I Hope So: How to Choose Hope Even When It's Hard

by Robyne Hanley-Dafoe

Hope isn’t just a feeling—it’s the key to rewiring your brain for resiliency and well-being, even in the toughest times.

When the world feels divided and the future uncertain, does holding onto hope seem unthinkable? In I Hope So, Dr. Robyne Hanley-Dafoe, the award-winning author of Stress Wisely and Calm Within the Storm, shows you how to use the power of neuroscience, physiology, and psychology to access a well of hope that already exists within you. As an acclaimed behavioural educator and resiliency expert, Dr. Robyne has taught countless individuals and organizations to face the future with confidence, and now she’s here to help you live hope-filled even on your darkest days.

I Hope So proves that hope is not a luxury or toxic optimism—it’s the essential force propelling the human experience by inspiring action and igniting personal transformation. Dr. Robyne illustrates how hope has helped people and societies rebuild through some of the toughest chapters of human history. Revealing the scientific evidence for how hope makes you stronger, braver, and kinder, she gives you practical tools to access and cultivate it in your own life. You will also learn how hope activates the brain’s natural ability to bounce back from setbacks, gain tools to build resiliency in challenging circumstances, and discover the most content, well-resourced, and successful version of yourself.

Choosing to live hope-filled in a struggling world is a radical act of resistance. With practical, evidence-based exercises and plenty of warmth and humour, Dr. Robyne teaches you how hope can become a daily practice and transform your relationships, workplace, and community. Whether you’re facing personal struggles, navigating uncertainty, or simply seeking a more positive outlook, this empowering and inclusive guide offers proven strategies to help you live truly well.

Genres: Self Help

296 pages, Paperback

Published February 10, 2026

About the author

Dr. Robyne Hanley-Dafoe is on a mission to make life’s toughest challenges not just manageable but meaningful. Described as the “friendly neighborhood scientist” who makes the complex refreshingly simple and relatable, Dr. Robyne blends cutting-edge research with real-life wisdom to teach resiliency, stress navigation, and optimal performance—all with a dash of humor and a whole lot of hope and heart.

A multi-award-winning behavioral educator, Dr. Robyne’s debut book, Calm Within the Storm: A Pathway to Everyday Resiliency, earned the 2022 Silver Nautilus Award for Psychology/Mental & Emotional Well-Being, placing her among the world’s leading voices on human resiliency. Her second book, Stress Wisely: How to Be Well in an Unwell World, continues to inspire and empower, winning the 2023 Silver Award in the Self-Help category from the IBPA Benjamin Franklin Awards, the 2023 Bronze Award for Self-Help (Adult Nonfiction) by the Foreword INDIES Book of the Year Awards, and the Grand Prize in the Nonfiction Contest by the BookLife Prize.

At home in Central Ontario, with her husband Jeff, Robyne is a proud mom to three extraordinary teenagers—Hunter, Ava Lesley, and Jaxson—who keep her humble, hungry, and hilariously grounded. Fueled by coffee, historical fiction, her puppies, and the elusive dream of a spotless kitchen, she navigates motherhood and career with the same resiliency and hope she teaches.

Dr. Robyne’s mission is bold and simple: to prove that hope is a strategy, resiliency is a skill, and better days are always within reach.

Reviews

[Julie Melanson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Engaging, evidence-backed and practical. I really enjoyed this!!

[Pontiki · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a book that, like so many others, promises everything through one concept or theme. There are some nuggets about hope, such as it being an active process of setting goals, figuring out how to achieve them, and believing you can do it.

I also liked the process of visualizing explained in detail in terms of how it engages the brain to create something more concrete.

The other lists and questions are OK, but veer into self-help with little groundedness. I found the author to be a distracting narrator as well, as there were points where she stumbled and I lost the content of what she was talking about.

This is likely a feel good book for many, and but its usefulness can be summarized in a couple of paragraphs for people wanting to educate others about the concept of hope.

GPL audiobook

[Jennifer Lyall · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book changed how I view hope. I first saw Dr. Robyne at an event a few months ago. Her wisdom, genuineness and thoughtful stories really touched my heart and I knew I wanted to read her book as soon as it was released.

Not only did my mind appreciate the research and history and teachings around hope, but my heart appreciated the exercises in each chapter that helped me to connect with hope in my life. I loved the book so much I hosted a Hope Tea Party with some friends.

I loved the deep connection and heart felt conversations that this book opened up.

I highly recommend this, and now I want to read her other books too.

[Lisa Bragg · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's the book we need right now. I have two copies!
I was gifted a book from Dr. Robyn and Tonia (Sipology), but I had to buy another copy to give someone else hope!
(the book also has the most beautiful cover - it's like a touchstone for hope).

[Danielle Franco · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book - its message - is everything the world needs right now. Everyone should read it. If you feel hopeless, this book will be your hope-dealer, so you can become one yourself. Borrow belief from me, this book is the heart hug you probably don’t even realize you need. 💞 #ihopeso #hopedealer