Future Thinking

In the second of two special holiday episodes Claudia Hammond and an expert panel of psychologists look to the future.

A new year is upon us, a time when we often find ourselves reflecting on the year gone by and thinking about what comes next. Thinking about the future comes so naturally to most people that we don't realise what a complicated - and essential - skill it is.

Catherine Loveday, Professor of Cognitive Neuroscience at the University of Westminster, explains how our ability to mentally time travel into the future is useful for everyday tasks as well as fundamental to shaping our identity.

Daryl O’Connor, Professor of Psychology at the University of Leeds, discusses how thinking about the future motivates us in the present.

And Peter Olusoga, Senior Lecturer in Psychology at Sheffield Hallam University, describes how professional sportspeople use visualisation and future thinking to improve sporting success - and what the rest of us can learn from that.

Together they discuss how we hold ideas of the future in mind, whether unbounded optimism is the best way ahead – or not, and how to science-proof our favourite future planning at this time of year - new year's resolutions.

If you are suffering distress or despair and need support, including urgent support, a list of organisations that can help is available at bbc.co.uk/actionline.

Presenter: Claudia Hammond Producer: Lorna Stewart Content Editor: Holly Squire Studio Manager: Emma Harth Production Co-ordinators: Siobhan Maguire and Andrew Rhys Lewis