Life was feeling…heavy.
Work was dragging me down. My relationships sucked. Every day I woke up feeling depleted and wondering if anything was ever going to change.
I wasn’t depressed or anything like that—I was just tired. Burned out. Hopeless.
Hopeless isn’t magical. It’s not something that just happens to you overnight. Hope is something you have to build. Hope is a mindset. It’s a muscle you exercise. Sometimes it takes a conscious effort to find hope in your own life again.
I have been there, and I am going to walk you through it one step at a time.
These are 10 practical ways to find hope in life again. No bull—just actionable ways to find hope that have worked for me and thousands of others.
Let’s do this.
How to Feel Hopeful in Life Again
1. Accept Your Current Situation
Before you can feel hopeful again, you have to accept where you’re at mentally and emotionally.
- Accept that you are discouraged/upset/disappointed.
- Stop lying to yourself about how you feel.
- Write down what you are feeling anxious/stressed/worried about.
Acceptance is not giving up—it’s allowing yourself to understand your current emotional reality. Part of feeling hopeful is understanding your emotions, not denying them.
Read also: 5 Effective Ways to Practice Self-Acceptance
2. Remember Why You Started
Hopelessness and feeling like life has no purpose go hand-in-hand.
If you don’t know why you wake up in the morning, how can you hope for something better?
Here are some questions you can ask yourself to remember your “why”:
- Why do I do what I do every day?
- What do I care about the most?
- What’s worth hanging on for?
Find your why. Once you remember or discover your reason for doing what you do, you’ll be better equipped to foster hope.
Read also: 7 Daily Self-Motivation Habits
3. Spend More Time With Positive People
Energy flows where attention goes.
You know that saying? It’s true.
Positive people will uplift you and remind you what you have to be hopeful for. Negative people suck the life out of you and bring you down to their level—not the other way around.
You don’t have to cut toxic people out of your life. But you should probably stop hanging out with them 24/7.
Surrounding yourself with positive people will make you more hopeful.
4. Focus on What You Can Control
When your life feels completely out of control, it’s hard to feel hopeful.
Try shifting your focus. Instead of dwelling on the things you can’t control, make a list of everything you can control.
Maybe it’s small. But take control of the small things and you’ll feel more hopeful.
5. Keep a Daily Gratitude Journal
I know, I know. “Just be grateful” is the advice nobody wants to hear. But hear me out.
If you took the time to write down at least 3–5 things you’re grateful for each day, you’d be amazed at how your perspective will shift.
Make it a habit to find the good in your day, no matter how small. When you practice gratitude, you train your brain to look for what’s going right.
6. Create Small Goals
When your big goals feel out of reach, focus on the small ones.
Break your goals down into baby-stepping actionable items. Then try to complete at least one small task each day that moves you closer to your goal.
You’ll never reach your destination if you don’t take the first step. Start small and build your way back to hoping for your bigger goals.
Completing small goals will make you feel more hopeful.
7. Practice Positive Self-Talk
A lot of times when we feel hopeless, we are telling ourselves nonsense stories in our heads.
“What if I fail?”
“I can’t do this.”
These types of thoughts will drain your hope and leave you feeling defeated.
Turn those negative thoughts into positive affirmations that encourage you to keep pushing forward.
“I will thrive, even if it’s difficult.”
“I’m able to overcome challenges.”
Stop telling yourself things you wouldn’t say to your best friend. You are your biggest supporter—act like it.
Once you learn to eliminate negative self-talk, you will feel more hopeful.
8. Stay Healthy
Are you fueling your body with the proper nutrients? Sleeping enough? Getting any exercise?
If you aren’t healthy on the inside, it will drain your mental energy. When you don’t have energy, it’s hard to feel optimistic or hopeful.
Eat well, sleep, and stay active. Your brain will thank you.
9. Find Inspiration
Sometimes hope comes from seeing what other people have done.
Read books about people who overcame great trials. Watch documentaries about people who revolutionized the world. Surround yourself with other people’s creativity and drive.
You are capable of so much more than you know. Hope is realizing there are no limits to what you can do once you put your mind to it.
Inspiration will fuel your hope.
10. Serve Others
Helping others is one of the best feelings in the world.
Not only will you help better others, but you’ll remind yourself there are people out there who need your help. When you help others, it gives life more meaning. And when your life has meaning, you feel hopeful.
Spend some time volunteering, send an encouraging text to someone, or simply smile and say hello to the people you pass every day.
Helping others will restore hope in your life.
Final Thoughts
Life is not always going to feel hopeful and happy. But that doesn’t mean you’re doomed to feel hopeless forever.
It’s not always going to be rainbows and butterflies, but if you start implementing these steps into your daily routine, you’ll start to feel hopeful again.
Hope is something you have to build for yourself:
- Accept your current situation.
- Reconnect with why you started.
- Surround yourself with positive people and input.
- Take action, even if it’s just a small goal.
Hope is a skill you can learn again. I promise you.
Disclaimer: This post is for informational purposes only. None of the content on this blog should be taken as medical advice.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will these tips actually help me feel hopeful again?
Yes! If you take action and start implementing these tips into your daily life, you WILL feel hopeful again.
How long will it take before I start feeling hopeful?
There is no set timeframe. You might feel better in a few days. It may take weeks. Just focus on putting in the work and you’ll see the results.
Should I see a therapist?
Seeking professional help is always a good idea. Hopelessness can be triggered by many things, and a therapist can help you get to the root of the problem.
Is it normal to feel happy one day and hopeless the next?
Absolutely. Hope is not constant, especially in the beginning stages of working on it. Some days will be better than others. That’s okay!
What is one thing I can do today to feel hopeful tomorrow?
Write down what you are feeling. Acceptance is the first step to rebuilding hope.
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