There’s a moment — maybe late at night or in the middle of a quiet afternoon — when it hits you.
The kind of tired that sleep can’t fix.
The kind of emptiness that no words can fill.
You’ve been holding on for so long, trying to be strong, trying to believe that things will get better.
But right now? Right now it feels like maybe they won’t. Maybe hope is slipping through your fingers.
I’ve been there.
For me, it’s always been my career – working from home for own my online businesses has been unpredictable – there are ups and downs.
And the downs are so low, that sometimes I feel like abandoning it all together.
When you’re losing hope, everything feels heavy.
Even brushing your teeth. Even texting back.
I have no idea what you’re going through, but I genuinely wish this post sets things right in some way.
Hope doesn’t always come back in one big, dramatic moment.
Sometimes it returns like a whisper.
A small reminder.
A tiny shift.
So here are 11 things to hold onto when you’re on the edge of giving up.
Read them slowly. Let them sink in. You don’t have to feel hopeful right now. You just have to stay.
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1. You’ve Survived Every Hard Day So Far
My mom used to tell me this every time I called her with a new sad story.
She gave me so much hope and I still miss her so much. But these words have remained with me.
I need you to realize that it might not feel like much — but you’re still here.
That means something.
You’ve already made it through nights you thought would break you. Days that dragged. Mornings that felt impossible.
You don’t need to have everything figured out.
You just need to remember that you’re still breathing. And that’s proof you can keep going.
2. Feelings Aren’t Facts
Remember this.
Everytime you cry, remember this.
Just because it feels like things will never get better doesn’t mean that’s true.
Our brains lie to us when we’re tired, hurt, anxious, or grieving.
The story you’re telling yourself in your lowest moment isn’t the whole story.
It’s a chapter. And it’s okay to pause there — but please don’t let it define the ending.
When I feel like drowning in my own thoughts, I write them out in this guided mental health journal and then write a gentler version of the story.
It helps. A lot.
3. Healing Isn’t Linear (Even If You’re “Backsliding”)
You can feel okay on Monday and fall apart on Thursday.
That doesn’t mean you’re broken — it means you’re human.
Progress isn’t a straight line.
And sometimes you’re healing even when it looks like you’re falling apart.
Keep showing up.
Even in small ways. Brushing your teeth. Drinking water. Texting one person back. Healing can live in those tiny choices.
Try setting a soft routine — like lighting a calming lavender candle before bed — to remind your nervous system you’re safe.
4. It’s Okay to Rest (You Don’t Have to Earn It)
You don’t need to “deserve” rest.
You don’t need to earn a break.
Being alive is enough.
When I went through a painful breakup, I slept a lot for the next 3 months. I would wake up to cry, munch on something and I’d sleep.
I just wanted time to pass.
I remember feeling so lost and helpless. But I’ve moved past that.
It’s been 4 years, and I’m in such a good place.
I needed that time, to wallow in self-pity and just do nothing. And I don’t regret that period of my life.
Sometimes when everything feels hopeless, your body is just begging for stillness.
Not because you’re lazy. But because you’re exhausted.
Try putting your phone away, curling up in a weighted blanket (this really helped me sleep), and doing absolutely nothing for an hour.
No shame. No productivity. Just stillness.
Rest doesn’t mean quitting. It means pausing — and there’s power in that.
5. Your People Exist — Even If You Haven’t Met Them Yet
One of the loneliest feelings is believing you’ll never feel understood.
I’ve written a post here that you might like to read if you feel like nobody understands you.
That no one gets it. That you’re too much or not enough.
But listen — your people are out there.
The ones who’ll love you exactly as you are. Who’ll see your softness and hold it gently. You just haven’t crossed paths yet.
I’ve made friends I never thought I’d have.
After my breakup, I started putting myself out there and I found love in animals and humans.
I built strong connections and my life drastically improved.
Have hope and trust me, it will get better.
Until then, be your own safe place.
Use this self-compassion workbook to start speaking to yourself the way you wish someone else would.
6. You Don’t Have to Be Positive — Just Honest
Toxic positivity says: “Just be grateful!”
Real healing says: “This sucks. And I’m still trying.”
You don’t have to fake joy when your heart is breaking.
I know a lot of people dish out this advice when you complain about life and I get it, it’s super annoying.
Remember, that just because things aren’t going well, doesn’t mean you have to keep putting on a smile and pretending things are okay.
You don’t have to.
You just have to be honest with yourself.
Let your sadness sit with you without shame.
This is called healthy self-expression.
And somehow, that honesty makes space for hope to come back.
7. You’re Allowed to Outgrow Old Versions of Yourself
Change can hurt.
Maybe what you’re grieving isn’t a person or a moment.
Maybe it’s you. The version of yourself you thought you’d be by now?
And that’s okay.
It’s okay to change.
To shed the layers that no longer fit. To disappoint old expectations.
You’re still growing — even if it feels like you’re falling apart. Growth can be quiet. Unpretty. But it’s still growth.
Use a blank journal to write a letter to the future you. The one who’s proud of how far you came — even when no one saw the struggle.
8. Hope Isn’t Loud. Sometimes It Whispers.
Remember this okay.
It’s so easy to watch movies and believe that hope will come like a giant spark in the sky.
It doesn’t work like that.
Life is sometimes very subtle.
Sometimes, hope shows up as a flicker. A small voice. A deep breath that doesn’t ache.
Pay attention to those moments. They matter more than you think.
Some nights, I sit by the window with a tea and just let the silence hold me.
That, too, is healing.
9. You’re Not Weak for Feeling This Way
There’s strength in softness.
In admitting you’re struggling. In letting the tears fall.
You’re not broken. You’re not dramatic.
You’re just carrying more than anyone sees. And you’re doing the best you can with what you have.
That’s brave.
I’m telling you this and I believe it with all my heart.
When I start spiraling, I hold a grounding stone and repeat to myself, “This feeling is allowed. It will pass.” And eventually… it does.
10. You’re Allowed to Ask for Help
You don’t have to carry it all alone.
Text someone.
Email a therapist. Call a friend. Walk into a support group. Or just say, “I’m not okay.”
That’s not weakness. That’s wisdom.
Asking for help is one of the strongest things you can do.
I remember finally caving and going to a therapist.
It was the best decision I ever made for my mental health.
I did not like her the moment I entered. I felt she was oblivious to my feelings. She gave me pointless homework.
I remember going back home and thinking, why am I paying for this.
And then after I sat down with a notepad, her question began to make sense. I answered it out and thought about it and realized my breakup was inevitable.
It would have happened no matter what I did because the relationship was never right for me in the first place.
I went back the week after that and I continued my therapy – it did heal me.
If you don’t know where to start, try reading this gentle therapy-style workbook — it can be your first step toward something lighter.
11. This Moment Is Not the End
It might feel like it — but it’s not.
There’s still laughter waiting for you.
Still sunrises.
Still books you haven’t read and people you haven’t met. Still days where you’ll wake up excited again.
This isn’t the end. It’s a bend. One of many.
And somewhere beyond it? Hope will return. In a new form. In a way that feels real again.
You just have to stay. One breath at a time.
Here are a few more posts that you may find helpful:
- 9 reasons why friends come and go
- 25 Relaxing Hobbies for Women Who Need a Break
- How to let go of the past even though it’s painful
- How to Stop Putting Pressure on Yourself
- 12 Tiny Habits to Level Up Your Life
- How to focus on the present moment
- How to be enough for yourself
- 11 Signs You’re Growing (Even If Everything Feels Like It’s Falling Apart)
- 7 Ways to Stop Letting Fear Control Your Life
