Hope isn't wishful thinking. It's a measurable neurological advantage that directly impacts our performance, strategic thinking and results. People who understand and cultivate high hope as a life skill outperform those trapped in separated world view that keeps peopleĀ
We've all faced what it feels like to have no hope in seemingly insurmountable situations. Everything feels overwhelming as waves of despair flow over you, threatening to take over your world.
But then something shifts. A spark of hope appears. It's small, but it's enough to make you take that first step forward. Your heart lifts, you begin to breathe and you take another step, and another.
That's the power of Hope.
Hope also isn't just a fleeting emotion. Neuroscience reveals it's a dynamic, measurable process that profoundly influences the brain, body, and our overall wellbeing. In the business world, hope becomes a strategic advantageāthe difference between leaders who thrive under pressure and those who get trapped in reactive separation patterns.
Conversely, the absence of hope or manifesting hopelessness or despair, can derail both mental and physical health, destroying creative thinking capacity and feed our victim mentality.
The word agency is shorthand for our perceived ability to shape our lives every day. As "agents" we know we can make things happen or stop them from happening.
We know we can take responsibility for determining our future and then making it happen. Over time, we can develop our ability to shift our identity by building our capacity for persistence and long-term effort. Agency allows us to make us the authors of our own lives which gives usĀ hope.Ā
Helping people to understand their mind health is what we do at the Global Mind Project. Rather than just asking people about how happy they feel, or how satisfied they are with life, we use a tool called the MHQ assessment which asks about 47 different elements of mental wellbeing, covering our social, emotional, cognitive and physical capabilities of mind. It was developed based on a thorough analysis of 126 existing assessments of mental health and wellbeing covering 10,000 questions, to include the symptoms of 10 different mentalĀ health disorders from depression to eating disorders to PTSD, as well as positive strengths and assets.Ā
With the 47 elements assessed on a scale that reflects the impact of those capabilities to oneās life and ability to function, overall scores of mental wellbeing (MHQ scores) reflect functional productivity ā the ability to get done the things you need to get done in a day. Overall, MHQ scores have a linear relationship to productive days such that the number of productive days increase or decrease equivalently as you move up or down the MHQ scale at any point.
Thus, the MHQ also serves as a proxy for functional capacity of aĀ population and can be used to demonstrate the functional capacity of various populations from schools to companies, and countries.
Altogether, mental wellbeing as measured by the MHQ reflects theĀ composite capability of mind that enables us to navigate lifeās challenges and function productivity.
Our mental health and wellbeing is declining with each younger generation.Ā This is a new phenomenon that has emerged in the past two decades and is more prominent in developed countries.
With an unparalleled global data acquisition and analytical infrastructure Sapien labs is at the forefront of tracking this decline, identifying its root causes and accelerating the path from data to insights to real-world action.
Sapien Labs is a 501(c) (3) not for profit organization founded in 2016 with a mission to understand and enable the human mind.
Our mission is motivated by:
