The Importance of Hope

 Have you ever met a hopeless happy person? Although the brain remains a mystery in the world of science, it is an enigma that we are all looking forward to resolving. This does not mean that we have not made progress in the journey of its discovery. We have in fact discovered one of the brain's defense systems: hope. We go to sleep at night every day having set an alarm for tomorrow, like if tomorrow was assumed, like if we hoped tomorrow happened. We build a life where we hope we can realize our dreams; hope motivates us and gives us a daily purpose to encourage us throughout our lifetime. Not only does the brain give us daily motivation, but it also scientifically protects us from and makes for faster healing; as long as we believe. There is also a scientific reason as to why hope protects the brain, it actually lowers anxiety, mimics the same effects as common pain killers,  and accelerates healing. 

Hope, although not the only one, is one of our brain's pain killer reactions through challenging times or times that may make us feel like we cannot overcome. Throughout these times, the anatomy of the brain changes to protect itself from how negatively these events may affect other aspects of our lives like our self-esteem and our frustration output. These reactions are usually caused by the unknown which causes us to be anxious due to negative events happening in our lives. Since hope was assumed to be a personality trait by scientists, they tested this theory of hope lowering anxiety in the brain by using MRI scans. In the study, it was found that there was a low frequency in the part of our brain related to motivation and goal orientation, the bilateral medial orbitofrontal cortex. Because of this low frequency, scientists concluded that hope serves as a "mediator" between the activities occurring in that cortex and anxiety. Thus, hope serves the protective role against anxiety that the brain uses. Scientists Find Out How Hope Protects the Brain - Big Think

Following those protective traits, we mentally use them ourselves by acknowledging that there is always a better way that events can occur and most times, believing that we can make them happen. Hope is a way of expecting or, sometimes blindly, believing that the hardship that one is going through will improve in the future. It not only has an emotional effect on how we react to situations but also physiological ones by blocking pain and releasing the brain's endorphins, mimicking the effects of morphine. This can physically accelerate the brain's version of healing itself ad buffering itself from anxiety and depression. These effects do not come only as a result of hope, though; although employees that were more hopeful were linked to better well-being, their daily habits also contributed to that state. How hope can help you heal | CNN

Hope is the ignition of protective chemicals released from the brain against anxiety and depression, but healthy habits are what keep those chemicals moving through the brain, and aid hopes to heal more effectively. Following the two previous findings, it is not only fundamental for us to remain hopeful through taxing matters in our lifetime but complement that with healthy habits to maximize our health, both mentally and physically.