Staying Grounded When The World Feels Heavy
I’m writing this from a hotel room in China, where I’ve been all week on a business trip. The days have been packed with meetings, big ideas, and a lot of energy! But that’s also leaving me with very little appetite to do anything in the evenings. In my attempt to unwind, I found myself turning on the TV, and CNN seems to be the only English channel available in my hotel room.
The last few months, I’ve been really intentional about limiting my news consumption, even setting daily limits on my phone’s news apps. Twenty minutes, MAX. But travel has a way of disrupting our carefully crafted routines, doesn’t it? Last night, exhausted but unable to sleep, I found myself watching coverage of global conflicts, environmental crises, and political tensions… Before I knew it, two hours had passed, and I was deep in what I now recognise as a news doom spiral.
I tell myself I’m just staying informed, but I could feel the impact in my body. My chest was tight, my thoughts were racing, and I had this deep, unsettled feeling that I couldn’t quite shake.
This wasn’t about ignorance or avoidance, I care deeply about what’s happening in the world. But I also know that endlessly consuming distressing news isn't making me more informed. It’s making me feel anxious, drained, and powerless.
And I know I’m not alone in this.
So many of us are carrying a constant undercurrent of stress, a low-level hum of anxiety that spikes with every new headline. The world feels unpredictable, and that uncertainty? It’s exhausting.
We weren’t designed to process a global crisis every five minutes.
Here’s what happens when we’re constantly exposed to distressing news:
Chronic stress floods our system with cortisol. Short-term, this helps us respond to threats. Long-term, it leaves us feeling anxious, exhausted, and even physically unwell.
Doomscrolling creates a ‘vigilance loop.’ Our brains crave certainty, so we keep searching for more information, hoping it will ease our fears. But instead, we just get stuck in a cycle of consuming bad news → feeling worse → consuming more.
Our sense of control shrinks. When we focus on everything that’s going wrong, we reinforce the belief that we’re powerless. And psychologically? That makes stress feel even heavier.
So if your body feels tense, if your brain feels overloaded, it’s not just you. Your nervous system is reacting exactly how it’s meant to, it’s just overwhelmed by too much input.
The good news? You can take back control.
When the world feels overwhelming, the answer isn’t to ignore it, but to be intentional about how you engage with it.
Here are five simple but powerful ways to stay informed without sacrificing your mental health:
1. Set Boundaries Around News Consumption
Limit your intake. Exposure to distressing news multiple times a day increases stress, even if you weren’t directly affected. Try checking headlines once or twice a day instead of constantly refreshing.
Be mindful of timing. Avoid consuming heavy news first thing in the morning or right before bed. This helps prevent it from setting the tone for your day or disrupting your sleep.
2. Engage in Active, Not Passive Coping
Take small, tangible actions. Action reduces anxiety—even if it’s something small. Donate, volunteer, educate yourself on solutions.
Focus on local impact. Focusing on problems too big to solve individually increases helplessness. But when you engage at a local level, you feel more empowered.
3. Regulate Your Nervous System (Before You Spiral)
Get outside. Spending just 10 minutes in nature has been shown to lower cortisol and reduce anxiety.
Move your body. Exercise is one of the most effective ways to break the stress cycle, it literally flushes out excess stress hormones and resets your system. I don't know about you, but I always like me better after some movement!
Try physiological sighing. Two quick inhales through the nose, one long exhale through the mouth. This is one of the fastest ways to calm the nervous system. I use that one all the time, simple but effective.
4. Shift Your Attention Toward What’s Working
Balance the negative with the positive. When we focus only on problems, stress increases. But when we actively seek out progress and solutions, we feel more in control. Follow sources that highlight resilience, progress, and action. Follow sources that highlight the good!! (GoodNews_Movement is a nice one.)
5. Connect With Others Instead of Isolating
Talk to real humans. Social connection is one of the strongest protective factors against stress and anxiety. Even a short chat with a friend can regulate your nervous system.
Engage in ‘collective coping.’ Sharing concerns in a way that fosters problem-solving and support (rather than just venting) improves resilience.
The world isn’t going to slow down. But you can choose how you engage with it.
Instead of passively consuming bad news and feeling powerless, ask yourself:
What’s one small action I can take today to shift from overwhelm to impact?
Maybe it’s setting a news boundary.
Maybe it’s taking a break to move your body.
Maybe it’s reaching out to a friend and having a real conversation.
Staying informed doesn’t have to mean staying overwhelmed. You can care deeply about the world and protect your own wellbeing.
And that’s how we stay strong enough to keep showing up ❤️
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