Meet Hope – Right Where You Are

Hope isn’t a far-off feeling — it’s a daily practice you can tap into now through small steps such as reaching out to someone you trust, trying a coping tool, or expressing yourself creatively. Give yourself one minute each day to connect with hope and find a way forward with moments that bring you comfort, joy, and connection.

Find Hope in Practice

Take sixty seconds to pause and notice what brings you comfort, joy, or connection. 

These resources offer concrete ways to shift your perspective, care for yourself, express what’s inside, and connect with others. Pick what resonates and start wherever you are.

Reframe Your Thoughts

When things feel overwhelming, your thoughts can turn against you. Reframing helps you notice unhelpful patterns and shift them toward something more balanced and true. These tools can help you practice that shift and start seeing hope in a new light.

How to Stop Feeling Hopeless
Learn practical ways to challenge negative thoughts and reframe what feels impossible.
Read the guide

Learn From Setbacks
Take a step back from a difficult moment to reflect, reframe, and retry in order to move forward.
Get tips

Get Inspired By Creators
Learn from content creators sharing simple, everyday activities that help them find hope.
Watch now

Nurture Your Well-Being

Sometimes the weight of stress or endless “what-ifs” can block the rays of hope trying to reach us. Remember that pressing pause isn’t about doing nothing – it’s about creating space to step back, reset, and discover more effective ways to care for yourself. Whether you’re starting a wellness routine, finding strategies to manage stress, or need to stop the scroll, these practices can help quiet the chaos so hope has room to shine through.

Move to Feel Better
Stretch, walk, or shake it out — whatever gets you out of your head and into your body.
Follow along

Write It Out
Use journaling to clear your mind: brain dumps, gratitude lists, or whatever’s real for you.
Get tips

Create an Intention Board
Make a visual collage of how you want to feel, not just what you want to achieve.
Get started

Foster Creativity

Hope grows when we make something – not because it’s perfect but because it’s ours. Creativity gives shape to what we’re feeling and helps us see new possibilities. You don’t have to be an artist – just try something that gets ideas or energy moving. These activities can help you notice what brings you comfort or joy, and build on it.

Joy Jotting
Write down one thing that brought you joy today. Train your brain to notice what feels good.
Get started

Play Up Your Mood
Create a feel-good playlist and let it move you — whether that’s dancing, vibing, or just closing your eyes and taking it in.
Get grooving

Create Without a Goal
Doodle. Make a playlist. Try something just because it feels good. Creativity is joy in motion.
Get started

Cultivate Connection

Hope multiplies when we share it. Connection isn’t about having a huge circle; it’s about building trust and showing up in real ways. These resources can help you recognize what you’re feeling, strengthen your relationships, and find spaces where you belong.

How to Create and Maintain Healthy Relationships
Strong relationships don’t just happen. Learn how to build trust, set boundaries, and communicate what matters.
Learn more

How to Identify and Talk About Your Feelings
Knowing what you feel is the first step to sharing it. Learn simple ways to recognize emotions and talk about them without shutting down.
Read the guide

How to Make Friends in College
Making friends takes practice — and it’s never too late to start. Try small steps to meet new people and build real connections.
Get tips

How to Help a Friend Who’s Struggling
You don’t have to have the perfect words. Learn how to notice when someone might need help and how to be there for them.
Learn how

When Hope Feels Out of Reach

Sometimes we experience so much pain, loss, or numbness that it can feel like there is no way out of how we’re feeling. When you feel hopeless or overwhelmed, you may start to have thoughts of suicide. With the right treatment and support, you can begin to feel so much better—even hopeful.

If you’re having suicidal thoughts or wondering what they mean, learn more about what suicidal thoughts are and when to get help, and read JED’s guide on what to do when you’re feeling hopeless or thinking about suicide.

If you or someone you know needs to talk to someone right now:

• Text, call, or chat 988 for a free confidential conversation with a trained counselor 24/7. 
• You can also contact the Crisis Text Line by texting HOME to 741-741.
• If this is a medical emergency or if there is immediate danger of harm, call 911 and explain that you need support for a mental health crisis.

You are not alone. Help is here, and healing is possible.