We spend 30 to 50 percent or our self-generated thoughts (what we think about without trying to concentrate) thinking about the distant future. We feel happy to think of our future as full of possibilities for improvement, and that we have some control realizing those possibilities.

In contrast, pessimism and low personal control over our circumstances are a good mix for misery. The pandemic has infected our general outlook. People feel pessimistic about their personal future right now and feel a sense of powerlessness and negativity.