting an abundance practice; this might come in the form of a journal, a prayer, or ritual.
Increasing your connection to others & your local community
Positive affirmation work to install helpful beliefs
Working with a hypnotherapist, coach or counsellor to help you uncover what unhelpful subconscious beliefs you might be carrying around
The truth is you are adaptable, we are adaptable, more than we realise. There are undoubtedly dark clouds, but there are also rays of light. I encourage you to seek out examples of our innate resilience; whether that's the hollow tree that still grows, the person who stays optimistic in the face of adversity or even your former self, who carries on despite the wounds of the past. Take it upon yourself to call in hope, increase your consumption of things that allow you to connect to your own innate strength and optimism, and make it your mission to find evidence that supports beliefs that give you the necessary courage to live a life of hopefulness.