Hope

/hōp/

Noun

A feeling of expectation and desire for a certain thing to happen.

                                     -Dictionary.com

Hope is the thing with feathers that perches in the soul – and sings the tunes without the words – and never stops at all.

                                     -Emily Dickinson

Faith, hope, love and insight are the highest achievements of human effort.  They are found-given by experience.  

                                     -Carl Jung

2020 may well turn out to be the one of the most stressful years in human history.  Although other eras were rife with damages from war, financial crises, illnesses, or natural disasters, the quarantine and isolation produced by the COVID-19 crisis is nothing short of psychological torture on a massive scale.  People have been gripped by fear, anger, confusion, depression, distrust, and anxiety, often as a result of things that previously had been sources of comfort and security.  In these times of difficulty, how do you find hope?

Being a psychiatrist in this time in history has been both extraordinary and difficult.  When great challenges are placed before you, I find it helpful to go back to the basics.  Look at the elements in your life and remind yourself of the simple joys they can provide (if you allow it): family and friends/loved ones, acts of kindness, memories of good things past, a beautiful smile, good conversation, the power of faith, the quiet comfort of a cool summer evening, and so on.  The list is endless.

We find hope in our daily lives by seeing those around us succeed and helping others who are struggling.  Allow anger and resentment to pass over you.  Remind yourself of the things that really matter.  And remember: this too shall pass.