How to Stay Grounded When Everything Feels Overwhelming

Dear Land Loved,

I’m having a hard time with everything going on in the world. I tune into the news on social media constantly and feel a sense of horror and hopelessness which overwhelms me. I’m exhausted and everything that I do seems trivial. I want to do something big and important, but I have no energy. I feel scared and it feels weird to carry on like everything is “normal”. Do you have any advice?

I hear you. Truly. I relate to the heaviness you feel when you tune into the news and see the horrors in the world. Feeling overwhelmed, exhausted, and even powerless is natural. It’s hard to carry on like everything is normal when nothing feels normal. Your feelings are valid and you are not alone.

Let's dive in.

It might feel counterintuitive, but the most important thing right now is to care deeply and tenderly for yourself. I know you want to do something big and important, and you will. But it’s almost impossible to act from a place of exhaustion and overwhelm.

Allow yourself to disconnect and rest. Stop reading the news constantly. There’s a line between staying informed and repeatedly traumatizing yourself. Take an extended break, nap, cook nourishing meals, spend time outdoors, or simply do something that brings you joy. Self-care is not trivial. It is powerful. Your body is asking you for rest and nourishment.

If you feel called to stay informed, choose trusted sources without violent imagery. Set aside specific times, maybe no more than fifteen or twenty minutes a week, to read. You might create a simple ritual: set a timer, take three deep breaths, light a candle, read, and when the timer ends stop reading, take three more deep breaths and blow out the candle. This brings conscious awareness to something that often happens mindlessly. Doom scrolling isn't helping anyone.

My personal ritual is this: for every fifteen minutes I spend reading the news, I spend fifteen minutes after doing an embodied practice like stretching or yoga. Whatever time I spend consuming news, I make sure to pair it with something that helps me process and reconnect with my body.

And let’s remember that social media is designed to be highly addictive. Managing your news consumption also means managing your social media use. Setting thoughtful limits and boundaries is essential for protecting your mental health.

If your social media feed is tangled with news, friends, family, and interests, it can be overwhelming. Consider creating separate accounts for news and politics versus personal connections and hobbies. This allows you to engage consciously, on your own terms, instead of being inundated with news while checking messages or seeing what your friends are up to.

Once you’ve rested, eaten, and reclaimed some energy, tend to the spark inside you. Let creativity guide you from a place of hope. A simple practice I like is asking yourself what you would create if the world were perfect, if women and the earth were deeply respected. Creating from this space can bring joy, purpose, and even healing for yourself and others.

One small action that helps me feel grounded and empowered is signing petitions. It may seem like a tiny gesture in the face of so much injustice, but it reminds me that my voice matters and that I am participating in change, even in small ways. Each signature connects me to a larger community of people advocating for the issues I care about, whether it’s climate justice, women's rights, or protecting vulnerable communities. These small acts are meaningful because they are tangible ways to channel my concern into action without draining my energy or hope. They’re a reminder that even when the world feels overwhelming, I can still do something real and impactful.

Taking care of yourself in these ways is not selfish. It is an act of resistance in a world that often asks too much of us. You don’t need to do everything at once. Small, deliberate steps to restore your energy and protect your heart are enough.

And remember, we are all in this together. Finding safe spaces where you can be with others, and having people you trust to reach out to for support, can be deeply helpful. I also run free monthly women’s circles, and you are always welcome to join if that feels supportive.

With love and hope,

Vanessa