2020 is now behind us and a new year is ahead of us. Take a deep breath and exhale. It's interesting to think how on December 31st, 2020, we were looking forward to a new year and now, a day later, our brains go on auto pilot believing that a new year brings a ray of hope, maybe a little more prosperity and increased well-being. How does 24 hours make that much of a difference? Well, its all explained in the science of hope.
Recent studies show that hope is the top predictor of learning how to flourish or be in the state of "flow." When we discover our key character strengths, we can use these strengths to achieve well-being. Dr. Chan Hellman, a professor who studies hope science at the University of Tulsa, OK, has identified the following strategies which bring us increased hope and well-being:
- Being engaged in activities we enjoy or have a passion for
- Experiencing positive emotions (joy, contentment) more than other emotions (fear, anger, resentment)
- Developing and maintaining positive, healthy relationships
- Finding meaning in the pursuit of our goals
- Achieving the goals we set in life
Hope Theory, according to Dr. Chan Hellman, posits a Hope Formula, that is,
Pathways + Agency = Hope
Hope requires a specific mental capacity to create mental roadmaps (Pathways) to achieve a specific goal, while simultaneously directing and maintaining mental energy or willpower (Agency) towards that goal.

If we go back to our earlier example of how the significance of a new year drives us to be more hopeful, we see a pattern emerge with what actually nurtures hope. First, the new year signals a moment in time to make new year's resolutions, such as exercising more, eating healthier or spending more time with family or friends (which happen to be the top 3 goals for 2020). This is the first step to nurturing hope - clarifying goals which gives us a sense of agency.
Next, we might think of what our options are within each goal and what gets in the way of these options. Humans have a built-in propensity for negativity bias because thousands of years ago we had to run from very scary, four-legged creatures that wanted to eat us for lunch. So, humans have to work extra hard not to run away when an obstacle or challenge presents itself. This is where self-talk and affirmations come in handy. We can choose a daily mantra or healthy habits to keep us grounded in the present moment, such as, saying to ourselves, "I'm skilled at this," "I've done this before," or, "I've got this."
Meditation and mindfulness bring us closer to living in the present moment (see My Daily Habits for more on how to do this). This is a perfect time to adjust our course and navigate to viable pathways that help us achieve our goals. For example, if exercising more has not worked in the past due to time and scheduling constraints (I get it - work, kids, after school activities, dinner, homework, more work, no play), then stop and re-adjust your course, delegate or re-prioritize roles and duties. Phone a friend, call on a family member, or change your expectations for one or more of your priorities so that your priorities are more congruent with your core values. If you haven't done so already, write down what you value most in order of priority. If your value is to be with your family more, then, something else has to give. Hint: Find your source of stress and do that which is causing you stress, less. Talk to a trusted friend, family member of your supervisor and just be honest about what you need. Honesty is the best policy. You will have optimal well-being when we are living according to you values.
The final step is choosing an option and taking action. And, in doing so, we create new memories of our experiences and rewire our brain for positive, hope-filled thoughts that energize us to take action. For example, if I have a goal to exercise 5 days a week, one option might be to put it on a visual calendar and check off each day it is completed. Here is how it works. When we create future memories of success and start to achieve our goals, our brains shift to being more hopeful. This feeling of success rewires our brains with positive resonance, or, non-conscious positive emotions that fill us with positivity and optimism. When one small habit is achieved at a time, you begin to create a new neural network wiring your brain for increased capacity for hope, which lights up your motivation for setting achieving and setting new goals.
Resources:
Hellman, Chan, The Science and Power of Hope. Hope As A Psychological Strength (2016)-2 (familyjusticecenter.org)
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