It is far too easy to fall into despair, cynicism, hopelessness, apathy, isolation, solitude, mindlessness, and a variety of other negative feelings, given today's world. Many people can relate to this: it's a mood that reduces your agency and aspiration in the world around you, leaves you feeling lethargic, fatigued, and barely able to get through the day.

The modern world – at least how it appears in developed countries – shows a polished veneer of civilised society full of mod cons and general abundance, but in the back of our minds we're thinking about social inequality, long-term damage to the Earth's environment, late-stage capitalism, and the ease of political division & the erosion of the sense of community that comes with it.

And so the malaise sets in. If you're lucky, you'll know when to turn off the news, look after your mental health and try to get through another day without falling apart. The alternative is to let it consume you to the point of resorting to unhealthy behaviours (doom scrolling, comfort eating, drinking), all of which make it harder for you to get back into a good mental or physical space to look after yourself.