Mindfulness, or the ability to be fully present in whatever moment you’re in, requires focusing attention on the present — without judgment, and with a gentle curiosity about what is going on around you.

Research has long touted this as something of a silver bullet we all can practice to reduce stress. Now, researchers from North Carolina State University suggest that hope may be just as effective, if not more so.

Specifically, their study showed that hope may better at helping employees manage stress and stay professionally engaged during periods of prolonged duress.

Researchers posited that, during tough patches, looking ahead to rosier times could be more effective than living in the moment.

For their study, researchers recruited more than 200 professional musicians from the organization MusiCares to take two surveys, one month apart, on their feelings related to hope and their state of mind during the COVID-19 pandemic, followed by questions about work engagement and tensions.

The leisure and hospitality industries were among the hardest hit during the pandemic, with millions of jobs lost.

Using advanced statistical techniques, the researchers identified connections between hope, mindfulness, musicians’ personal well-being, and attitudes toward work.

When people were hopeful, as opposed to simply mindful, they were able to take more satisfaction with their lives at work while experiencing less distress.

Now, don’t take this wrong. Living in the moment, or mindfulness, has its place. But a light at the end of the tunnel may be the ticket to withstanding long stretches of workplace — or life — stress.