Find Hope in Difficult Times: 5 Key Things You Can Do Right Now!

*Updated July 2024

Finding hope in difficult times can feel impossible, even for the most resilient person. Trauma and major life challenges can cause you to feel angry, frustrated, and depressed. You may even feel as though you have nowhere to turn for relief from the pain. But, with some resiliency and mindfulness, you can heal and find happiness again.

What is Trauma?

Trauma occurs in response to any violent or highly distressing event. The American Psychological Association states, “Trauma is an emotional response to a terrible event like an accident, rape, or natural disaster. Immediately after the event, shock and denial are typical.” Longer term reactions include unpredictable emotions, flashbacks, strained relationships, and even physical symptoms like headaches or nausea. If left untreated, trauma can negatively impact you for life.

Unfortunately, substance abuse and other self harming behaviors can result if trauma is left unhealed. These behaviors are an attempt to numb the residual pain from the traumatic event. However, this is a dangerous and slippery slope which can result in low self-esteem and an unhappy life.

Find Hope in Difficult Times: 5 Key Things You Can Do Right Now!

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Although, it may feel impossible at this moment, there will be light at the end of the tunnel. And, you will make it through. Here are 5 gentle, but effective things you can do right now, even if your heart is breaking.

1. Find Stillness

Stillness simply means that you sit quietly. There is no action you have to take other than to create space and connect to your higher self, or intuition. And, when dealing with trauma, it’s more important now than ever to create frequent opportunities to practice stillness. Here are some effective ways you can do this:

Carve out a special place. Identify one special place where don’t identify with the pain. For example, I enjoy a sense of freedom and peace when I spend time on my outside deck. It overlooks a natural, wooded area, and a sense of calm envelops me when I hear the birds and other wildlife. I can disengage, relax, and rejuvenate.

Intentional breathing. Inhale and exhale slowly. Intentional breathing will instantly soothe you and calm your emotional state. The 4 7 8 method is an effective breathing technique. Close your eyes and breathe in through your nose to the count of four. Hold the breath to the count of seven. Then, exhale through your mouth to the count of eight.

Listen to white noise, soothing music, or Solfeggio frequency 396 hertz. When you are suffering, it can be hard to be alone with your thoughts. So, here are some helpful options to break the silence and boost your mood. The sounds of nature are always healing. Whether you’re streaming them on YouTube or sitting outside in your yard, these sounds have beneficial effects on the brain.

In addition, soothing music, like New Age Music and classical music, have been proven to raise your vibrational frequency. Finally, the ancient Solfeggio frequency 396 hertz has specific healing properties for people dealing with the effects of trauma.

By interacting with your brain and creating vibrations in your body, this centuries-old tone can help you move forward in a healthy way. You can read about the 9 main Solfeggio frequencies here.

2. Meditate

In order to find hope difficult times, begin a meditation routine. Meditation boasts countless benefits for your mental health. This age-old practice will increase self-awareness and compassion, improve executive function, and decrease instances of emotional reactivity. Other wonderful benefits of meditation are:

Mental and Emotional Benefits

• lowers stress and anxiety
• increases awareness in present moment
• decreases feelings of regret, guilt, worry
• cultivates a loving attitude towards other people
• promotes feelings of gratitude
• increases memory and decision-making skills

Even more encouraging, meditating slows the aging process of the brain and stimulates the growth of new brain cells. One study found that after only eight weeks of meditation, participants had measurable decreases in gray matter density in the area of the brain associated with stress.

In difficult times, meditation helps to reduce anxiety and suffering by teaching you to stay present. When your awareness is rooted in the now and you embrace acceptance without judgement, your stress levels are reduced and this helps to ease your pain. (Click here to learn more about the benefits of meditation.)

3. Nurture a Spirit of Hope

When you feel uncomfortable and don’t know where to turn, go inward. Every difficult experience is an opportunity for growth. And, although you did not choose the situation, the best possible outcome is that you become stronger and more resilient because of it.

So, ask yourself, “What can I learn from this?” How you respond may be the difference between hope and joy or anger and frustration.

Uncertainty is Neutral

Learning how to handle uncertainty in difficult times is one of life’s greatest challenges. But, when you realize that uncertainly is neutral, you create a unique opening for opportunity. Everything that happens in your life is dependent upon how you react to it. So, do whatever it takes to raise your vibrational frequency and always choose hope.

“Once you choose hope, anything’s possible.”

Christopher Reeve

4. Embrace Gratitude

It’s essential to practice gratitude when your suffering, even if it feels impossible at first. Admittedly, it’s normal feel anger, resentment, guilt or shame after a traumatic event. And, it will take focused effort to remain positive, or at least neutral, when you’re at your lowest point. However, by cultivating feelings of gratitude for what you do have, life will begin to shift in a more hopeful direction.

Acceptance in the present moment is key to gratitude. So, appreciate what you have now, even if it’s not ultimately what you want. The Universe always gives you more of what you focus on, so how you feel is the most important thing!

And, the Universe doesn’t discriminate or judge, it simply mirrors your energy. So, as it states in the Law of Cause and Effect, whatever you broadcast out to the Universe, you will get back in life experiences.

5. Make Self Care a Number One Priority

Check in with yourself throughout the day. Ask yourself, “How do I feel about this emotion, situation, or event?” And, then honor your feelings.

But, don’t stop there. Dwelling on negative emotions will make them snowball. Give yourself a time limit, then shift your energy. No one knows what you need better than you! So, ask yourself, “What will help me to shift into a neutral or positive mindset?” Then, do whatever that is!

Take a yoga class, meet a friend for coffee, or start that passion project you’ve been putting off. Any activity makes you feel more like yourself again will bring you back to center, lift your spirits, and can even help raise your self-esteem.

A Note on Self Esteem

Self care is an effective tool you can use to raise your self-esteem. And, it’s the fountain from which you draw your emotional and mental strength. When you have a strong sense of self, you cultivate a resilient spirit. And, resiliency gives you the capacity to handle any hardship life throws at you with mental toughness and grace.

“If we believe that tomorrow will be better, we can bear a hardship today.”

Nhat Hanh

Hope in Difficult Times

Having hope in difficult times is possible, although it does take some effort. By using these five tips, you can become a source of strength, hope, and optimism for yourself and those around you. What are some effective things that you do to find hope in difficult times? Which of these tips have you tried and how have they helped you?

Please share below and let’s get the conversation started. Your comments add value to our community and I always love hearing your ideas. Let’s learn and grow together.

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Disclosure: Melissa Damiani is a participant in the Routine Probiotic Affiliate Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to merchant, and the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking amazon.com. Although I only promote products that I love, use, and have confidence in, always do your own research before purchasing any product or service. Read my disclaimer here.