Hopebeat Weekly: October 4, 2023
Why we need an International Day of Hope
Last week, I was at the United Nations and was reminded again of why I do this work. The stats are alarming, and we are moving in the wrong direction. Hope is more critical now, than ever.
As hopelessness impacts not just one SDG, but all SDGs. The UN just published the chart to showcase where we have come in the last 3 years, and it isn’t good. We have either made zero progress, or gone backwards, for most goals. As you might imagine, this can lead to persistent hopelessness for those working towards these goals.
Alexa Mikhail wrote a Fortune article about how holding on to unattainable goals may make you stressed, anxious, and depressed. It makes sense, as this pursuit is likely to make you feel persistent hopelessness (despair and helplessness), a key symptom of anxiety and the primary symptom of depression. She referenced a study by Candice Hubley on how releasing unattainable goals can boost mental health.
By the pure nature of these ambitious, complex, and far-reaching goals and our current progress, we are potentially creating a further public health crisis by not recognizing the risks and providing tools to those working on them. Hope is a protective factor for anxiety and depression. Hope isn’t just a ‘nice word’; it is grounded in science and a necessary skill to achieve all we want for ourselves, our community, and our world.
When we are persistently hopeless, as 57% of the teen girls in the US are, we turn to addiction and violence; we live in a state of fear and harm ourselves and others. We aren’t kind, we don’t align with our passions, and we don’t pursue our purpose. Hopelessness is a learned response, and we are failing our youth by not teaching them ‘how’ to hope, and we are failing the world.
An International Day of Hope is necessary to elevate the science of Hope. We must ensure every person worldwide knows we can measure hope, and we need to be active participants in improving hope, individually and collectively. Higher hope impacts all SDGs, as indicated by the research we’ve put together.
You can see experts, advocates, and inspiring individuals share WHY this day is so critical:
2-Minute Recap
I’ve worked with hope experts to draft a UN resolution for an International Day of Hope to be established on the first Monday in May to kick off Mental Health Month, as hope is critical to mental health. If you want to support us in getting this International Day of Hope passed, please send this to your Ministers of Health in your country or ask your UN Country Ambassador to get in touch with us. We show you how here.
We are at an inflection point in humanity; if we lose hope, we lose our ability to transform our world. The time for hope was yesterday, yet there is no better time to start than now.
Thank you for your encouragement and support. And if so inspired, please share with those that care about mental health, and hope.
Keep Shining Hope,
Kathryn
Watch the 8-minute Summary of International Day of Hope 2023:
Check out our Hope activating courses:
Hopeful Mindsets Overview
The Hopeful Mindsets Overview is a 90-minute video course that introduces hope and the Five Keys to SHINE Hope™ framework to help you create, maintain, and grow hope in your life.
Hopeful Mindsets in the Workplace
Hopeful Mindsets in the Workplace Overview is a 90-minute video course that introduces hope and the Five Keys to SHINE Hope™ framework to help you create, maintain, and grow hope in the workplace.
Hopeful Mindsets on the College Campus
Designed to be completed as a class or individually, the Hopeful Mindsets: College Campus is a 10-week course that combines hope science, expert testimonials, and insights from recent college graduates to present the hope skills students need to create, maintain, and grow a hopeful mindset.
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