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Why You Feel Hopeful and Hopeless at the Same Time (and 5 Ways to Cope)

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If you’re anything like me, you likely swing back and forth between hopeful and discouraged. One moment, I come across a positive video online that restores my faith in humanity; the next, I turn on the news to see the world on fire.

There’s a word for all the emotional whiplash we’re all enduring: Oscillanguish. Here’s how to soothe our overwhelmed systems.

What Is Oscillanguish?

Oscillanguish describes the ever-so-present experience of living in a complex, nuanced world. One day, we might feel grounded and fulfilled; the next, we’re anxious and uncertain, our safety and sense of stability threatened. While emotions are fleeting, it’s hard to feel settled with so much conflicting information constantly bombarding us.

“Oscillanguish is a theme that frequently comes up in my sessions as it is the emotional pendulum between hope and despair, particularly during times of instability, societal uncertainty, and ongoing personal stress,” says Cristina Billingsley, LMFT, CCTP, and Clinical Director at Sierra Center for Wellness. “I described this phenomenon as the psychological distress between the swing of feeling optimistic and feeling disappointed, groundedness and uncertainty, feeling hopeful and feeling helpless. This emotional back and forth swing can have a negative effect on nervous........

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