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. That’s according to The Washington Post, where winter depression, also called SAD (seasonal affective disorder) can rob us of our productivity, not to mention our hope. Especially during times like these, when US inflation continues to rise, political candidates are filling up your DMs, or getting kicked out of Congress, it’s hard to find hope. War in the Middle East and Ukraine, rising inflation, layoffs and uncertainty are heavy on everyone’s mind. “The American Dream is feeling less and less tangible for people in the United States,” writes Forbes senior contributor, Jack Kelly. He adds, “A mere 36% of voters said that the American Dream still holds true,” according to a Wall Street Journal survey. The shift in circadian rhythms, brought about by shorter winter days, may lead us to experience 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) state of affairs in the world today?

The World Health Organization says that 4% of men and 6% of women experience depression, with nearly 6% of adults over 60 affected. The University of Virginia reports that SAD (seasonal affective disorder) is a type of depression that typically occurs during the holiday season. SAD can affect a wide range of individuals, 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 was increasing the frequency of depressing thoughts. It wasn’t the weather. It was processed foods.

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

While data shows that our diets can increase the risk of depression, the study also builds a powerful business case for hope. Because our diets can change.

In the midst of any circumstances, 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 we respond. How we choose to treat ourselves, during any and every season of the year.

That’s not to minimize the impact or effects of depression. SAD is real; my mother suffered from it through long winters in Chicago. By all means, if you are struggling with depression, you are not alone. Make the choice that will help, by choosing to get help. Because that choice can be the first step in seeing things in a new way – and finding hope, inside any situation.

No matter what our circumstances, we always have a choice about how we react. Viktor Frankl says that we have the capacity to choose differently – as he discovered inside the most inhumane and cruel circumstances imaginable.

Frankl, a holocaust survivor who was imprisoned in the Nazi death camps in Germany, said, “Everything can be taken from a person but one thing: the last of the 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 Meaning, Frankl says, “When we are no longer able to change a situation, we are challenged to change ourselves.”

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

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

Our diets can change. Our habits can change. And our thoughts can change. The possibility – of finding help, talking with someone, or even finding value in an article on Forbes – always exists. Hope is here. Always. If that wasn’t the case, therapy, coaching and education would not work. Hostage releases would not happen, progress would not be made. Depression can come to anyone, anytime. But the good news is: hope is always just one thought away. And the power to change is one that we all possess. Doesn’t that thought give you hope?