HOW TO STAY HOPEFUL IN WEIRD TIMES
- Sophie Shaw
- Nov 11, 2025
- 3 min read
Believe it or not, the world is getting better year-on-year. We are healthier, we live longer, with far fewer of us living in poverty, and many more children surviving infancy.
Global metrics indicate a long-term trend of improvement across multiple areas; yet, many of us still struggle to shake the feeling that the world is on fire.
Why is that?
For one thing, we live in an age of 24-hour news. Crises are not just reported at 6 pm and 9 pm - they're reported constantly, across multiple news media channels.
Social media, also across multiple channels, is a constant stream of content - most of it controversial, much of it misinformation, and now some of it absolutely fake. And no real way to tell which is which.
We are pitted against each other, and left in absolute horror that another human being could believe the things they believe.
It is bewildering, stressful and deeply divisive. And it's meant to be.
I am here once again to remind you that your algorithm is curated by tech companies in order to make you angry and therefore engaged. And there are people who use that to their advantage in moments like these to try to get famous.
None of it is real. Don’t believe your algorithms. Believe in conversations you have in real life. Believe that most people are good. - Simu Liu
You are meant to feel powerless. And you are meant to blame other people for this, rather than mega-corporations or governments.
Please watch the wonderful Jameela Jamil explain this beautifully, and understand the futility of trying to change someone's fixed opinions by berating or arguing with them online.
So what do we do?
The first thing to accept is that everyone is doing their best. Yes, everyone - even them.
Everyone is doing what they think is best, given everything that they have been taught to believe - and that includes you. All beliefs are taught.
IF (and it's a big if) you want to engage in tough conversations with others, try to approach them with curiosity. And as much as you can, avoid cynicism.
Keep your mind open - this is a positive act of rebellion.
How did they arrive at these conclusions? What leads them to feel this way? What needs are being met by these beliefs?
(Hint: it might be the same needs that drive you, like belonging, or peace - even if the methods to attain it are wildly different from yours.)
Above all, remember that these are your fellow human beings, who are simply seeing different information than you.
However - if this feels overwhelming to even contemplate, that's not surprising. Instead, you may choose to disengage and switch off the news and social media, and that is totally valid - even recommended.
This is not wilful ignorance. It is a deliberate choice to maintain health and balance - and that is important too. This is how you stay hopeful.
And it's more than just self-preservation, so don't be fooled into thinking it's a selfish act. Keeping yourself well is also a positive act of rebellion, and it's important work.
What good can you do if you're crushed?
Put it this way: I've been dealing with cancer for a year. So my bandwidth, which was already pretty narrow to begin with (because I was a single mum going through menopause, and trying to run a business), is now paper-thin.
And maybe you're in a similar situation. Maybe you're dealing with health issues of your own - not just physical health, but mental health.
Maybe you're caring for an elderly parent. Maybe you're dealing with grief. Maybe you're going through a divorce, or trying to extricate yourself from a toxic relationship.
Maybe you're just dealing with life.
Yet I guarantee that some of you are either mired in guilt, or feeling completely overwhelmed, because you 'should' be doing more, even though your bandwidths may also be really narrow.
You simply do not have the capacity right now to be an activist - and that is ok.
Perhaps you do what you can do, even if that seems really small. I can't march, for example - but I can do this.
Perhaps you can engage in conversations with curiosity, rather than cynicism. Perhaps you can vow to try to see others as humans with different opinions. Perhaps you can donate, or sign petitions.
Whatever you do, or don't do - now, more than ever, is the time to focus on love - of the self and of others. It is vitally important, anchoring work, and it is desperately needed.
Be a rebel for hope. Together we can do this.
Big love,
Sophie x
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