When the world feels too much: how to cope with news anxiety and world events

You can be feeling relatively okay in yourself and still feel overwhelmed by what's happening around you.

The news, social media, conversations, uncertainty, conflict and suffering can feel relentless. Sometimes it can leave you feeling anxious, helpless or simply overwhelmed and drained by the amount of information coming at you.

It can also feel isolating when your views or fears don't align with those of the people closest to you. Equally, there can be comfort in finding people who share your concerns and see things in a similar way.

Let's be honest. The world feels difficult right now. For many of us, it has felt that way for years now. Since COVID, it can seem as though there has been one thing after another to contend with, from the cost of living and political uncertainty to conflict and war. Events happening on a global scale inevitably affect us on an individual level, even when they don't directly involve us.

So how do we cope with anxiety when the world around us feels overwhelming?

Finding your own balance

For some people, staying informed and keeping up with the news provides a sense of control. For others, switching off completely is what helps them manage their anxiety. Neither approach is right or wrong.

It's also okay not to have an opinion on everything.

Some of the issues we're faced with are incredibly complicated. You might never feel fully informed, and that's okay too. At the same time, stepping back can leave us feeling powerless or guilty, as though we should be doing more to understand what's happening around us.

Finding your own balance means asking yourself what's important to you, what you have the capacity for, and why you feel the need to stay informed.

Are you genuinely interested in understanding what's happening? Are you trying to keep up with conversations at work or in your group chats? Do you feel pressure to have an opinion because everyone else seems to have one?

We're so used to instant updates and immediate responses, that it can feel uncomfortable to sit with uncertainty or say, “I don't know enough about that to have an opinion.” It might feel even less familiar to take a pause until you’ve decided your response - or indeed, whether you need to have one.

You can care deeply about something and still feel unsure about what to do. You can want things to be different without knowing how to make that happen.

You can be compassionate without being permanently overwhelmed.

You don't have to carry everything

It can be worth taking a moment to understand what's happening for you emotionally.

Are you feeling angry, frightened, frustrated or helpless? Do you feel a sense of duty or responsibility to stay informed? Are you worried about what other people might think if you don't engage?

You can have empathy for people experiencing difficulties that don't directly affect you, while also recognising that you have limited emotional capacity.

You can care about world events, without giving every issue your time and attention.

Protecting your mental health doesn't mean you don't care. You don't have to justify the boundaries you put in place to look after yourself.

Practical ways to manage anxiety about world events

Decide how and when you consume the news.

Notice how you feel after reading the news, scrolling social media or listening to other people's opinions. You might find that regular updates help you feel informed, or you might discover that constantly checking leaves you anxious and unsettled.

There's no perfect amount of news to consume. Experiment with what works for you.

Be selective about the voices you invite in.

You might enjoy reading a range of opinions, or you might find that constant debate leaves you exhausted. Mute or unfollow accounts that make you feel pressured to engage. Choose sources that help you understand what's happening rather than simply adding to the noise.

Notice when you're doomscrolling.

If you find yourself repeatedly checking your phone, scrolling through updates or looking for one more piece of information that might make you feel more certain, you may have slipped into doomscrolling.

Doomscrolling can start with good intentions. We want to understand what's happening, feel prepared or regain a sense of control. But endlessly consuming distressing information can leave us feeling more anxious and overwhelmed.

Give yourself permission to set boundaries.

If someone asks for your opinion on something you find complicated or overwhelming, you can be honest.

You might say, “I'm finding it all a bit much at the moment, so I've taken a step back from following the news.”

You can say you don't know enough about something. You can say you'd rather not discuss it. You can ask to change the subject.

You don't have to enter every debate, defend every position or have an answer ready.

Control the controllables.

What brings you joy? Who do you enjoy spending time with? What gives you energy, comfort or a sense of connection?

It might be going for a walk, swimming, exercising, cooking, spending time with friends or doing something creative.

These things aren't trivial just because difficult things are happening elsewhere. Your life is still happening, and you're allowed to participate in it, and choosing mindful activities that ground you is a good thing when you're feeling overwhelmed.

Protect your space to switch off.

Putting your phone away before bed, turning off news notifications or avoiding the news first thing in the morning can give your mind some breathing space.

Delete the apps that give you anxiety more regularly than they bring you joy - you don't have to be constantly connected if it’s making you feel unsettled.

What if world events are making your existing anxiety worse?

Sometimes, what's happening around us can intensify anxiety we're already experiencing.

Concerns about money, relationships, work, family or the future might feel even harder to manage when the wider world feels uncertain.

It can be helpful to ask yourself whether your anxiety is primarily about what's happening in the world, or whether these events are amplifying worries closer to home.

If you're already feeling anxious about your own life, constantly absorbing distressing information might leave you with even less space to process what's happening for you.

Recognising this isn't about dismissing what's going on in the world. It's about understanding what you need, and where your attention and energy might be most helpful.

How can counselling help when the world feels overwhelming?

It can be difficult to talk about your fears when you feel that the people around you don't understand, or when conversations quickly become debates about who's right and who's wrong.

Counselling offers a different kind of space. You don't have to defend your position, arrive with a fully formed opinion or worry about being judged.

You can talk openly about what you're feeling, what frightens you and what you find difficult to make sense of.

A counsellor can listen with compassion and curiosity, helping you explore your feelings and understand what might be contributing to your anxiety. Sometimes, having somewhere to put those thoughts and feelings can help you feel less alone with them.

You don't need to wait until your anxiety becomes unbearable before seeking support. You can come to counselling simply because things feel difficult and you'd like some space to work through them.

Be gentle with yourself when the world feels hard

There isn't a single right way to cope with uncertainty, distressing news or the feeling that the world is a difficult place.

What feels manageable for one person might feel overwhelming for another.

You don't have to be informed about everything. You don't have to have an opinion on everything. And you don't have to carry the weight of everything happening around you.

Sometimes, the most helpful thing you can do is find a little breathing space, reconnect with the things that matter to you and allow yourself to be a person living through difficult times, rather than someone who has to make sense of them all.

Be gentle with yourself when life feels hard. Prioritising your mental health isn’t selfish, it may be essential.

And if the world feels overwhelming, you don't have to wait until your anxiety becomes unbearable before talking to someone.