Holding Hope When the World Feels Heavy
- Nora Mangan
- Mar 17
- 4 min read
There are times in life when the world can start to feel heavy.
Stress rarely comes from just one place. It can build slowly through everyday pressures like work responsibilities, financial concerns, family changes, health challenges, or the constant flow of information we encounter each day. When several of these stressors appear at once, even routine tasks can begin to feel overwhelming.
During moments like this, many of us may wonder how we are supposed to keep moving forward.
One word that often comes up in conversations about difficult seasons is hope.
Hope can be easy to talk about, but sometimes harder to define. Most of us probably associate hope with staying positive or looking on the bright side of things. But hope is not just about thinking positively.
Hope does not require pretending that everything is fine. Instead, it can exist alongside uncertainty, frustration, or grief. It is the belief that even when circumstances feel difficult, progress or change may still be possible.
Psychology research has explored how hopeful thinking relates to well-being and overall mental health. One study by Gallagher and Lopez examined how hope and optimism relate to psychological functioning and found that hopeful thinking was associated with stronger well-being and more positive expectations about the future (Gallagher & Lopez, 2009).
So basically, research suggests that hope can influence how people experience stress and how they think about the future.
Of course, believing that change is possible can feel difficult when someone is facing challenges alone. This is one reason connection plays such an important role in emotional resilience.
Research has consistently shown that supportive relationships can help people cope with stress and support psychological well-being (Ozbay et al., 2007). Feeling understood and supported by others can make difficult experiences feel more manageable.
Support does not always require having the perfect words or solutions.
Sometimes support looks like listening without judgment. Other times it may involve helping someone explore options, connect with resources, or simply acknowledging that what they are experiencing is difficult.
Another idea that connects with hope is something called a growth mindset. Psychologist Carol Dweck’s research suggests that when people believe their abilities can develop through effort and learning, they are more likely to persist and continue working through challenges instead of giving up (Dweck, 2006).
Instead of seeing setbacks as proof that they cannot succeed, people with a growth mindset are more likely to keep trying, adjust their approach, and continue working toward their goals.
In everyday life, this might look like believing that a difficult situation does not define the rest of your future. It can also look like trusting that progress is still possible, even if it takes time.
In many ways, hope and a growth mindset share something in common. Both involve the belief that circumstances are not necessarily fixed and that progress can still happen over time.
Sometimes hope shows up in small, everyday moments.
It might show up in a supportive conversation, a small step forward after a setback, or the decision to try again after something did not work the first time.
A Few Questions to Reflect On
Conversations about hope often invite reflection. Taking a moment to pause can sometimes help us notice the sources of support and encouragement that already exist in our lives.
You might consider:
Where do you usually find encouragement when life feels overwhelming?
Who helps remind you of your strengths during challenging moments?
What small actions help you keep moving forward when something feels uncertain?
When have you experienced a moment where encouragement or support helped you see things differently?
What helps you reconnect with a sense of possibility when something feels discouraging?
These questions do not always lead to immediate answers. But reflecting on them can sometimes help us notice the ways hope and support already show up in everyday life.
Hope does not remove the challenges we face. But it can shape how those challenges are experienced.
When we feel supported, understood, and able to believe in our own capacity to grow, it becomes easier to imagine that change is possible.
And sometimes that belief is the first step toward moving forward.
References
Dweck, C. S. (2006). Mindset: The new psychology of success. Educational Leadership, 64(1), 6–9.
Gallagher, M. W., & Lopez, S. J. (2009). Positive expectancies and mental health: Identifying the unique contributions of hope and optimism. The Journal of Positive Psychology, 4(6), 548–556.
Ozbay, F., Johnson, D. C., Dimoulas, E., Morgan, C., Charney, D., & Southwick, S. (2007). Social support and resilience to stress. Psychiatry (Edgmont), 4(5), 35–40.
Further Readings
Hope: Why it Matters
Hope as the Antidote
The Healing Power of Hope
How Hope Can Help You Heal
Developing a Growth Mindset with Carol Dweck (video)
Growth Mindset
Growth Mindset
What is a Growth Mindset?
Nora Mangan is a Master of Social Work (MSW) intern at Aurora University. She is dedicated to strengths-based, client-centered practice and is especially interested in helping individuals and families access resources and build resilience. After graduation, she plans to pursue clinical social work.
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