What To Do When The World Feels All Too Much
Sometimes the weight of the world can feel so heavy. Too much. Overwhelming.
Whether it’s a war, a pandemic, political change, social injustice or climate change, whatever the cause, its something bigger than you. It pulls on your heart strings, you care about it deeply, it might impact you and those you love, and you want to help contribute towards change for the better. However, when addressing some of the bigger world problems, when you become over-exposed, it can leave you feeling helpless, fearful, out of control and powerless. These feelings can also lead to despair and anxiety.
In this day and age, the way we receive information has no container. It is thrown at us from every angle. It can start to feel very overwhelming and cause you to feel anxious. Then you might feel torn; you want to stay updated and informed but you realise you might also be feeling flooded and overstimulated.
These days, the way most people tend to receive information is through social media. One second your mindlessly scrolling and watching Britney Spears dancing, and then the next you’re being thrown into an alternate universe watching a graphic war crime video you weren’t prepared to see. When this happens, you aren’t prepared for such traumatic content. You are left shocked, surprised or petrified, and then you are left sitting in your chair, bed or in your car, wherever you are, in a state of fight or flight. Unable to unsee and unhear what you just saw. You might keep scrolling but the fear lingers with you, it stays in your body. When you are exposed to this consistently throughout your day, it can overwhelm the system.
You don’t need to feel like this to be able to stay educated, informed, and contributing towards change.
Why does it feel so addictive?
It can even feel addictive. You don’t want to watch or listen but you also find yourself spiralling in a vortex of information, even though you know you’re feeling overwhelmed. Why is that?
Because your mind and body are geared towards danger. That’s what we have evolved for. Anxiety is your bodies way of telling you somethings not safe; so you can run, hide or freeze. Your system is geared towards scanning your environment for a threat, so that it can keep you safe.
Additionally, when you feel out of control, your mind ruminates over the topic in the hope to find a solution or conclusion, to gain back a sense of control. But when its something that doesn’t have a solution, you’re just left ruminating repeatedly. It feels as though the topic, as difficult as it may be to think about, is like a magnet.
Its can also be addictive watching or hearing something that is so incomprehensible, that we can’t believe its true. Its so far from our world, from our knowing, that our curiosity kicks in and we want to know more.
What to do when feeling like its too much
Whilst its important to stay educated and informed, its also important to take care of yourself. Its hard to give yourself to the cause you love and to the people its impacting, when you yourself are feeling overstimulated, flooded and in a state of dread.
Whatever the matter, it needs you to feel balanced, strong, and empowered to be able to give yourself fully.
Here are a few things to remember when it feels like all too much:
1. Take a break
Give yourself permission to step away for a bit.
Give yourself a mental break.
Yes, its important to stay updated but you don’t need to be bombarded with information consistently throughout your day to do that. You can give yourself a time of day where you dedicate to staying informed. But then put it away. The worlds not going anywhere; the information will be there for you when you’re ready.
Your mind and body might need a break from the feelings of helplessness, anxiety, and fear. And that’s okay. It doesn’t mean you don’t care, you will receive the important bits of information in some form and that might be all you need to know for now.
2. Reach out
When you learn about a difficult topic, the world shares the weight of heaviness with you. We are empathetic creatures by nature. We take on that weight and we feel the heaviness. When you talk to someone, you halve that heaviness and share the load. Many hands make light work because you’re distributing the heaviness to make it lighter.
Speak to someone you love and feel comfortable with. You don’t need to speak about the topic, just let yourself feel and receive the love and support thats around you.
Snuggle up to someone and let them hold you.
Give someone you love a big hug.
Laugh with a friend.
Its also okay to let people know that you need a break from talking about whatever it is that’s on your mind. If people try to discuss it with you, which many people do if it’s a big event going on in the world, let them know you’re feeling overwhelmed and need some space from the topic for a bit. Any supportive person in your life will be able to understand. Its okay to speak up for your boundaries to take care of yourself.
In addition, reach out to a professional so you can work through what’s going on for yourself. Speaking to an objective person allows you to speak freely without fear. Link in with a psychologist, counsellor or GP.
3. Contribute: The Ripple Effect
If a problem is so grand or the situation feels far away, it can leave you feeling helpless, out of control or powerless. Its an intense feeling to have to just sit and watch, without being able to do anything to help.
You may not be able to change THE world but you can definitely change the world around you.
Focus on what you can control
- Donate to an organization, a family or people in need related to the cause
- Volunteer your time and service
- Speak up and advocate
- Reach out to people you know directly affected and offer your love and support
- Join a support group/advocacy group
Doing an action will help you regain your power and sense of control.
The Ripple Effect
Some people may argue that there’s no point, what difference does it make. But when you act on something, it causes a ripple effect through lineages of people.
For example:
- When you reach out and check in, it makes someone feel loved and then they reach out to someone else, making them feel loved. So on and so forth.
- Donating something allows a family to be fed, be clothed and provides them hope. Not only do they get their basic humans rights met but they feel hopeful that there’s good out there. Maybe they then decide to do the same for someone else and so forth.
- If you speak up and advocate, people learn and become educated; they then share that information with someone else, and then they share the information with someone else, etc.
- If you eat less meat, someone sees that and is inspired to do the same. Then someone else gets inspired from watching that person, and so forth
It catches on like a viral video. All these actions, although they may feel small, they become big. They ripple through people and create an aftermath that creates connection, education, empowerment and change.
4. Get back into your body
When you’re feeling overwhelmed, you can become very in your head. All the thoughts circulate and images replay. They’re swirling in your head but your body is stuck in this freeze state.
Its time to get out of your head and back into your body.
You can try:
- 5 minutes of deep stretching whilst deep breathing through every stretch. Bring your awareness to each part of your body as you work your way from your head to your toe
- Play 5-4-3-2-1:
5 things you can see
4 things you can hear
3 things you can feel
2 things you can smell
1 thing you can taste
- Go for a walk; play the 5-4-3-2-1 game every time you notice your mind wondering
- Do some exercise that requires active mental engagement as well as physical
- Shake your body for 2 minutes on the spot, dance or give yourself a gentle massage
Coming back to your body will help you feel more present.
5. Educate yourself on the good things happening on the topic
As much as there is darkness, there is also light and love. Research all the good things that are also taking place around the topic. Take notice of all the people and projects working towards better change.
Give equal attention to the good as well as the bad to create a more balanced view.
6. Choice and empowerment
Choice and empowerment are taken away with social media because you can be exposed to anything at any time. Its important to remember if you are sharing content, to put trigger warnings in front of the information, so that you can give people the option as to whether they want to view the information, or at least get themselves mentally prepared.
Some may say that its reality and everyone should see what’s going on. However to inform people, we don’t need to contribute to a cycle that leaves people feeling vicariously traumatised, instilled with shock and fear. We want to facilitate a world whereby people have the choice as to what they are consuming or being exposed to.
Please ensure there are trigger warnings when you share content. We want people to feel strong and empowered, ready for change, not paralysed with fear.
7. Keep on keepin’ on
Sometimes when there is a lot going on in the world or you’re feeling particularly existential, its hard to find the same joy or meaning in your usual endeavours. For example, some people go to work and find themselves asking ‘what’s the point when there are such bigger matters at play?’
I know it can put everyday meanderings into perspective but even if you just dropped everything and constantly put your energy and attention towards the cause, it probably still wouldn’t do it any good. The only thing it would do is leave you feeling defeated.
Too much of anything will leave you feeling burnt out. Balance in your life is important to ensure healthy mental, physical and emotional wellbeing.
To be able to feel strong and give yourself to the cause, you have to be feeling your best. Without the everyday meanderings and endeavours, life wouldn’t be what it is. So keep on keepin’ on. It will help you in the long term.
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So remember, there is so much support and love out there for you if you are feeling overwhelmed. Take care of yourself, as you would a friend. Bring back your awareness to what you can control. Its okay to slow down, put some boundaries in and reach out to the people who can support you.
See below further contacts for free mental health support.
Mental Health Contact Numbers:
LIFELINE - 24 hours/7 days
13 11 14
BEYOND BLUE SUPPORT SERVICE - 24 hours/7 days
1300 224 636
SANE - 10am-10pm/weekdays
1800 187 263
Please note that if you are in un unsafe situation with your partner to keep yourself safe and call 000 in an emergency. See contact numbers above.