Holding On to Hope and Faith When Your World Feels Like It’s Falling Apart

Survival Fun Guide
Jun 4
3 min read

Life has a way of throwing us into the deep end when we least expect it. One minute, things feel steady, and the next, everything is upside down - loss, heartbreak, health struggles, financial chaos, loneliness. When the weight of it all feels like too much, how do you keep going?

Hope and faith.

Not necessarily in a religious sense (though for some, that’s part of it), but in the belief that you will get through this. That there’s light beyond the darkness. That even when everything feels impossible, you still have choices. You can still hold on to hope.

If you’re struggling, if you’re barely holding on, this is for you.

Step 1: Acknowledge the Suck

Toxic positivity tells us to “just look on the bright side!” But sometimes, there is no bright side - at least, not in the moment. And that’s okay.

Lost your job? That sucks.

Heartbroken? That sucks.

Lost someone you love? That really, really sucks.

You don’t have to pretend everything is okay when it’s not. The first step in finding hope again is allowing yourself to feel what you feel - without guilt, without shame.

Step 2: Break It Down

When everything feels like too much, zoom in. Instead of asking, How will I survive this? ask:

✔️ What can I do today?

✔️ What’s one small action I can take?

✔️ What’s within my control right now?

Hope doesn’t always come in grand, sweeping gestures. Sometimes, it’s just waking up and deciding to try again.

Step 3: Find Anchors That Keep You Grounded

Faith doesn’t have to mean religion - it can mean believing in something bigger than yourself:

Faith in yourself - You’ve survived hard things before. You can do it again.

Faith in people - Someone out there cares, even if you don’t see them right now.

Faith in time - Things change, even when it doesn’t feel like they ever will.

Faith in small joys - A sunrise, a song, a deep breath.

Hope is built on tiny moments that remind us life still has beauty, even in the darkest times.

Step 4: Let Go of the Timeline

Healing, rebuilding, feeling okay again—it doesn’t happen overnight. There’s no deadline for grief, no set schedule for bouncing back.

Stop thinking you “should” be over it by now.

Stop comparing your healing to someone else’s.

Stop believing that because it still hurts, it always will.

Some things take time, but that doesn’t mean you’re stuck forever.

Step 5: Keep Moving, Even If It’s Slow

Some days, hope will feel impossible. That’s when faith kicks in—not blind faith, but the stubborn belief that if you keep moving, things will shift.

Ask yourself: What’s one thing I can do today to take care of myself?