The Light at the End of the Tunnel: Hope in time of Pandemic

It is perhaps needless to say that we, the current generation, who have grown up in a relatively peaceful country, are probably witnessing the worst crisis we have ever faced. The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has completely changed the way we live our lives. This is perhaps the longest time we had been at home in a time of peace. It is perhaps needless to say that the current environment of uncertainty and fear has a profound effect on our mental health and wellbeing. 

The most unfortunate and calamitous result of the stress of the pandemic is suicide. Social isolation, anxiety, fear of contagion, uncertainty, chronic stress, and economic difficulties may lead to the development or exacerbation of stress-related disorders and suicidality in vulnerable populations including individuals with pre-existing psychiatric disorders, low-resilient persons, individuals who reside in high COVID-19 prevalence areas and people who have a family member or a friend who has died of COVID-19.

As a matter of fact, the number of cases of suicide and self-harm have increased in India, reported Time Of India. This is indeed worrisome. We are already losing people to the virus, and suicide is also taking our dear ones away from us. In such a situation, all we can do, apart from maintaining regulatory safety norms, is having hope. 

What is hope?

We need to address the question of what hope is. According to Snyder, hope is a cognitive state that arises when an individual has a determination to achieve a particular goal and has the sufficient planning to reach these goals. To put in a simpler term, if an individual is determined to become a footballer (the goal), and he enrolls himself in a football academy and works hard (the plans), the person would be hopeful. 

People who have hope usually are successful in reaching their goals and thus experience more positive emotions. High hopers consider sterssors as barriers or challenges and will think of alternate ways to tackle these stressors. If we take the current COVID crisis, as a stressor, we can successfully take it on if we have high hopes.

Why have hope?

Hope is the quintessential positive emotion. And it comes with a number of benefits. Hope is correlated with improved performance at school and sports, enhanced physical and psychological well-being, increased self-esteem, and interpersonal relationships. Since people with high hope view stressors as being challenging rather than stressful, they experience a lesser intensity of stress. Hope also protects people from anxiety and depression. 

How to increase hope in life?

Following are some of the ways in which you can inculcate hope in your life-

• Chalk out a clear plan. Remember hope is born out of the determination and planning to achieve a goal. Thus, if you feel hopeless, set a goal. Remember the goal needs to be achievable. It can be a short term goal too. Once you have set the goal, chalk out a plan to achieve a goal. If you are successful, in this, you can start setting your eyes on a bigger goal. After all, hope leads to more hope.
• If you are feeling too low and hopeless, you can try to look for role models. In the context of COVID, if you feel hopeless about the situation not improving, or you are too scared of getting the virus, you can try to learn about the societies that have successfully contained the spread of the virus or individuals who have recovered after getting the virus. Hope is infectious. 
• Try doing acts of kindness. They can be small or something big.  Engaging in such behaviours increase your mood and makes you feel better about yourself. 
• In another post, I had talked about mindfulness. Practicing mindfulness might also contribute to positive emotions and well-being, leading to increased possibilities of higher hope.