🌟 HOPE
Live by What Matters, Even When It Hurts
Heal through Meaning. Act with Intention.
🌿 Why HOPE Matters for ADHD and Emotional Health
Living with ADHD means feeling deeply, acting quickly, and often being misunderstood.
For many with ADHD, emotional pain doesn’t come quietly. It bursts in—amplified by rejection sensitivity, intense mood swings, impulsive urges, and the constant tug-of-war between motivation and follow-through.
When ADHD is paired with co-occurring conditions like depression, anxiety, or borderline traits, distress can feel like a storm with no safe direction. But in Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), there’s a simple truth:
Pain is not the enemy. Disconnection is.
The HOPE framework is here to reconnect you to what matters most.
Rather than avoiding hard thoughts or chasing short-term relief, HOPE helps you anchor to your values, take small steps forward, and build a life that still matters—even when it’s hard.
🌳 The Four Steps of HOPE
A framework for values-guided living, grounded in Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT).
🌱 H — Helps or Harms
Pause and See the Bigger Picture
What moves you toward the person you want to be—and what pulls you away?
This first step teaches perspective. ADHD brains often live on stage: reacting fast, thinking aloud, swept up in emotion. Here, you learn to step onto the balcony instead—observing your situation with kindness and clarity.
Ask yourself:
- “Is this helping me or harming me?”
- “Does this choice reflect who I want to be?”
🌿 Whether reflecting on a hard day, a difficult decision, or a moment of shame—this step shifts you from autopilot to intention.
🧭 O — Open to Values
Anchor Yourself in What Matters
Values are not goals. They are how you want to live, even when goals break.
This step guides you to:
- Explore how you want to treat yourself and others
- Identify the qualities you want to bring into work, rest, play, and love
- Clarify what matters when things are hard
🌳 The app includes 100 values you can explore across four domains—Work, Play, Growth, Love—so you can choose your compass, not just your destination.
🧡 P — People and Pursuits
Reconnect to Joy and Purpose
You are not your symptoms. You are also your passions, your people, your purpose.
In this step, you reflect on:
- Who matters most to you?
- What pursuits light you up?
- How do your values show up in the people and activities you love?
Whether you’re managing burnout, illness, or grief, values can still guide you. Even when goals collapse, how you walk through the fire still matters.
🌿 This step helps you find your “why”—and hold it close.
🪜 E — Enact and Evaluate
Small Steps, Meaningful Change
It’s not about doing everything. It’s about doing one thing that matters.
ADHD often turns even simple tasks into mountains. That’s why this step teaches how to:
- Break down actions until your confidence is 7+/10
- Focus on what’s in your control and influence, not just what concerns you
- Reflect on progress, not perfection
You’ll be prompted to journal:
- “What worked well?”
- “Even better if…”
Over time, these tiny choices become habits. And your sphere of control expands—one brave, imperfect step at a time.
HOPE: Live by What Matters, Even When It Hurts
07. Epilogue – From HOPE to Values
Epilogue: The Path Continues 🌍 From HOPE to Values You’ve journeyed through the HOPE framework—a terrain of self-discovery, grounded in acceptance, guided by... Read More
06. Enact and Evaluate
Taking Small Steps on the Trail 🥾 Enact and Evaluate With the compass of values in hand and the map of people and... Read More
05. People and Pursuits
Mapping Meaningful Destinations 🗺️ People and Pursuits By now, Alex has found his compass. He knows what direction feels right in his bones—kindness,... Read More
04. Own My Values
Setting the Inner Compass 🧭 Own My Values The deeper Alex travels into the ADHD terrain, the more he realizes that the landscape... Read More
03. Helps or Harms
Clearing the Path 🪓 Helps or Harms The trail isn’t always clear. Sometimes Alex finds himself walking in circles, following a deer track... Read More
02. Acceptance to Action
Dropping the Pack and Looking Around 🌲 Acceptance to Action Imagine Alex standing at the edge of a rugged trail. Behind him, the... Read More
01. HOPE on the Trail
Trail Toolkit 🌄 HOPE on the Trail Values-Guided Navigation through the ADHD Terrain Embarking on life with ADHD can feel like entering a... Read More
📲 Safe Life Guide App
In the app’s HOPE view, each of these steps is supported by:
# Short videos that gently explain key ideas
# Metaphors and visual cues grounded in nature
# A 100-value exploration tool
# Reflective journaling and habit tracking
# Personalisation options that evolve with you
You’ll be able to carry your values in your pocket—and return to them when life gets overwhelming.
🌅 This Is the Heart of FLOURISH
You’ve walked the full trail:
- You’ve Focused and Learned
- You’ve built Organising Routines
- You’ve Reflected
- You’ve Instilled calm
- You’ve created a Safety plan
Now, it’s time to Hope forward.
🪶 One value.
🪴 One step.
🌿 One life worth living.
Are you ready?
Mon - Fri: 8AM - 6PM
Sat - Sun: Variable
Brisbane North Medical Specialists,
15 Dallas Parade, Keperra, QLD 4054
(07) 5221 3489
reception@bnms.com.au