The importance of hope

Hope is part of everyone's lives but it's something we don't always actively think about. It's an important part of what helps to keep us well. Having hope helps us when we are experiencing difficult times. Hope helps us to see that recovery is possible.

Maintaining positive mental wellbeing can support us to feel more balanced, manage stress and anxiety and generally make some of the more difficult times we face more bearable.

Sometimes it can feel as though all we're seeing and hearing about is negative.

While the world isn't perfect, it can be overwhelming if we focus on this too much.

It's important for us to balance this with positives and having hope can help with this.

We've asked our staff and patient to share the things that give them hope.

If you're going through a difficult time and need a little pick me up or are simply looking for some inspiration, have a look through these suggestions… 

If you're going through a difficult time and need a little pick me up or are simply looking for some inspiration, here are some songs that our staff and patients have shared that help to give them hope…

  1. Everybody's Free to Wear Sunscreen by Baz Luhrmann
  2. Started from the Bottom by Drake
  3. Everybody Hurts by REM
  4. Stand by Me by Ben E King
  5. Lean on Me by Bill Withers 
  6. Waterfalls by TLC
  7. I'm Still Standing by Elton John
  8. Eye of the Tiger by Survivor
  9. Ain't no Mountain High Enough by Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell
  10. Still by Ben Folds
  11. Somewhere Over the Rainbow by Judy Garland
  12. September by Earth, Wind and Fire
  13. Move on Up by Curtis Mayfield
  14. This Girl by Kungs and Cookin' on 3 Burners
  15. Survivor by Destiny's Child
  16. Watermelon Sugar by Harry Styles
  17. Rain on Me by Lady Gaga and Ariana Grande
  18. Higher Love by Kygo and Whitney Houston
  19. Unwritten by Natasha Bedingfield
  20. Tubthumping (I get knocked down) by Chumbawamba
  21. Roar by Katy Perry
  22. You'll Never Walk Alone by Gerry and the Pacemakers
  23. Imagine by John Lennon 

Research shows that reading has a positive effect on our wellbeing. Many people find comfort in books. Regular reading has the unique ability to empower us and help us feel happier.

If you're going through a difficult time and need a little pick me up or are simply looking for some inspiration, here are some books that our staff and patients have shared that help to give them hope…

1.    The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse by Charlie Mackesy

2.    Reasons to Stay Alive by Matt Haig

3.    To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee

4.    Chicken Soup for the Soul by Jack Canfield and Mark Victor Hansen

5.    The Prophet by Kahlil Gibran

6.    The Five People You Meet in Heaven by Mitch Albom

7.    A Mindfulness Guide for the Frazzled by Ruby Wax

8.    Calm journal by Fearne Cotton

9.    A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman

10.  What I Know for Sure by Oprah Winfrey

11.  Kafka on the Shore by Haruki Murakami

12.  The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho

13.  The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck by Mark Manson 

14.  Mindfulness: A Practical Guide to Finding Peace in a Frantic World by Mark Williams and Danny Penman

15.  The Chimp Paradox by Dr Steve Peters

Watching something uplifting or funny can entertain, inspire and sometimes it helps us to release emotions we didn’t know we’d been holding onto. 
If you're going through a difficult time and need a little pick me up or are simply looking for some inspiration, here are some films that our staff and patients have shared that help to give them hope…
  1. Up! (2009)
  2. About time (2013)
  3. Chef (2014)
  4. The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind (2019)
  5. Good Will Hunting (1997)
  6. A Beautiful Mind (2001)
  7. The Power of One (1992)
  8. 13 going on 30 (2004)
  9. BlacKkKlansman (2018)
  10. The Pursuit of Happyness (2006)
  11. The Theory of Everything (2014)
  12. Field of Dreams (1989)
  13. It's a Wonderful Life (1946)
  14. Freedom Writers (2007)
  15. Warrior (2011)
  16. Braveheart (1995)
  17. The Greatest Showman (2017)
  18. Gladiator (2000) 
  19. Patch Adams (1998)

If you're going through a difficult time and need a little pick me up or are simply looking for some inspiration, here are some films that our staff and patients have shared that help to give them hope…

Connect with people 
Whether that is virtually or in person. Connecting with people can help to build a sense of belonging and self-worth.


Learn a new skill 
Be courageous and think about taking that step to start something new. This can boost confidence, build a sense of purpose and help you to connect with others. Ideas shared include cooking, DIY, mindfulness and art.

Be physically active 
Where possible, and within the scope of your abilities, think about ways to be active. This can help raise your self-esteem, help you achieve your goals and can cause chemical changes in your brain that can positively change your mood.

Be kind 
Acts of kindness can help improve your wellbeing, creating positive feelings, improving your self-worth and connecting you with others.
Kindness can take many forms, from saying thank you, asking family or friends how they are and actively listening through to volunteering in your local community.

Remember to have faith 
Faith can be a great source of inspiration. Sometimes it brings hope to look beyond yourself for answers. Whatever your belief, your faith can be a source of comfort and support.

Spend time in nature 
When you really look at and think about it, nature can be inspiring.
Being outdoors, growing flowers or food, exercising outdoors and being around animals can really help how we feel. 

Practice self-compassion
Treat yourself the same kindness and care you would give a friend.

Sometimes the words of others can be the wise voice we need to hear.
Here is a small selection of quotes that our staff and patients have shared with us to help inspire hope…

Hope is being able to see that there is light despite all of the darkness – Desmond Tutu

Hope has the uncommon ability to slip in through the smallest cracks of our existence. A single flower, a ray of sunlight, a pause in the storm, a smile in a crowd of people – any small moment can hold the power to re-shape our perception of the world we live in. 

Hope cannot be held, measured, or weighed in our hands – yet its value surpasses any physical object we may possess.

Hope can be a great light in our lives, but it can also be like a shadow following us even when we are unaware of its presence. Pay close attention, and it becomes clear that hope never really leaves us – we only forget, momentarily, where we saw it last.

Hope is like a road in the country; there was never a road, but when many people walk on it, the road comes into existence. – Lin Yutang

Hope is never a clear set of directions. We can search the universe for advice and inspiration, but in the end it requires us to be brave, start walking across the field, and realize "hmm… it looks like someone's come this way before…"

Hope is helpful even in its ambiguity. When things seem confusing and overwhelming, and all we have is a vague light in the distance, we don't need absolute certainty of where the light will take us – we just need to know that what is endured here, in this moment, will mean something at the end of the journey.

The sunrise has never failed us yet. – Celia Baxter

Hope never fails to remind us that, as they say, it is always darkest just before dawn. If it ever feels like there is nothing left to do but give in and give up, those are the moments in which you've got to hold out the strongest – because it means that light and warmth are just approaching the horizon.