Increasingly, I feel like I’m reading the news through my fingers. Today’s headlines make me physically wince as they reveal more craziness from Donald Trump; fresh pain for Ukraine and Gaza; the death toll from Myanmar’s earthquake climbing; plus a chilling report on how artificial general intelligence could decimate the labour market. Like many men, sport is my go-to escape, but right now, it’s only adding to my woe. My beloved Leicester City has lurched into full kamikaze mode and lost six games in a row.

The problem with viewing the world through a haze of existential dread is that I know an apocalyptic mindset is self-defeating. I’ve read the studies about how optimists are happier, live longer and have better relationships than their sour-faced counterparts. Yet how can I turn my frown upside down?