101 Emotions
Like the phoenix, this is about the power of rising — no matter how many times your spirit is crushed.
· Hope is the feeling thatsomething can be different.
· It isn’t blind positivity. It’sa small inner reach: maybe there’s another way.
· For me, hope often shows upquietly — more like a candle than a spotlight.
· Hope keeps me moving when I’mtired.
· It helps me imagine a futurethat isn’t only shaped by what happened.
· It gives my nervous system areason to stay connected to life.
· In my body:
o A soft lift in my chest
o A little more energy thatdoesn’t feel frantic
o Breath feels slightly easier
· In my mind:
o I can see options again
o I can plan one next step
o I stop speaking to myself likeI’m already defeated
· In my behaviour:
o I try again (even if it’ssmall)
o I reach out for support insteadof isolating
o I create, organise, learn,build
· Evidence (even tiny) thatchange is possible
· A safe person believing mewithout trying to fix me
· Reading or hearing a story thatmirrors mine and survives
· Completing a small task thatrestores agency
· Nature, routine, and anythingthat makes life feel steady
· Making something (art/craft)that proves I can still create
· Hope can feel like a risk: if Ihope, I can be disappointed.
· If I’ve been let downrepeatedly, hope can trigger anger or grief.
· Sometimes hope feels like I’m“tempting fate” — like good things aren’t allowed.
· Hope can also bring up thereality of what I’ve lost, because it shows me what I wanted.
· Wishful thinking: hope is grounded; it can live alongside reality.
· Denial: hope doesn’t erase the truth — it helps me carry it.
· Pressure to be positive: that’s performance; hope is internal and honest.
· What I need:
o Time and space to rebuildslowly
o People who don’t punish me forhaving needs
o Permission to want betterwithout proving it first
o A plan that is realistic, notheroic
· What has to stop / what Iwon’t do:
o I won’t let other people use myhope as a reason to minimise my pain
o I won’t force hope on days whenmy body needs rest
o I won’t confuse “not giving up”with “never stopping”
· What helps me in the moment(0–5 minutes):
1. One sentence: “I don’t need thewhole future. I need the next step.”
2. Name one thing that is stillmine (values, child, creativity, truth).
3. Hand on chest + slow exhale(bring the body with me).
4. Read a saved note/quote thatreminds me I’ve survived before.
· What helps me the same day(5–60 minutes):
1. Do one “agency” task (somethingI can complete).
2. Reduce noise (notifications,input, other people’s urgency).
3. Write a short list: “What I cancontrol today.”
4. Reach out to one safe person(or write to myself if I can’t).
· What helps me longer term:
o Keep a “proof folder” (wins,kind messages, milestones, reminders)
o Build routines that make lifemore predictable
o Set boundaries that protect myenergy
o Let hope be small and stillreal
· If hope disappears, I treat itas nervous system overwhelm — not a moral failure.
· Sometimes the first step backisn’t hope. It’s rest. Or neutrality. Or safety.
· Vignette ideas:
o The first time I noticed hopereturn after a long numb season.
o A day where hope was just “Imade it through today.”
· Hope often sits near: Calm, Relief, Gratitude, Joy
· Hope can trigger: Fear, Vulnerability, Grief, Anxiety
· Tools that support me here: Grounding, Window of tolerance, Self-compassion, Micro-goals
· I’m not a therapist. I’msharing my lived experience and what I’ve learned along the way — because themore we talk about these experiences and emotions honestly, the more chance wehave of protecting future generations.
· Read more about this projecthere: About 101 Emotions (link)