“Problem-solving isn’t a result of hope. It’s what calms us down and instills hope in us.”

When times get tough, we look for hope. We hope that our hope will power us through the abyss. But a hopeful approach might not be the best strategy for soothing your nerves.

The therapist and Forge contributor Kathleen Smith suggests that instead of viewing hope as solution for anxiety or dread, we think of it as a byproduct of taking action.

“Engaging our frontal lobe, the part of the brain that defines goals and breaks them into manageable steps, can shift us out of anxiety and into a more thoughtful state of being,” Smith writes. “What once seemed like certain doom can start to look like a complex but manageable challenge.”

You Don’t Have to Feel Hopeful