Health Matters

It's a strange time to be talking about hope. A war is raging in the Middle East; last week, a gunman shot 18 people to death in Maine. What is there to be hopeful about?

Yet researchers who study the science of hope say it's more essential than ever. Hope is a way of thinking, not an emotion, they clarify, and it can be taught to anyone. "It’s not something you either have or don’t have," one expert told me. There are numerous reasons to fill your hope tank: People with more hope throughout their lives have fewer chronic health problems; are less likely to be depressed or anxious; have stronger social support; and tend to live longer.

Here are three research-backed ways to start nurturing hope:

Set meaningful goals. People with high levels of hope tend to always be working toward at least one goal—not something they have to do, like completing household chores, but something they want to do.
Brainstorm solutions. If you set a goal but have no way of achieving it, you'll probably feel pretty hopeless. Sit down with a pen and paper and give yourself an hour to come up with potential solutions—so if one doesn't work out, you have plenty of backups.
Tap into your imagination. Imagination is “the instrument of hope," one researcher told me. Spend a few minutes reflecting on or talking about what would happen if you achieved your goal. The capacity to see yourself in the future is, after all, the very essence of hope.

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