Striking the balance between staying informed without toppling into a well of hopelessness was something I explored whilst writing my book. If you notice that the news is getting you down and eroding your hope, rebalance it by seeking out and subscribing to positive newsletters, social media accounts and news outlet- the good news is that there are loads. Reading about people and organisations problem solving, spreading joy and happiness will boost your hope- you may even be inspired to join in or support the people and organisations you read about. It is possible to stay in touch with the world and yet to engage with hopeful news. You have to take action to find it, but it’s out there. You know that saying “you are what you eat”? well that goes for everything we consume, and if all you are reading or the only messages you are receiving is that the world is doomed and people are awful, well of course you will feel gloomy. Do yourself a favour and detox your media diet.
If you are especially worried about one particular issue, a really helpful thing to do can be to “lean into” the fear by researching who is doing something about it. I promise you; I know from experience that there is always someone, somewhere. I also committed to sharing positive news and hopeful stories on social media and becoming part of the “ecosystem of hope” myself.
Being hopeful doesn’t have to mean burying your head in the sand. You can be aware of what is going on in the world and still maintain hope. It’s important to remember that there are at least two sides to every story and that the positive side is told less often, so we have to seek it out, and share it.
Here are ten wonderful sources of positive news to start you off:
- Positive News: https://www.positive.news
- Good News Network: https://www.goodnewsnetwork.org
- Sunny Skyz: https://www.sunnyskyz.com
- The Optimist Daily: https://www.optimistdaily.com
- Reasons to be Cheerful: https://reasonstobecheerful.world
- Good News Shared: https://goodnewsshared.com
- Happy Newspaper: https://thehappynewspaper.com/?v=79cba1185463
- Great Good Science Center: https://greatergood.berkeley.edu
- Happy Eco News: https://happyeconews.com
- The Uplift: https://theuplift.substack.com
Notice how you feel when you begin to engage more with solutions focused, positive stories- calmer, happier, more peaceful? If you find it is having a positive effect, then keep it up- resist returning to doomscrolling and make sure your inbox and your social media feeds are full of positivity and joy.
Hope can grow when it is fed by true stories from all around the world. Help hope out- pass on and share some of the positive stories you discover with friends and family and be a spreader of light and of hope.
- Bernadette Russell, author of How to Be Hopeful