The world seems like a pretty hopeless place to many people at the moment, what with ongoing global strife and wars, domestic terrorism, climate change, political infighting, economic instability, an unstable job market, the threat of artificial intelligence…even as I am typing this long list, I am starting to feel pretty hopeless myself.
It’s hard to feel hope when you’ve been laid off or when the news brings doom and gloom at every turn. But staying embroiled in hopelessness and depression can significantly impact the quality of your mental health and life.
So how do you get out of a pit of hopelessness?
First, it helps to understand that the feeling is normal. Our brains are wired to detect threats—including physical, psychological and social harm. However, our brains sometimes do too good a job of alerting us. We tend to magnify problems and make them seem worse than they are. At the same time, our brains tend to be very dualistic during stress—everything is interpreted either as “terrible,” or “great.”
You might start having thoughts like, “Nothing I do will make a difference,” or “Everything I try will end in failure.” Having these thoughts is a natural reaction to protect you from failure, disappointment, and/or rejection. Of course, the downside is that they can prevent you from taking action and cause you to feel paralyzed with despair.
The antidote to such hopeless thoughts is to examine them carefully and ask yourself, “How well does this hopeless thought serve me?” Asking this question (and writing down your answers) will help you see that such thoughts might have a protective function, but they probably don’t serve you well in the long run. Next ask, “How would I like to be and what would I like to do, even when I have these hopeless thoughts?” Getting a sense of who you want to be can motivate you to take action.
As you reflect on the person you want to be, think about the small steps. I am a big proponent of small steps because we tend to get daunted by big goals, like finding a new job or cleaning up clutter. Tiny steps give us a sense of accomplishment and productivity, and the accumulation of action steps can lead to a net positive result.
Examples of tiny steps could be writing down a list of people to network with, getting a new professional headshot for a LinkedIn update, reaching out to a close friend to brainstorm career ideas, tidying up for five minutes, or signing up to do some volunteer work during the holiday season. Focus on what you have control over and take small steps forward, as opposed to worrying about a seemingly insurmountable goal.
Another useful exercise is to track your feelings as they come and go. Feelings are transient—you might feel hopeless at the moment but optimistic in the weeks ahead. Keeping track of the ups and downs of your moods can help you see that your feelings are constantly changing: You might wake up feeling neutral, but feel a bit down before breakfast, but then you feel better after taking your morning walk or after you chat with your favorite neighbor.
Seeing how your feelings change throughout the day can help you accept that hopelessness is part of the array of feelings that we all have. Recognizing the transient nature of your feelings can help you detangle from negative thoughts and emotions.
Hopelessness can be a natural reaction to what is going on in our world right now, or it can also be a sign of mental illness. If your hopelessness is protracted and is preventing you from living a full, rich life, please seek professional help. There are many avenues for support, such as Crisis Support Services of Alameda County at 800.309.2131 and National Suicide hotline at 988.
Cities often provide free or reduced-cost mental health services. For instance, Fremont has a wide array of support services, including youth counseling, senior support and caregiver help (fremont.gov/government/departments/human-services/mental-health-services).
I hope that you can find pathways out of hopelessness using the above techniques. If you are still feeling hopeless, talk to a trusted friend or family member, or turn to support helplines or therapists. Having an outside perspective can be life changing in combating hopelessness.
I wish you a holiday season of hope and joy, even if you experience the occasional feeling of hopelessness.
Anne Chan is a career consultant and licensed California psychotherapist. She specializes in helping people find happiness in their careers and lives. You can reach her at an*********@***il.com. © Anne Chan, 2025
