The globe is over, and people are losing faith in the future. Many people’s last hope for security was the state of the economy, but that has tanked dramatically over the past 12 months. The current political system provides very little security for anyone around the globe. Because of all the problems in the world, many people, young and elderly alike, have lost hope and view the future with pessimism.
Where do you even begin to pull yourself out of this pit of despair? How can you keep your composure and sense of safety in these troubled times?
The first step is accepting that unpleasant emotions are inevitable; they will show up uninvited and in full force. Moreover, it’s normal to experience feelings of melancholy and despondency from time to time. It’s a perfectly typical part of the human body’s ebb and flow.
You can’t choose the negative sentiments that will arise, but you can choose how you’ll respond to them. You get to decide. It’s essential to remember that negative emotions enjoy connecting with similarly negative and dark thoughts. And then the two of them team up to paint horrible mental pictures for you. When that occurs, it’s impossible to avoid feeling bad about yourself, thinking bad thoughts, and visualizing bad things. This relentless stream of bad news is sure to make people give up pretty quickly.
Feeling hopeless is the same as wanting to shut up. Everything appears hopeless and dark right now, and I don’t think my situation can ever improve. Those who are hopeless are convinced that nothing can be done to improve their situation and that they will always fail in whatever they set out to accomplish.
The Crucial Piece
The crucial thing to remember is that it is easy to let yourself feel hopeless if you convince yourself that your current situation is hopeless. No one can change your mind about the hopelessness of your situation when you’re in this state of mind.
The icing on the “Hopeless Sundae” is the realization that you will likely start behaving and speaking in a similarly pessimistic fashion.
This onslaught of despair will color your thoughts and lead to dismal behavior, which in turn will bring on even more despair. This never-ending rotation of despair is known as the vicious loop.
To recap quickly:
1. A distressing sensation or emotion suddenly appears (this is normal);
2. You start having bad ideas (and since you already feel bad, this isn’t surprising);
3. You start picturing terrible things (your life in disarray; yourself lost, alone, and doomed to failure forever);
4. You have decided that your existence is hopeless (and have started to truly believe this to be true);
5. bad behavior and language follow.
That’s how a feeling of despair can take root and grow.
Consequently, “HOW DO I STOP IT?”
Ranks a close second. Negative thoughts and feelings are natural and unavoidable sometimes. Sometimes it’s tied to something that happened like being let down or breaking up with someone, not making a sale, or keeping your employment. There’s nowhere to hide and no way to avoid it. However, YOU SHOULD MANAGE YOUR THOUGHTS and block out any unfavorable mental pictures.
CONTROLLING DISPOSITIVE THOUGHTS
If something bad has occurred, it must be acknowledged first. Do not kid yourself. It’s normal to feel down after losing your work, but it’s not healthy to start thinking you’re a failure and picturing yourself on the streets. Sometimes you just wake up feeling down, burdened, and worried, as if the universe has suddenly turned against you. Though you can’t halt your feelings, here’s how to stop a negative thought in its tracks:
1. If a negative idea enters your consciousness, interrupt it immediately; if necessary, say “Stop” aloud or slap your hand on the table.
2. If you question the validity of your thoughts by asking yourself, “Is this really true?” or “Is it realistic to think like this?” you will likely come to the conclusion that your assumptions are incorrect.
If you feel rejected after a breakup, the first thought can be, “My life is over; I will never find someone again.” Stop, challenge, and change it to “I had a significant loss and I’m hurting, but I will get through this.”
Instead of picturing yourself as lost and alone, heartbroken forever, choose an image of hope to replace the negative one. Since we think in images and automatically create images for every thought, if you give in to hopeless and despondent thoughts, you will start to see yourself in that position.
5. Choose your behavior – consciously choose to act positively and proactively. If I lost my job, I could sit around with other jobless people and bemoan the state of the workforce and the economy and how hard things are, or I could sit down and update my resume. I could also make a list of friends that could possibly connect me with a job.
As you can see, the great thing about your mind is that YOU CAN CHANGE IT, so the key is to stop the vicious cycle of hopelessness before it becomes a habit and a stronghold in your life.
My deepest hopes and prayers are with you, and in my next article, I will discuss the Strength of Hope and how to create a Stronghold of Hope in your own life.
If you found this article helpful, you can sign up for Henry J. Venter, Ph.D.’s free newsletter and more life-altering insight at [http://www.ginomaicc.com]. Venter is a psychologist, speaker, and author whose latest book, “The Ultimate Success Guide: 7 Practical Steps to Change and Transform Your Life,” details a comprehensive and step-by-step process leading you to the success you’ve always dreamed of.
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