Jane considers the impact of increasing pessimism – and ways to avoid the downward spiral to which this can lead. 

We live in difficult times. On the world stage, events unfolding make news reports feel less like real events and more like scenes from an unconvincing disaster movie.  In the face of such negative shifts, it can be easy as an individual to feel disempowered and hopeless.

According to a recent FGS Global poll of 20,000 people across 27 countries, a majority believe that life will be harder for the next generation, and that public institutions in their countries are ineffective and wasteful. If we cannot have faith in the national infrastructures that are supposed to support our lives, how much harder will it be to pursue those lives positively?

The other thing about any pervasive mood is that it tends to rub off on us. We human beings are social creatures and if people around us are gloomy about the future, it is more likely that we will feel that way too.

This gloom can also have a significant impact on our national economies. In an article on Jan 11th 2026, The Economist cites Robert Shiller’s observations that ‘glum narratives can spread, shaping behaviour in ways not predicted’ and ‘as gloom becomes entrenched across rich economies, it risks turning into a self-reinforcing drag on growth.’ 

We can be forgiven for feeling hopeless at times; we are all human after all. Yet we do have a choice: we can choose where to put our attention. And our choice  - pessimistic or more optimistic – will largely define our personal reality. If I choose to read and watch material about how terrible everything is and think about that terribleness, my reality will seem dark and discouraging. If I opt, instead, to focus on positive facts, events and ideas, my reality is likely to feel lighter and more encouraging. You may find it useful to revisit Rob Martin’s blog about how negatively biased media stories can be, and how you might counter this.

So far, so discouraging.? What could help someone who is feeling pessimistic about their situation? If someone having coaching is in a downward spiral, experiencing a grievance, or feels hurt by others, they may use their coaching time to rehearse in vivid and sometimes repetitive, detail what happened, almost scratching at the sore of their pain. It is of course important to feel heard in such a situation. It can also be beneficial, up to a point, to relay to someone outside the situation what is happening as they may gain a clearer understanding of what is going on.  But after this, it is important that they are lifted out of the immediate situation and can see it with greater perspective. When you do they do this, they have a much better chance of seeing beyond the immediate pain and hurt and becoming aware of other possibilities.

This is captured well by Joseph Nguyen, in The Overthinker’s Guide to Making Decisions:

‘Refocusing our attention isn’t about ignoring reality; it’s about expanding our perception of it so that we don’t live a life formed only by fear and the negative. It’s about fully accepting what is, while seeing beyond it - recognising new possibilities instead of unconsciously repeating old patterns.’*

To be able to enjoy what we do, feel psychological reward and satisfaction, we need to be able to maintain a positive frame of mind. We need enough optimism to allow us to be creative, innovative and imaginative. It is those states which allow us to dream and have good ideas. From there we can carve out a path for ourselves which is happier.

What if our pessimism is prompted by people who have authority over us, including line managers and bosses? What if they tell us a negative story about ourselves which is based on a very limited understanding of us? This can be difficult to navigate because most of us, quite naturally, try to respect such individuals and seek their approval. If you find yourself in such a situation – being told a story about yourself that you don’t recognise - then it’s worth checking the following: 

• How well do they know me? 
• How could they be filtering their understanding of me and my work?  
• How could I help them to reduce, or remove, that filter? 
• What could be the basis of their negativity e.g. are they afraid of some aspect of me, my identity or experience? 

Coaching can support you to discover deeper answers to such questions and help you to choose a constructive approach to tackling the trickier conversations you may need to have, or the decisions you may need to take as a result. If you find yourself at a metaphorical dead end, short on hope, and feeling pessimistic about what lies ahead, coaching could be worth considering.

In 2021 as we emerged, blinking, out of the darkness and isolation of the global pandemic, I wrote about finding light in the darkness, by exercising kindness towards others. If you feel that pessimism is threatening to take you over, perhaps start with a kind act towards yourself: consider where you put your attention and take a decision to try shift it positively.

And if you would like support to do this, why not talk to us? 

* NGUYEN, J. (2025) The Overthinker’s Guide to Making Decisions. New York: Authors Equity. 

We are what we do and we love what we do.