The Business Case For Hope

Every winter, millions of Americans—as much as 5% of the population—deal with the low moods and lethargy that can come with the holiday season. This is according to The Washington Postwhere winter depression, also called SAD (seasonal affective disorder) can rob us of our productivity, not to mention our hope. Especially in times like these, when US inflation continues to rise, political candidates flood your DMs, or when they’re kicked out of Congress, it’s hard to find hope. The war in the Middle East and Ukraine, rising inflation, layoffs and uncertainty are heavy on everyone’s mind. “The American Dream feels less and less tangible to people in the United States,” he writes Forbes senior associate, Jack Kelly; He adds, “A simple one 36% of voters he said the American dream is still valid,” according to a Wall Street Journal overview. The change in circadian rhythms, caused by shorter winter days, can lead to a loss of hope, increased frustration, and an avalanche of depressing thoughts. Is there really a business case for hope – in the midst of what can often seem like a hopeless (and depressing) situation in the world today?

The World Health Organization says 4% of men and 6% of women experience depression, with almost 6% of adults over 60 affected. The University of Virginia reports that SAD (seasonal affective disorder) is a type of depression that usually occurs during the holiday season. SAD can affect a wide range of people, but some may be more predisposed to suffering than others, according to Dr. Kim Penberthy, an expert on the subject.

“Depression is one of the leading causes of disability worldwide,” says Olivia Okereke, an associate professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School. In a study of more than 31,000 middle-aged women, Dr. Okereke tells PBS that she and her fellow researchers saw something that raised her frequency of depressive thoughts;. It wasn’t the weather. It was processed food.

“Artificially sweetened beverages,” he says, “had an increased rate of depression,” in addition to foods high in salt, sugar, hydrogenated fats, and additives. The study he cited the impact of staples like chips and soda, but also yogurts and packaged bread.

While the data shows that our diet can increase our risk of depression, the study also makes a strong business case for hope. Because our diet can change.

In the midst of any situation, even in the middle of the snack aisle at the grocery store, we can make different choices. In a world where wars, weather and inflation are beyond our control, we always have a choice about how we show up. How do we react? How we choose to treat ourselves, every season of the year.

This is not to minimize the impact or effects of depression. SAD is real. My mother suffered from it during the long winters in Chicago. Either way, if you’re struggling with depression, you’re not alone. Make the choice that will help you by choosing to get help. Because this choice can be the first step to seeing things in a new way – and finding hope, in any situation.

Regardless of our circumstances, we always have a choice in how we react. Viktor Frankl says that we have the ability to choose differently – as he discovered in the most inhuman and cruel conditions imaginable.

Frankl, a holocaust survivor imprisoned in the Nazi death camps in Germany, said: “Everything can be taken from a man but one thing: the last of human freedoms – to choose one’s attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one’s own way. In his book, Man’s search for meaningsays Frankl, “When we are no longer able to change a situation, we are called upon to change ourselves.”

The business case for hope is simple. Think, right now, how many possibilities there are. For example, I could write almost anything. Travis Kelce. Avocado. Street signs. (Looks at the editor, decides to use a verb in the next sentence, smiles, returns to keyboard). Some words can have a negative impact, but the point is: the possibilities are always there. How many chances would you say there are, right now, right now?

Hope always exists. Like gravity. You don’t have to believe it, and it’s still there. Hope is always a possibility. When people say, “All hope is lost!” it just means they’ve lost the ability to find it.

Our diet can change. Our habits can change. And our thoughts can change. The possibility – find help, talk to someone or even find value in an article about Forbes – There is always. Hope is here. Always. If this were not the case, therapy, guidance and education would not work. There would be no hostage release, no progress. Depression can strike anyone at any time. But the good news is: hope is always a thought away. And the power of change is what we all have. Doesn’t this thought give you hope?