Right now, in a world full of fear, stress and sadness, it’s easy to develop a negative worldview. What options are there to recharge and bring forth positivity?
The element of hope is one difference between those who live like Eeyore in gloom and doom and those who choose to embrace life with its daily challenges and do the best they can. When I learned that my annual coaching conference was being rescheduled, I knew that this would be a big void in my connection bucket. I decided to organize a monthly Zoom happy hour call with colleagues so we could connect and share our fears and challenges about this new working environment.
After the call, my greatest takeaway was the feeling of hope—the hope that our businesses would weather this storm and this time would continue to clarify for all of us what matters most. It also reinforced for me that connecting with others is a source of recharge at this time.
Here are three ways to cultivate hope.
Boost Your Well-being
- Start your day with a morning intention. Think about what you would like your day to look like. Lately I have been beginning my day with ‘relaxed and joyful’. Many of my leadership coaching clients use ‘calm and confident’, not only before meetings but when replying to a challenging email or life stressors.
- Take a ‘pause breath’ throughout your day. Taking one mindful breath resets and calms your body and mind in less than six seconds. (Here’s how: breathe in on a count of four and breathe out on a count of six. Be aware if there is tension in your face, shoulders, or chest, and try to let that tension release as you breathe out.)
Boost Your Self-awareness
- Be aware of your self-talk. When we focus too much on a negative situation, it can lead to low moods and take up valuable energy that could be used for what you have control over. Limit your media consumption and spend that time on recharge activities.
Boost Your Connection
- Make a list right now of two professional colleagues and two personal friends you would like to connect with this month. Connecting virtually is not the same as face to face but connection is essential during this isolating time. Maybe you could schedule a video coffee hour or happy hour! Also, don’t forget about snail mail at times like this. It can be a great mood boost to get a fun letter in the mail instead of a bill.
To me, hope is accepting every day as a gift, being kind to others, and appreciating the little sparks of joy in life. Simply put, hope brings perspective. It can sustain us during these times when we are confused and unsure what tomorrow will bring.