Hope versus anxiety

In the late 1960's, American psychologist Martin Seligman developed the concept of Learned Helplessness, as he observed the behaviors of both animals and humans. This concept assumed some relevance in the field of mental health, being one that many may recognize by essence, even if not by name.

What is this learned helplessness, then? Seligman noted that when people are subjected to an unavoidable stress and discomfort for a long time, such as the stress many of us face daily in our frantic lives, they start behaving as if there is nothing they can do to help themselves out of their unpleasant circumstances. As time goes by, people simply resign themselves from even trying to improve things, conforming to whatever is hurting them... sometimes, for a long time after the actual ability to change things has been restored to them. It is something akin to a depressive state.

People sometimes learn to feel this way, that they have no control over the outcomes of things in their lives... one day they simply conform to being towed daily by their external circumstances. Well, if truly nothing can be done, then acceptance can be positive... but often, something CAN be done to improve, even if only a bit. If we can't see it, then we should ask for other people's opinions, since someone looking from the outside in can have a clearer perspective. But for it to be possible, we first need to believe it, and to understand that however small the improvement may be, it is still worth it: the smallest of things can sometimes do the greatest of differences.

In our quest to deal with our anxieties, it is important to constantly remind ourselves that we CAN change things. Even if there is no clear path to a best-case scenario, we can at least attempt make our own lives a bit better, little by little, one thing at a time. Realizing that today is today, tomorrow will be a bit better... if we just do something to make it that way.

(PS: Avoidance of feared situations is seldom the best solution, if that's the first thought that came to mind.)

The important thing is to not let yourself fall into a learned helplessness: Hope is more than just a word, if only you hold on to it. "Action" equals "possibility of change".