Feeling hopeless about the future
Caring about the future is a sign of your heart, not a sign that the future is lost.
By the numbers
How many young people worry about the future, and some real progress.
Worry
Hope
Why so many people feel this way
Big worries, constant news and an uncertain path ahead.
If the future feels dark, you are far from alone. In a survey of 10,000 young people in ten countries, three in four said the future is frightening. Many felt sad, anxious, angry, powerless and helpless about climate change.
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In the 2021 survey, 83% of young people said people have failed to care for the planet. Feeling worried about real threats is understandable. See Climate anxiety & eco-grief for more.
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Watching news about frightening events is linked to distress. It is easy to see the same upsetting images again and again.
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Worries about the world can mix with worries about your own life. In the UNICEF survey, people facing money struggles were less likely to feel the world is improving.
When worry turns into doom
How the mind jumps from “this is bad” to “it’s hopeless”.
Worry becomes doom when the mind fills in the future with the worst outcome. Common patterns include expecting the worst, focusing only on the bad, and seeing things as all good or all bad.
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Try checking the thought. What is the evidence for and against it? Is there another way of looking at it?
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Big problems are solved by many people doing many parts. Your part doesn’t have to be the whole answer to matter.
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Focusing only on the bad and ignoring the good is a common thinking trap. Bad news is real, and so is progress that rarely makes headlines.
Holding two truths
The world has serious problems, and real progress happens too.
Realistic hope means seeing the world clearly, not only its worst parts. A Harvard psychologist suggests that seeing reality as it is, and trusting yourself to cope, works better than forced optimism or constant dread.
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The WHO reports that the rate of deaths among children under five has fallen by about 60% since 1990. Around 4.9 million young children still died in 2024, so there is much work left, and that progress shows that work can pay off.
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In a UNICEF and Gallup survey in 21 countries, 57% of young people said the world is becoming a better place. Young people were more optimistic than older people in most countries.
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You don’t have to pick between caring about problems and having hope. Seeing both helps you stay engaged without being crushed.
Your news and scroll plan
Stay informed without drowning.
The VA’s National Center for PTSD suggests balancing staying informed with your wellbeing. Signs you may need a break include feeling anxious after the news, not being able to switch off, or trouble sleeping.
Ideas that help
- Avoid the news right before bed
- Balance getting information with looking after yourself
- Choose print news over online, app or TV coverage
- Talk with others about what you have seen
From helpless to doing something
Taking part, especially with others, can ease despair.
In a study of 284 young adults in the U.S., taking part in group action on climate change was linked to a weaker connection between climate worry and depression. Individual actions were linked to less general anxiety.
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Local action lets you see results with your own eyes. That kind of control can build a sense that effort matters.
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On days when people helped others more, stress had less effect on their mood. Helping a neighbor, tutoring or volunteering all count.
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Rest is part of action. See Caring about the world without burning out for ways to stay involved without running on empty.
Hopeless about your own future
When school, work or money make your path feel closed.
Sometimes the hopelessness is personal: “I’ll never get a good job”, “I’ll never afford a home”, “I’ve fallen too far behind”. Big, far-off fears are hard to act on. Breaking them into nearer steps helps.
Shrinking a big fear
- Write the fear down in one sentence
- Check it: is it a fact, or a prediction?
- Name what you want underneath it, like security or meaningful work
- List a few different routes toward that, not just one
- Choose one small step you can take this month
Helping young people who feel this way
For parents, teachers and mentors.
The American Academy of Pediatrics suggests talking about big worries like climate change in ways that are honest, hopeful, suited to the child’s age, and focused on action. Spread conversations out, and limit upsetting news during disasters.
Ways to help
- Act together, like making changes at home or a family project
- Ask what they already know, then learn together
- Get outside together
- Point out the many people working to keep others safe
- Watch for hopelessness that lasts for weeks
In 2025, 28.8% of U.S. high school students with persistent sadness or hopelessness said they needed mental health care but didn’t get it. If a young person seems stuck in hopelessness, help them reach a doctor, school counselor or therapist.
How community helps
Worries shrink when they are shared.
Feeling alone with big worries makes them heavier. Connection is protective against hopelessness, and doing things with others can turn worry into shared purpose.
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A climate café is a confidential space to share feelings and experiences about the climate. The focus is on reflecting together, not debating or reaching conclusions.
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Connecting with something larger than yourself and building supportive relationships are ways to keep a realistic, steady outlook.
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Talking with others about frightening events is one way the VA suggests to stay informed without being overwhelmed.
When and where to get help
When worry about the future becomes too heavy.
Reach out if
- Hopelessness lasts for weeks
- You can’t sleep, focus or enjoy things
- You feel there is no point in planning for your future
- You have thoughts of not wanting to be alive
A doctor, school counselor or therapist can help you sort through big worries and find ways to cope. See also Hopelessness: understanding it and Finding hope again.
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Call or text 988, or chat at 988lifeline.org, to reach a trained counselor any time. For Spanish, press 2 or text AYUDA.
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Text HOME to 741741 from anywhere in the U.S. to reach a trained crisis counselor. Free and confidential.
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Free, confidential crisis support for LGBTQ+ young people, 24/7, by phone, text or chat.
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Find A Helpline lists free, confidential helplines in many countries. In immediate danger, call your local emergency number.
📝 Worksheets for this guide
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Sources
- The Lancet Planetary Health (peer-reviewed) (2021). Climate anxiety in children and young people and their beliefs about government responses to climate change: a global survey (Hickman et al., The Lancet Planetary Health 5(12): e863–e873)
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) (2026). Unmet Need for Mental Health Services Among High School Students Experiencing Persistent Feelings of Sadness or Hopelessness — Youth Risk Behavior Survey, United States, 2025 (MMWR Supplement 75(1))
- UNICEF and Gallup (2021). The Changing Childhood Project: Global outlook
- World Health Organization (WHO) (2026). Child mortality (under 5 years) fact sheet
- U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, National Center for PTSD. Media Coverage of Disaster Events
- NHS (Every Mind Matters). Reframing unhelpful thoughts
- Harvard Health Publishing (Harvard Medical School) (2021). An outlook better than optimism?
- Peer-reviewed research, via PubMed Central (NIH) (2022). Climate change anxiety and mental health: Environmental activism as buffer (Schwartz et al., Current Psychology)
- Peer-reviewed research, via PubMed Central (NIH) (2016). Learned Helplessness at Fifty: Insights from Neuroscience (Maier & Seligman, Psychological Review 123(4))
- Peer-reviewed research, via PubMed Central (NIH) (2016). Prosocial Behavior Mitigates the Negative Effects of Stress in Everyday Life (Raposa, Laws & Ansell, Clinical Psychological Science 4(4): 691–698)
- Peer-reviewed research, via PubMed Central (NIH) (2025). Contributions of hope in physical activity and exercise goal attainment in college students (Blythe et al., Frontiers in Psychology)
- American Academy of Pediatrics (HealthyChildren.org). How to Talk With Children About Climate Change
- American Academy of Pediatrics (HealthyChildren.org) (2024). Suicide Prevention: 12 Things Parents Can Do
- 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline (#BeThe1To). #BeThe1To: The 5 Action Steps and the evidence behind them
- Climate Psychology Alliance of North America. Climate Cafes
- National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH). Depression
- National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH). Warning Signs of Suicide
- 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline
- 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. What to Expect
- Crisis Text Line. Crisis Text Line
- Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). Crisis Text Line (Disaster Behavioral Health Information Series)
- The Trevor Project. Get Help
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Suicide Prevention Resources
- Find A Helpline (ThroughLine). Find A Helpline
- American Association of Suicidology (AAS) (2021). Find a Helpline Tool Expands to the United States in Partnership with the American Association of Suicidology
This guide is for education and self-care. It is not a diagnosis or a substitute for professional care. Please talk to a counselor or clinical provider about your health. Reviewed October 2026.
