The Case for Collective Hope in the New Year

"That sense of heaviness is closely tied to what psychologists call mattering-feeling valued and knowing that what you contribute makes a difference. When this begins to erode, people do not just feel stressed. They begin to feel inconsequential. Slowly, often quietly, they withdraw from community life, from shared concerns, and from the belief that their voice can shape what comes next."

"This concern is increasingly reflected in large-scale research. The U.S. Surgeon General has identified loneliness and disconnection as a public-health crisis, linking both to rising depression, anxiety, and early mortality. Extensive studies now show that social isolation is not only emotionally painful-it is physically dangerous. When people feel disconnected and unseen, the impact reaches far beyond mood. It touches identity, health, and one's sense of purpose."

Many people increasingly experience a pervasive heaviness and quiet exhaustion rather than renewal during life transitions. Uncertainty has replaced confidence about whether individual actions still make a difference. Psychologists describe this as an erosion of mattering—feeling valued and that contributions matter—which leads to feelings of inconsequence and withdrawal from community life. Large-scale research links loneliness and disconnection to rising depression, anxiety, and early mortality, and shows social isolation is physically dangerous. Disconnection affects identity, health, and sense of purpose. When people feel inconsequential, they stop believing the future can improve and disengage from efforts to shape it. Strengthening mattering can help restore hope.

Read at Psychology Today