The Anxiety Economy
In 2019, you weren’t an epidemiologist, knew little about vaccines, and even less about Big Pharma.
In 2020, The Queen was still The Queen, cryptocurrency was still a joke, and “Starship” was the name of a 70s rock band.
In 2021, terms like ChatGPT, NFTs, AGI, or DeepSeek meant nothing to you.
In 2022, your attention was elsewhere when Gaza, Hamas, Hezbollah, and Zionism surged into mainstream discourse
In 2023, you couldn’t locate Crimea on a map, didn’t know how to pronounce Kyiv, and had never heard of a popular entertainer by the name of Zelensky.
In 2024, you learned about the path of totality, witnessed commercial spacewalks, and contemplated moving to Mars.
In 2025, if you weren’t an economist, you likely didn’t know the difference between a tariff and a surcharge - until suddenly, you had to.
The world’s accelerating information cycles have turned us all into frantic generalists - people who skim the surface of vast, complex topics, rarely diving deep enough to gain real expertise but just enough to argue online. Each year, the urgency of new issues pulls attention away from what was pressing last month.
And yet, the greatest personal and professional challenges aren’t changing at the same breakneck pace. Leadership, communication, strategy, resilience - these remain constant.
The problem isn’t just information overload. It’s that most people have lost the ability to distinguish between becoming informed and being entertained (or terrified).
News today is less about reporting and more about feeding an engagement algorithm. The more outrageous, chaotic, or contradictory an issue appears, the more likely it is to go viral. One moment, you’re doomscrolling economic downturns and trade wars; the next, you’re expected to have an opinion on AI safety or the future of quantum computing.
The question is: does any of this help you? Or is it just another way to keep you busy? My clients hear me bang on about the difference between activity and productivity all the time. The good news is they learn to discern between the two and make more mindful choices.
Most people don’t know enough to meaningfully act on 99% of the information they consume. That’s not an insult; it’s an observation about human cognitive limitations. Expertise takes years to build. Yet today, you’re expected to become a micro-expert in global conflicts, supply chains, pandemics, financial instruments, and disruptive technologies - while also staying productive in your own work and life. It’s no wonder so many people feel overwhelmed, demotivated, and paralyzed.
What You Can Actually Control
Here’s the hard truth: most people are chasing headlines instead of their own goals. They’re debating tariffs when they haven’t even built a pricing strategy for their own business. They’re obsessing over AI replacing jobs when they haven’t invested in their own professional development. They’re drowning in macroeconomic speculation when their personal finances remain a mess.
Coaching helps cut through the noise. It refocuses you on what you can influence instead of what’s merely interesting (or terrifying). The fundamental questions haven’t changed:
- How do you create value in an economy that rewards adaptability?
- How do you build a business that isn’t constantly at the mercy of external volatility?
- How do you lead people when uncertainty is a given?
- How do you protect your mental clarity and decision-making in an era of perpetual distraction?
No one is saying you should ignore the world. But you need to choose where to invest your mental energy. Are you consuming information, or is it consuming you?
Finding Your Red Thread
In psychology, we talk about the “red thread” that runs through your professional and personal life - the central themes, strengths, and guiding principles that keep you grounded. If you’re not clear on yours, you’ll be constantly pulled by external forces.
Coaching isn’t about shielding you from reality; it’s about helping you find clarity amid the chaos. It’s about ensuring that while the world spins at breakneck speed, you’re not just reacting - you’re intentionally moving forward.
The world isn’t going to slow down for you. But you don’t have to let it set your pace. If you’re feeling overwhelmed, it’s time to step back and focus on what actually matters for your business, career, and well-being. That’s where coaching comes in.
You don’t need to be an expert on every headline. But you do need to be an expert on yourself.
If you’re ready to reclaim your focus and build something meaningful, I help leaders, entrepreneurs, and professionals cut through the noise and navigate their careers with clarity and confidence. Let’s talk.
About the Author
Anna is an organizational psychologist and executive coach, with a special interest in all things technology. We’re part of the team at Garleff Coaching and Consulting Group. If this article has struck a chord, please let us know.
Anna Garleff Cell: +1 587 224 3793 / anna@garleffcoaching.com
www.garleffcoaching.com
