Dear College of Education Community,
Hope is especially important for wellbeing at this current time in our lives. “Giving yourself the opportunity to imagine a better future can help you when that future seems uncertain, “ states Susan Krauss, Ph.D., in her recent article titled “The new psychology of hope” in Psychology Today. “The simple exercise of taking a break from your current preoccupations to visualize a hopeful image could provide a strong antidote to feeling that there is no end in sight when you’re forced to sit tight until your future can become revealed.” Dr. Chan Hellman, a professor from the University of Oklahoma and founding Director of the Hope Research Center, also believes that hope is critical 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 believes that by hoping for things to go well in challenging times ahead of us, “we will have a role to play in that future pursuit.”
To read more of this interview, go to
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/fulfillment-at-any-age/202409/the-new-psychology-of-hope
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 hold onto hope in the coming weeks!
Warmly,
Shari