Good news can be hard to come by in 2022. From fears of the cost of living crisis to the war in Russia, it’s difficult to feel optimistic.

This can have a big impact on our mental health, which we’ve seen in many of the people we support. It can also make us fearful for the future as there sometimes seems to be little hope in sight.

What’s happening in the news cycle seems similar to the experiences of the people we work with. What starts as a small issue – such as missing one rent payment or an argument with a family member – can quickly become something far worse and lead to many other problems, homelessness being one of them.

Without good news, it’s easy for people to feel despondent. So how do we overcome this?

At The Connection, we’re resilient and we don’t give up on people. In challenging times, we work with people to identify what’s best for them and how we can support them on their journey. But we also take time to look back to understand where things have gone wrong so people can reflect on their past trauma and take back their narrative.

This is an important part of our work. People can’t begin to feel hopeful without first knowing what’s gone wrong so that similar situations can be avoided in the future.

In this way, maybe the current news cycle isn’t so bad after all. We can change our perspective and work towards a better future, much like the people who come into our centre and inspire us everyday. If we take the current ‘doom and gloom’ we see on our screens to be a signal that change is needed we can begin to work towards something better.

Take Richard for example; when he met us, he faced homelessness after the breakdown of his marriage. Things may have seemed hopeless but we supported Richard in getting his confidence back. He retrained to brush up his skills after years of unemployment and now works as a support worker in a women’s hostel which he is really enjoying. Read more about Richard’s journey with The Connection here.

Good news will come…

The lack of positive news can and will change if we use it as an incentive to change. We’re seen this is possible for our clients who go to great lengths to change their lives for the better and we’re sure it’s possible for our society too.