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Faith, Optimism and Wellbeing: Insights from Britain
A Commentary by Victor Perton
Faith and optimism are closely connected and drive a greater sense of wellbeing, a truth revealed in a study of the lives of Britain’s faithful.
Having just returned from a journey across England, I found the report Faith & Happiness: How Religious Belief Shapes Britain's Emotional Wellbeing, a report by The Institute for the Impact of Faith in Life, authored by Dr. Rakib Ehsan, both insightful and affirming.
One of the most moving moments of my visit was standing in quiet reflection at the Julian Church in Norwich, where the timeless words of Julian of Norwich resonate: "All shall be well, and all shall be well, and all manner of thing shall be well." In that still sanctuary, I felt the deep and enduring optimism that faith inspires, a trust that transcends circumstance and embraces hope, even in uncertainty.
This spirit is vividly reflected in the report’s data.
The most notable difference between faith and those without faith responses was in optimism about the future. Muslims reported the highest level of optimism (68 per cent), which was 21 per cent higher than the non-faith group (47 per cent). Christians followed closely at 58 per cent, and people of faith generally reported greater confidence in what lies ahead. It is a striking indication of the transformative mindset that faith cultivates.
Across cultures and centuries, faith and spirituality have been profound sources of optimism. Whether grounded in religious tradition, personal belief, or a deep sense of connectedness to something greater, these reflections illuminate how faith fuels optimism and how spiritual practice sustains courage and joy. This is optimism that transcends circumstance. It is a belief in a future shaped by compassion, meaning, and light. As the Dalai Lama teaches, “Choose optimism. It feels better.”
Faith and Optimism: What the Report Reveals
Just as faith can cultivate optimism, so too can optimism nourish faith. Approaching life with optimism, hope, gratitude, and expectancy can reinforce trust in divine purpose and strengthen spiritual resilience. Optimism, when consciously practised, enhances our capacity to perceive grace and meaning even before they fully unfold.
The Faith & Happiness report highlights the powerful connection between religious belief and a hopeful outlook. Across all measures, those who profess faith—particularly Muslims and Christians—reported significantly greater optimism and emotional resilience than those with no religious affiliation.
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Muslims and Christians (both 78 per cent) were more likely to meet challenges with positivity than those without faith (69 per cent).
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Optimism about the future was strongest among Muslims (68 per cent), followed by Christians (58 per cent), while those without faith registered significantly lower optimism (47 per cent).
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When asked whether they believe difficult times will pass, 84 per cent of Christians and 79 per cent of Muslims agreed, compared with 77 per cent of those without faith.
Muslims and Christians were most aligned in their ability to find positives in life (78 per cent for both), but differed most in their optimism about the future, with Muslims at 68 per cent and Christians at 58 per cent. This suggests that while both groups share a faith-grounded resilience, Muslims may carry a more forward-focused, hope-sustaining belief about what lies ahead.
Interestingly, among all religious groups surveyed, Muslims consistently reported the highest levels of optimism about the future and strong indicators of life satisfaction and resilience.
This optimism was explained beautifully by Arfa Sarfaraz Khan, President of the United Muslim Sisters of Latrobe Valley in Australia, who shared, “I believe optimism is the strength for survival, so I try to stay optimistic. And my faith, Islam, sees optimism as a strength and pessimism as a sin.”.
In addition to religious affiliation, the report revealed striking regional and racial differences in optimism. Respondents in London, the South East, and the East of England regions, where religious diversity and active faith communities are more visible, reported significantly higher levels of optimism about the future, while the North East and parts of the Midlands showed noticeably lower figures.
Racial differences were also pronounced. "Black" respondents were by far the most likely to report emotional resilience and optimism: This suggests that cultural, spiritual, and communal expressions of faith among Black Britons may cultivate exceptional inner strength and future hope. It also highlights the powerful role of identity and collective experience in shaping optimistic worldviews.
Beyond optimism alone, the report concludes that faith groups experience a richer and more resilient emotional life overall. Compared to those without religious belief, people of faith reported:
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Greater life satisfaction,
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Less worry,
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Fewer experiences of low mood or depressive thoughts,
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Lower levels of loneliness.
Faith was also linked to higher character strengths that underpin wellbeing and positivity. These included:
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A stronger sense of balance and harmony,
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Greater acceptance of life circumstances,
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Fewer regrets,
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More confidence in handling life events,
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A greater tendency to see the positives,
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Sustained optimism, and
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A capacity to accept the flow of life’s unpredictability, trusting that difficulties would pass.
One particularly striking finding was the presence of a robust sense of confidence in one’s ability to act among people of faith. This belief in one’s ability to navigate life’s challenges stood out as a vital character strength compared to those without faith. What made this especially noteworthy was the paradox at its heart: faith nurtures self-efficacy not through control, but through trust.
This deep trust in God in something solid and stable that transcends life’s impermanence and appears to strengthen a person’s inner resources. It cultivates the belief that we can influence life’s direction without needing to control its every detail. This grounded in faith self-efficacy brings with it a profound sense of order, stability, and safety, reinforcing confidence, calm, and a lasting optimism that life is ultimately meaningful and navigable.
This trust may be key to emotional health: feeling secure in the knowledge that we have what it takes to face whatever comes, and more importantly, that we are never alone in doing so.
Moreover, the report suggests that religion may enhance wellbeing because it can both reduce low moods and increase optimism, a dual effect potentially supported by practices of kindness toward oneself. Cultivating positivity, optimism, and kindness towards oneself and others offers an effective defence against negative thought patterns, common barriers to emotional wellbeing.
Crucially, the report also points to gratitude as a foundational character strength through which other virtues, such as joy, compassion, and hope, naturally develop. In faith traditions, gratitude is not merely emotional; it is theological. It is anchored in the belief in God’s benevolence and omnipotence, which empowers believers to approach life's challenges with greater confidence and optimism. This perspective allows faithful individuals to see blessings even in hardship and to expect grace in the face of uncertainty.
Conclusion: The Optimistic Way of Life Shapes Wellbeing
Just as faith strengthens optimism, optimism can also deepen faith. A hopeful orientation toward life can amplify spiritual trust, support greater receptivity to grace, and sustain a resilient belief in the goodness that lies ahead, even when it remains unseen.
The Faith & Happiness report delivers a compelling insight: faith works because it is a way of life. People of faith do not merely hold beliefs they embody a worldview. This worldview helps them to respond to life with more optimism, greater courage, and deeper contentment, not because life is easier, but because they see life as always open to more more meaning, more grace, more possibility.
This is the power of being inspired by faith and optimism. It is not passive hope, but active trust. It reframes hardship as part of a larger narrative and encourages believers to look beyond fear, beyond circumstances, to something greater.
As the report affirms, "Faith works because it is a way of life. People of faith can respond to life with more optimism and courage and find greater happiness and contentment mainly because of how they view the world. Life is always open to more, to something greater than personal fears and circumstances."
In addition to reducing negative outcomes like depression, anxiety, and loneliness, faith supports character strengths such as self-efficacy, gratitude, resilience, and emotional balance. The sense of trust in divine stability gives rise to an inner strength that faces unpredictability with grace. Faith allows people to meet themselves and the world with gentleness, grounded confidence, and a luminous sense of destiny beyond disorder.
In a world that often seeks control or certainty, faith offers something bolder: a steady optimism grounded in trust, a contentment born of connection, and a courage that knows it is never alone.
Some Words of Wisdom
Marija Dremaite, Vilnius University, told me, “Optimism is a state of mind. It is an outlook—an expression of faith and hope that the outcome of one’s efforts will be both positive and desirable.”
Leadership coach Chester Elton shared this beautiful reflection with me:“My faith, family and friends keep me optimistic. Faith because I believe that there is a plan for all of us that leads to happiness and fulfillment. It also allows me to serve my fellow man, and that brings me great joy.”
My friend Janine Kirk has some good advice for leaders in general and religious leaders in particular, “Without faith we have nothing, without hope there is nothing and without love we are nothing. Optimistic leaders create the conditions where faith, hope and love can thrive."
Englishwoman Christalla Jamil, Headteacher, Eastfield Primary, told me "By having faith and helping others, my optimism grows because I am thankful. I try to surround myself with positive people, and whatever life throws at me, I seek solutions."
Sister Shivani, Brahma Kumaris, told me “Unconditional Optimism is the Soul of your Faith."
Sue Doherty, then Mayor of the City of South Perth, "Faith is the foundation for my optimism."
Pastor Dr Billy Holland told me, "Faith is having an optimistic attitude even when it seems the situation is hopeless. If our lives were filled with happiness with no problems at all, we would not sense the urgency to pray in faith. Those who read the Bible are well-aware of what is coming in the future and the time to build faith is now."
Questions for Continuing the Journey
Is optimism a key to faith? There is a strong correlation between optimism and faith. Is optimism the driver for greater faith, or is faith the driver for greater optimism?
How does your faith shape your optimism in the face of today’s challenges, and how might that faith help you inspire hope in others?
When have you or someone you know drawn courage from an optimistic worldview?
What would a community look like where optimism is a way of life?
How might you help others develop faith-rooted optimism in uncertain times?
What is one practice you can adopt today to view life with expansive optimism?
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