When It Feels Hopeless — Here’s How You Keep Going
By Cassie Uptmore | Sober.Buzz
Some days just hit harder than others.
Maybe it’s the weight of everything you’ve lost.
The silence where connection used to live.
The gut-punch realization that even in recovery, life doesn’t magically fix itself.
If you’ve ever woken up and thought, I don’t know how to do this today, you’re not alone.
I’ve been there.
In that bone-deep ache.
In that quiet war between giving up and giving grace.
And while I don’t have a cure for hopelessness, I’ve gathered some strategies that help me survive it — and sometimes, even rise above it.
Here’s how to keep going when everything in you wants to give up.
- Break the Day Into Pieces
Don’t look at the next week.
Don’t even look at the rest of the day.
Just get through this hour.
Breathe.
Drink some water.
Step outside.
Stretch.
Text a friend.
Sit in the sun.
If one hour feels too long, just aim for 10 minutes.
Build momentum in tiny victories.
You don’t have to conquer forever. You just have to keep showing up for right now.
2. Speak Truth Over the Lies
Hopelessness lies.
It tells you nothing will ever change.
That you’re too broken.
That you’ll always feel this way.
But here’s the truth:
You’ve already survived things you didn’t think you would.
You’re still breathing. Still trying. Still here.
Write down one sentence that speaks hope — no matter how small — and put it where you can see it.
Examples:
“This won’t last forever.”
“I’ve made it through worse.”
“Even if it’s messy, I’m still moving forward.”
Say it out loud. Say it shaky. Say it stubborn.
But say it.
3. Let Someone In
Pain multiplies in silence.
And isolation magnifies the lie that no one gets it.
So reach out.
Even if you don’t know what to say.
Even if all you can text is, “Hey. I’m having a hard day.”
Let someone bear witness to your battle.
We’re not meant to heal alone.
If you don’t have someone safe right now, call a hotline, go to a meeting, or join an online recovery space.
You deserve support — even when you feel like a burden. Especially then.
4. Make One Decision That Honors Your Healing
When hope feels like too big of a stretch, anchor yourself in action.
Take a shower.
Say no to the thing that drains you.
Journal one page, even if it’s angry or sad.
Listen to a recovery podcast.
Go to a meeting, even if you don’t speak.
Walk around the block and breathe deeper than usual.
You don’t have to feel better to do better.
Sometimes, the doing comes first. The feelings catch up later.
5. Remember That Recovery Isn’t Linear
Some days are going to feel like square one.
But that doesn’t mean you’re failing.
It means you’re human.
Healing is not a straight climb.
It’s a winding road with relapses, realizations, restarts, and revelations.
The fact that you’re still here, reading this, matters.
It means the part of you that wants to heal is still alive.
Feed that part.
Nurture it.
Believe in it when nothing else makes sense.
You Are Not Alone in This
Even if it feels like no one sees you — I see you.
Even if your story feels too messy — I promise it’s not.
Even if hope feels miles away — it’s still worth chasing.
You don’t have to fake it. You don’t have to be perfect. You just have to keep going.
Because even in the darkest night, even when everything feels like too much —
You are still worth the fight.
Keep showing up.
Keep breathing through the chaos.
Keep choosing recovery, even when it’s the hardest thing you do today.
From the Buzz with Cassie — this is your reminder:
Hope may whisper, but it’s never gone.
And you’re never too far gone to begin again.
🧡 Stay.
🧡 Try again.
🧡 You’re not alone.
