How to Handle Anxiety When the World Feels Like a Shit Show
Let’s just say it.
The world feels like a bit of a sh*t show right now.
The news is loud.
The opinions are louder.
Everyone is reacting.
Everyone is certain.
Everyone is angry.
And somewhere in the middle of all that noise… your nervous system is trying to survive.
If you’ve been feeling anxious, overwhelmed, edgy, exhausted, or emotionally fried — you are not weak. You are human.
But here’s the truth:
You do not have to emotionally participate in every global meltdown.
You can be informed without being inflamed.
You can care without carrying it all.
You can stay grounded even when everything around you feels chaotic.
Let’s talk about how.
1. Your Nervous System Wasn’t Built for 24/7 Crisis Mode
Our brains were designed to respond to immediate danger — not endless scrolling, breaking news alerts, and constant outrage cycles.
When you consume fear-based information all day, your body doesn’t know the difference between:
• A real threat in front of you
• And a headline on your phone
Your nervous system reacts the same way.
That tight chest?
That racing heart?
That low-grade dread?
That’s not weakness. That’s overstimulation.
Limit your exposure.
Set boundaries with media.
Take intentional breaks.
You don’t need to know everything in real time.
2. Discernment Is Self-Protection
Not everything deserves your energy.
Not every post deserves your reaction.
Not every narrative deserves your belief.
Pause before you absorb something. Ask:
How does this feel in my body?
Is this information useful… or just activating?
Am I being informed — or emotionally manipulated?
Discernment is not denial.
It is maturity.
You can stay awake without staying anxious.
3. Ground Yourself in What Is Actually Happening in Your Life
Right now.
Not hypothetically. Not globally. Not politically.
Right now.
Are you safe?
Is your home stable?
Are you breathing?
Is the sun still rising?
Are the people you love still here?
When the world feels like a sh*t show, shrink your focus.
Come back to what is real in your immediate environment.
Touch something solid.
Step outside.
Feel your feet on the ground.
Notice your breath.
Anxiety lives in the future.
Grounding lives in the present.
4. You Are Not Required to Carry the Emotional Weight of the World
Compassion does not mean absorbing chaos.
Being heart-centered does not mean drowning in everyone else’s fear.
You are allowed to protect your peace.
You are allowed to turn it off.
You are allowed to say,
“I cannot take this into my nervous system today.”
That is not ignorance.
That is wisdom.
5. Create Small Rituals That Anchor You
When things feel unstable externally, stability must be created internally.
Light a candle.
Sit in silence for five minutes.
Take a slow walk.
Journal.
Come to a sound meditation.
Unplug for an hour.
Your nervous system needs rhythm.
And you get to choose what rhythm you live in.
My Final Thought:
The world may be messy.
It may be loud.
It may be chaotic.
But you do not have to be.
You can stay centered.
You can stay compassionate.
You can stay discerning.
And you can refuse to let the noise decide how your body feels.
Take care of your nervous system.
It is sacred.
