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How to Take Care of Your Mental Health When the World’s on Fire

If you’ve been feeling exhausted, numb, anxious or helpless lately, you’re not alone. Our nervous systems are not designed to feel “okay” during crisis, and yet the reality is that our world is in a constant state of crisis. We write this on the heals of the No King Protests, yet that’s just one of the many movements happening right now.  Wildfires, rising costs, political instability, climate collapse, hate-fueled violence… it’s a lot. For those of us already carrying the weight of trauma, these events can hit even harder.


So, how are you supposed to take care of your mental health when the world is both figuratively and literally on fire?

We don't have all the answers, but we're here to offer a trauma-informed perspective to what might help. We'll look at why this may be harder for those with a history of trauma and then explore some different ideas of what may help.

We appear to be at a protest or a march. Someone is holding up a cardboard sign that says "fight today for a better tomorrow"

When the Current Crises Trigger the Past

Why might the current turmoil and crisis be especially hard for trauma survivors?

While there’s no one answer, we know that the current situation is mirroring a lot of what trauma survivors have experienced in the past. Especially someone who has experienced childhood trauma, systemic oppression, or identity-based violence, many of the feelings you're experiencing in the present may be similar to what you’ve experienced in the past.

 

Some examples:

  • Watching political violence unfold and feeling unsafe may remind you of times you felt powerless or unsafe in the past.

  • Being impacted by climate anxiety may reflect early trauma around unpredictability or survival.

  • Seeing others invalidate suffering may trigger memories of being dismissed or gaslit.

  • Growing up with rules that felt arbitrary and unfair and now facing more of the same in the world around you.


From a clinical perspective, past trauma can shape core beliefs about safety, trust, power, and control. When the current political environment mirrors or reinforces those early experiences, it can reactivate those deeply held beliefs, making the world feel even more unsafe or overwhelming. 


So, you may be responding to the current political environment AND you may also be re-experiencing your past at the same time, leaving you feeling something twice. Oof! That’s heavy. 


So What Can We Do? Real, Tangible Ways to Manage Mental Health When the World's on Fire


We’re not here to tell you to “just think positive” because the reality is, you’re feeling this because it is real and it matters. It’s really important we don’t dismiss our experiences. So what actually helps at a time like this? 


Remember: they don’t want you to be regulate and have capacity, because then you can rally. Slow down, build capacity and then you will be more effective. Though paradoxical, the more you take care of yourself, the more you will be able to show up for the causes that matter. 


Let's explore a few ideas that the research suggests might help.


Focus in on Purpose

When I asked over on TikTok what people were struggling with the most, a lot of people sent me messages mentioning the requirement to keep doing the day-to-day things, like going to work, when they want to be out making change.

In moments like this, it can really be helpful to focus in on how you are already living in alignment with your values and purpose, you may just be overlooking it (maybe due to an internal belief you always need to do more?)


We can focus in on our purpose by noticing how the day-to-day actually enables us to be more aligned with our greater goal/sense of purpose.


Person in a white T-shirt holds a yellow detergent bottle next to a washing machine, preparing laundry. Bright, indoor setting.
Is it really "just doing laundry"? Or are you teaching respect and worth to your kids and yourself?

For example, putting away all the kids laundry can be a either seen as a distraction from the real stuff, or it can be a chance to set a foundation of care and respect. When children grow up feeling valued, they’re more likely to believe in their own worth and in the worth of others. This foundation helps raise future adults who advocate for justice and stand up for others.


Here’s another example: doing data entry all day at work might feel boring or pointless, but it’s also what pays your bills. And maybe that steady paychecque lets you donate to a cause you care about, take your kid to therapy, or show up at a community meeting in the evening.


When the world is on fire, we often feel like we have to do EVERYTHING ALL AT ONCE RIGHT NOW. And we forget that what we are doing day to day often sets the foundation for the long-term changes our world needs to see.


Identify What it Means to You

This one is going to be especially important if you've experienced trauma in your past. Remember how we said before (in this section) that they current events may be mirroring the trauma in your past?


A few more examples might be:

  • Watching world leaders avoid accountability brings up memories of caregivers who did the same.

  • As you hear about economic instability, you be recalling past trauma related to poverty/lack of resources.

  • Feeling triggered by community conflict may connect to early experiences where safety depended on keeping the peace.


Close-up of a hand holding a mirror shard reflecting a person's eye. Black and white image, blurred background, introspective mood.
You may be feeling both your past experiences and the present crisis at the same time. Identifying this can help make it a little easier.

Research shows that recognizing when a past trauma is being reactivated can help soothe our nervous system. It's still going to be hard, because what's happening in the present matters. But by identifying the past trauma that's being triggered, you may be able to stay with the present moment, instead of reliving both the past and the now at the same time.


So, how's this done? When you feel safe enough, take a few moments to slow down and notice what your experiencing. What sensations are in your body? Do you see anything in your minds eye? Maybe a scene of something happening in the now, or maybe a metaphorical image? IS your body wanting to do anything? Maybe run or push or make a noise? What thoughts are circling in your mind over and over? Notice if anything is standing out. When you feel attuned to what's happening in the now, gently ask yourself when you've felt this way before. See if you can let your mind wander through your life to times your body remembers this same experience.


This exercise can be rather challenging, so working alongside a counsellor may be helpful if you're struggling to do it on your own.



Limit News Exposure

For many of us, staying informed feels like a moral obligation; it’s the least we can do, right? And while this is absolutely true, our nervous systems were not designed to handle this much information. We evolved living in smaller tribes and having constant access to the world is just too much for our systems to process. Being constantly aware floods our brains with stress hormones, keeps us in a state of hyper-vigilance, and can leave us feeling helpless or even dissociated.

Person holding a New York Times newspaper in front of a laptop with headphones on. A smartphone lies on a wooden table.
If you've ever had the news on while scrolling on insta AND texting your friend about what's happening, you already know that more information doesn't always mean better able to respond.

And remember, if you have a history of trauma, your brain is already primed to do all of these things, meaning we have a compounding effect happening. We need to work to find the balance between being informed and becoming engulfed. 


This may look like scheduling news check-in’s, rather than checking constantly. If you’re struggling, consider apps such as BePresent, where you can set a maximum number of times you open an app a day, and for how long. This allows you to check and be informed, without doing it so much you cannot function. 


After exposing yourself to news, try immediately doing something to return to your current environment. That could be gentle movement for a few minutes, cuddling your cute pet or simply breathing while doing nothing else. After checking the news, your nervous is going to be somewhere else, and we need to help return it to the here and now so that you can regulate. 


Focus on What’s Local and Actionable

Some people have the reach and ability to enact change at a global level. Which is amazing!! But, for many of us, this feels out of reach and can leave us feeling powerless, helpless or just a sense of sheer overwhelm at all the change that needs to happen in the world. 

It can help to think of everything happening in the world as a tangled web; if we can shift even one strand just a little, it is going to shift all of it at a larger scale. What strand can you pull at and shift? 


Remember that there many already be groups in your community that are doing this work on some level, and you could support what’s already being done or join together and collaborate on something new.


Activism Looks Different for Everyone: Find Your Approach 

Some voices are very passionate about the way that they think activists should be showing up right now. And while these ideas are brilliant, they may not be a fit for everyone, especially those with a history of mental illness. 

We need all forms of activism, and finding the way that you show up most sustainably is going to benefit all movements most over the long haul. 

Hand signing a document with a black fountain pen on white paper. Text and signature area visible, set against a black background.
From letter writing, to online campaigns, to making the coffee for the meetings, all skills are needed!

For example, one person is going to do best being at the protest, making noise. For another, that would be far too anxiety inducing and they may be better off being the person their friend can call after a protest, to have a safe person to talk through and debrief what happened. One person may be super skilled at writing and can draft letters to local MP while others can be out asking others to sign it. Do not discredit one form of activism; we need them all. 


Consider exploring what your general strengths and skills sets are. What do you do well in every day life? Now, where in the movement(s) are your skills needed? Whether you’re a great baker, illustrator screamer-from-the-roof-tops or gentle explainer, your skills are needed. Try identifying them then reaching out to offer support in this area.


Create Micro Safe Spaces

When the world feels unsafe, we need to focus on finding places of safety, even if they are the tiniest of places. The more safety you can feel, the better you will be able to recharge and get back to activism.

A serene forest path with lush green trees lining both sides. Sunlight filters through leaves, creating a peaceful, inviting atmosphere.
Take a moment to close your eyes and pretend you're actually on this trail. What do you see, hear, notice? What happens when you focus on imagining this, even if only for a moment?

Consider finding a place in your home where you won’t check the news or chat with others about the current state of the world. The more you use this space to simply relax, the more your nervous system will be able to regulate when you are there.


Nature could also be a great place to create a sense of safety. Whether this means planning your next hang out with a friend in a park, going on a walk by yourself or just sitting on a log and noticing the birds, nature has so many healing properties.


Actually Let Yourself FEEL What’s Happening.

Person with curly hair partially covered by a white blanket, lying in bed. Peaceful mood with soft lighting and plain background.
Where do you find it's easiest for you to take a moment and truly check in with how you are feeling? Any way you could do this every day?

When there’s a lot happening, what people tend to do is touch the tip of the ice berg of their emotions, feel overwhelmed and then retreat from their emotions. While this makes perfect sense, the unintended consequence is that it teaches our brain that the emotions sitting there are big and scary. So then the next time we touch in to our feelings, we naturally see them as scarier.

By actually letting yourself feel ALL the emotions, the grief, the anger, the helplessness, the connection, the anguish… When you let yourself feel it, you can naturally move through it and the heaviness of carrying it will lighten just a little.


Let yourself, if helpful, do this with others. The feelings are big because what’s happening matters, so it may be overwhelming to experience on your own. By doing this with others, whether that’s a counsellor a friend or a fellow activist, it’s going to help it feel just a little les daunting. 


Focus on the Long-Term

We've hinted at this throughout, but it bears repeating: Social change takes time. And while things are urgent and happening quickly right now, it's also okay to take a broad, long-term perspective. We need to find ways to create change that are sustainable and don't lead to burnout. This means giving ourselves permission to rest, recover and feel joy, even when it feels like everything is on fire.


What To Say to People Who Don't Get it


One of the hardest parts of navigating collective crisis is dealing with people who just don't get it. They don't get why you're bothered, they don't get why it matters and they just don't get what you need. Maybe they tell you you’re being “too sensitive” or make jokes when you try to talk about something important.


This kind of disconnection is often especially painful for trauma survivors, who may already carry a history of not being believed, supported, or validated.


Here are a couple different scenarios you may encounter and possible ways to respond.


If someone minimizes what’s happening:

“I get that you see it differently, but this is really impacting me, and I need space to feel that.”

Notice that we are not justifying why it matters. They may never get that and you don't need to prove why it matters to you.


If a conversation is getting too overwhelming:

“Let's pause this. I’m feeling a bit overloaded and want to come back to it when I have more capacity.”

Notice that we didn't ask permission to pause it. If it's overwhelming, take the space you need.


If someone expects you to explain or educate:

“I care about this topic a lot, but I don’t have the energy to explain it fully right now. I can point you to some resources if you’re open to learning more.”

Trust that it is not your job alone to educate everyone in your world and let them take a lead in their own learning.

If you need a boundary around news or social media:

“I’ve been limiting how much news I take in each day, so I’m not going to engage with that post/talk about that headline right now.”

Be sure not to phrase your boundary as a request. This is what you need, so own that!


If you want to keep the connection, but need more safety:

“I really value our relationship, and I also need to be able to talk about these things in a way that feels safe. Let's talk about a few parameters that can help both of us have this conversation safely.”

When we care about someone and they have different views than we do, it can be really difficult to find safe connection but naming what you need in order to feel safe and hearing what they need to can be a great place to start.

If you enjoy reading or listening to audio books, a great recommendation to help is "Do You Still Talk to Grandma?: When the Problematic People in Our Lives Are the Ones We Love" by Brit Barron.


You’re Not Meant to Carry This Alone


If you’ve made it this far, let this be your reminder: you’re not too sensitive, you’re not overreacting, and you’re not weak for feeling the weight of the world. Your sensitivity is proof that you care, and your overwhelm is a normal response to an overwhelming time. And if you've experienced trauma in your past, then you may be experiencing what happened then AND what's happening now. Of course it's heavy.

So let yourself slow down. Step back when you need to. Breathe. Cry. Scream into a pillow. Talk to someone who gets it.

You don’t have to hold everything to still be part of the movement. You don’t have to burn yourself out to make a difference.

There’s no one right way to care. Find what's right FOR YOU and know that it's all part of the change we need to see in the world.


If you’re looking for a counsellor in Kamloops or online in BC who understands why this feels so heavy and is just as committed to social change as you are, you’re in the right place. Reach out today to book your first session.


 
 
 

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WellMind Counselling 
#306 321 Nicola St, Kamloops, BC
250-572-2324 | hello@wellmind.ca 

 

We are grateful to be able to conduct work and be located on the traditional, ancestral, and unceded territory of the Tk’emlúps te Secwepemc.

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