By Josiah Hultgren Happiness Health Neuro-Exercises

Hope is not just some buzzword embroidered into throw pillows on Etsy. It’s neurologically vital.

Embracing hope is probably the most important thing we can do to maintain a healthy brain and lifestyle.

When we cultivate hope (faith combined with optimism), we stimulate the decision-making and problem-solving abilities governed by the frontal lobes.

via GIPHY

Hope boosts our immune system, energizes us to take action, and deactivates the worry centers in the worry centers in our limbic system and right prefrontal cortex. It helps us overcome paralysis caused by anxiety. Without hope, we slip into depression and our brain begins to shut down.

When you maintain a positive view about the future, you also stimulate the anterior cingulate, one of the most important structures for controlling your moods and improving social awareness, compassion, and self-love.

Neuro-Exercise

Why not commit to exercising your “hope” neurons by spending one minute, each hour, believing that you can overcome the obstacles that lie in your way of achieving your daily goal?

Try visualizing what that might look like.

Then write down several action-strategies that you know will help you resolve immediate problems, conflicts, and fears.

A scuba diver with fish swimming around him, showcasing the mental focus required for this simple yet exhilarating activity.

Dive Deeper

Neural mechanisms mediating optimism bias.
Sharot T1, Riccardi AM, Raio CM, Phelps EA. Nature. 2007 Nov 1;450(7166):102-5.

2-3X Your
Learning Speed

The new science of lock-picking your brain-activity like a felon.

Unlock New Ability

50% OFF!

An unforgettable image of a girl captivated by a firework in the sky, offering insights into brain science.

9 Insights From Brain Science to Make You Unforgettable

Most people want to be remembered for something. We want to be the type of people that leave an impression

Alice from "Alice in Wonderland" looking surprised at a streak of red light, her focus intensely sharp.

Yawning is the Fastest Way to Hack Mental Stress and Focus

Most people think of yawning as just a sign of either being as bored as a sentient statue, or needing

A woman stands at the center of a surreal, purple-hued landscape with ominous clouds and fantastical elements surrounding her, reflecting the maze of her negative thinking.

You May Be More Negative Than You Think

A negative mentality is profoundly harmful to the the circuitry of the brain. But no need to respond negatively to that fact.

An image of a meditating buddha in front of a clock, symbolling the concept of shortening time for bigger results.

How Shortening Your Meditation Can = Bigger Results

It’s a well-known fact that meditating and being mindful are excellent for your brain. It makes you smarter, healthier and

Comments (1)

josh brahinsky

October 3, 2022 at 8:37 pm

Hey there – this is super inspiring – can you tell me where I can find citations for this middle paragraph: "Hope stimulates the decision-making and problem-solving abilities governed by the frontal lobes. It stimulates the immune system, it motivates us to take action, and it turns off the worry centers in our limbic system and right prefrontal cortex. Without hope, we slip into depression and the brain begins to shut down"