Dear College of Education Community,
What is hope and is it an important act of self-care, especially right now? In an interview published in Psychology Today, Dr. Chan Hellman, a professor from the University of Oklahoma and founding Director of the Hope Research Center, believes hope is very important for our wellbeing. He cites evidence that hope not only leads to better physical and psychological health, but also is a “a transformative agent and a functional way of thinking that can have great prospects for our life.” He defines hope as follows. “Hope is more than wishing and is really centered on the belief that tomorrow will be better than today, and that we will have a role to play in that future pursuit. It’s a cognitive process, a mindset, that is more than a feeling or emotion.” Dr. Hellman describes a set of guiding principles for hope below:
- The idea that "imagination" is the instrument of hope. This is the ability to "imagine the future," borrowed from the work in self-psychology literature, and how we might begin to see how this also affects intentionality and motivation.
- The idea that “hope begets hope.” This is the idea that once we experience a bit of success toward our goals, it also enhances our willpower and inherent pathways to thinking.
- Hope is a "social gift," because hope tends to flourish in relationship with others and the connections we maintain rather than occurring in isolation.
To read more of this interview, go to
https://www.psychologytoday.com/au/blog/more-than-a-feeling/202212/new-hope-for-the-hopeless
Dr. Hellman has also published a book about hope called Hope Rising: How the Science of HOPE Can Change Your Life.
https://www.psychologytoday.com/au/blog/friendship-20/202103/the-health-benefits-hope
For a list of many self-care options, please see our COE self-care website for resources for faculty, staff, students, and the community at:
https://www.csun.edu/eisner-education/self-care/articles-information-self-care
May we all find hope for our future!
Warmly,
Shari