How to Protect Your Mental Health When the World Feels Like It’s on Fire

There’s a conversation I’m having over and over again with clients lately: How do I hang on to my mental health when the world feels like it’s on fire?

First of all, let’s name the obvious: if the world feels like it’s on fire, your mental health probably won’t feel great. And that doesn’t mean something is wrong with you.

The problem, of course, is that the horrors persist.

As trauma therapist and author Arielle Schwartz recently reminded me on this podcast, our nervous systems are designed to be nimble. We’re meant to respond to threat — and then, when safety is restored, return to a parasympathetic “rest and digest” state quickly so we can continue living our lives.

Right now, the world can feel consistently threatening. For many people, the nervous system never gets the signal that it’s safe to stand down.

If You Feel Overwhelmed, It’s Not a Personal Failing

If you’re a caring, empathetic, engaged person, there is a lot demanding your attention right now.

Last week alone, I spent several therapy sessions almost entirely focused on the state of the world. And I want to be clear: as a therapist, I’m not living in some separate reality dispensing wisdom from afar. I’m in this world too. I’m feeling it alongside you.

One thing I keep coming back to — for my clients and for myself — is this:

You feel overwhelmed because you are paying attention.

Glennon Doyle has described deeply sensitive people as “canaries in the coal mine” — those who detect emotional, cultural, or environmental toxicity before others do. She frames this sensitivity not as brokenness, but as a kind of superpower.

She writes in her book Love Warrior:

“I’m not a mess but a deeply feeling person in a messy world… I cry often for the same reason I laugh often — because I’m paying attention.”

Same.

You Were Never Wired for a 24-Hour Global News Cycle

Another reframe I find incredibly grounding comes from Nadia Bolz-Weber, who wrote in her 2021 blog post If You Can’t Take In Any More, There’s a Reason:

“I just do not think our psyches were developed to hold, feel and respond to everything coming at them right now — every tragedy, injustice, sorrow, and disaster happening to every human across the planet, in real time.”

She contrasts this with what our nervous systems were designed for:

“The human heart and spirit were developed to be able to hold what was happening in our village.”

We have ancient nervous systems living in a very modern reality. If it feels like too much, it’s because it is.

The Guilt Trap of Being “Aware Enough”

Bolz-Weber also names something many of my clients feel acutely — a culture of pressure among caring, well-meaning people that says:

If you’re not talking about, posting about, or acting on every injustice, you are part of the problem.

For people who genuinely care — who feel every image and story — this often leads to guilt layered on top of despair. And guilt rarely leads to meaningful action. More often, it leads to shutdown.

So yes: you care.
And no: you are not wired to carry everything.

How to Stay Informed Without Becoming Overwhelmed

It’s important to acknowledge that many of us — myself included — have privilege that allows us to step back from the news. That matters. Privilege should be used responsibly, not to disengage entirely.

And at the same time, constant exposure isn’t the answer either.

Some questions I often invite clients to consider:

• How is news reaching you? (images, videos, audio, text)

• How often?

• At what times of day?

If you’re sensitive to visual media, reading a newsletter may be gentler than scrolling videos. If morning news leaves you hopeless before you’re out of bed, or nighttime exposure disrupts sleep, boundaries around timing matter.

This isn’t avoidance — it’s nervous system care.

Choose One or Two Things to Say a Deep “Yes” To

When the world feels overwhelming, powerlessness often follows. And powerlessness leads to paralysis.

We all have different resources at different times — time, money, energy, physical presence, organizing skills, or voice. Be honest about what you actually have right now.

You don’t need to do everything.
You don’t even need to do many things.

You can probably do one or two things that feel aligned and sustainable.

As Bolz-Weber puts it:

“It’s okay to do what is yours to do.”

To say yes to one or two things, you have to say no to a lot. That’s not failure — it’s realism.

Joy Is Not a Luxury — It’s a Necessity

Finally, we have to talk about joy.

Many communities — including the LGBTQIA+ community — are deeply familiar with the rhythm of grief, rage, and rest. Dan Savage famously said of the AIDS crisis:

“We buried our friends in the morning, protested in the afternoon, and danced all night.”

I’ll also strongly encourage sleep — but metaphorically speaking: what is your dancing?

Connection. Old movies. Cooking. Music. Movement. Laughter. Rest.

Joy is not a distraction from caring about the world. It’s what allows you to keep caring for the long haul.

A Gentle Closing

One question I return to again and again — personally and professionally — is this:

What feels sustainable?

If the weight of the world is showing up as anxiety, burnout, or feeling constantly on edge, therapy can help you find steadier ground without disconnecting from what matters.