Chaos feels like the new normal. In the UK, the recent Spring Statement delivered welfare cuts and left questions hanging over the future of public services and the disabled community, who should have been protected, not targetted.
Across the US, national security concerns and political infighting dominate the headlines. Alarm and outrage continues to felt across the globe following serious breaches in US war plans that were brought to light in The Atlantic, adding to an already anxious mood.
Whether it’s economic pressure, political turmoil, or constant media noise, the world keeps pushing us to the edge.
But we don’t have to live in a permanent state of stress. Calm isn’t a luxury – it’s a necessary act of resilience. Here’s how to find it.
Accept Uncertainty as the Baseline
Many of us are wired to think that peace will come once things settle down. But between ongoing global conflicts, government instability, and economic unease, waiting for clarity is like waiting for a train that’s never coming.
Instead, we need to shift our mindset: expect uncertainty. Make peace with not knowing everything.
This isn’t giving up – it’s adapting. When unpredictability becomes your baseline, it loses its power to knock you off balance.
Set Boundaries with the News
Staying informed doesn’t mean being consumed. The news is now a never-ending scroll, designed to keep you watching, clicking, reacting. From political drama to international conflict, it’s easy to feel like you’re drowning in headlines.
Pick one or two trusted news sources. Check them once a day – no more. Curate your social feeds. Mute accounts that thrive on outrage. Staying updated and staying sane are not mutually exclusive.
Focus on What You Can Control
We can’t rewrite the Spring Statement. You can’t broker peace in Ukraine, and we have no influence over those in the top positions of power in the US, much as we might like to.
But there is much we can control. We can decide how you start our mornings, what we eat, how we move, how many times we check social media, and how we respond.
We can reclaim our energy by focusing on the tangible: our habits, our environment, our local community. These small actions create a sense of control that national and global news often strips away.
Connect Locally, Not Just Digitally
While world leaders debate, argue and make headline news, communities are quietly holding things together. In the UK, food banks, mutual aid groups, and local mental health initiatives are stepping in where institutions lag behind.
In the US, grassroots organisations are offering support, advocacy, and connection.
Get involved. Talk to your neighbours. Show up for a cause close to home. When everything feels abstract and overwhelming, the antidote is connection – real, human, and local.
Make Calm a Practise, Not a Goal
We don’t “find” calm like a lost item under the couch. We practise it. And like any skill, it gets stronger over time.
Try meditation or deep breathing, even for five minutes a day. Take regular walks without your phone. Protect your sleep. Say no more often. Choose media, people, and experiences that nourish, not drain, you.
Don’t Feel Pressured to Have a Take on Everything
Hot takes are a currency of the internet age, but they’re exhausting. Every crisis doesn’t need our comment. Every headline doesn’t deserve our emotional energy.
There’s wisdom in saying, “I don’t know.” There’s peace in choosing silence. Resisting the urge to react to everything is a form of power.
Final Thought: In a World on Fire, Be Water
We don’t have to be the most informed or the most outraged. We have to be steady, functional, and kind. Calm isn’t passive – it’s a choice. And in times like these, it’s one of the most radical things you can practise.
The world isn’t going to slow down for us. So we need to make space for peace in our own lives. Not because everything is fine, but because we need to be.
