Cultivating hope for a better future

We all want a better future, but hope doesn’t always come easily, especially during these times. Many experts on climate change, for example, state the necessity of building more hopeful narratives around sustainability. These narratives should trigger people instead of demotivating them to act.

However, there’s more that we can do according to Clinical psychologist Dan Tomasulo. Tomasulo explains in his book ‘The Power of Positive to Overcome Depression,’ that when engaging in small doses of positivity, people can become more hopeful in general. He describes that setting achievable goals, intentionally focusing on positivity through gratitude and kindness, and nurturing meaningful relationships support people in becoming more hopeful. These are about small acts like reaching out to an old friend or complimenting a stranger.

This suggests that in addition to offering people a hopeful narrative, it might be also valuable to support people in engaging in behaviours that will lead them to cultivate hope in general.