Inner Balance in Uncertain Times: News, Urgency, and the Need for Stability in a Loud World

By Anahita Mehrdoust January 14th 2026

Picture yourself in the middle of the ocean, trying to ride the waves. Waves rise and fall without asking for permission. Some gentle, some forceful. It’s not easy to keep the balance. We may feel tired, our legs might shake, heartbeat increases, and it’s impossible to anticipate what is coming next. This could be what it feels like to experience the world today. We live in a world that rarely pauses. Notifications find their way into every space and global events unfold in real time. This constant flow carries a weight that can quietly settle inside us, turning our inner voice into chaos. 

The changing shape of awareness

Being informed was once a conscious choice. There was a time when staying informed required effort and attention. You had to go and buy a newspaper, turning the pages one by one. Some people relied on television for the news: a specific channel at a set time, with broadcasts that had a clear beginning and end. You knew when the news would come. Today, staying informed is almost automatic. As you scroll, you never quite know what the next update will bring. The line between awareness and emotional saturation has become thin. Our nervous systems are asked to respond to crisis after crisis, and over time, this constant exposure can leave us feeling tense and restless.

This reflection is not meant to lessen the importance of being aware or responding when the world asks for our attention. Following the flow can feel necessary, even vital. The news, the updates, the unfolding events, they are part of life, and sometimes it’s impossible, and even unwanted to turn away. However, as we stay connected one question remains: how do we keep our balance without being overwhelmed?

How noise moves through us

But what is this “loud” coming from the world? What do you feel when you are reading nonstop headlines that arrive without pause? Loudness lives in speed and urgency. Information comes at us so quickly and everything seems to demand our immediate attention. The world can feel never-ending, and this pressure shows itself in the body as well, affecting our wellbeing. Our nervous system reacts as if we are in immediate danger. The heart may beat faster, the muscles tighten, and the mind jumps from one thought to the next.

Over time, this noise begins to shape how we feel and how we decide. Emotions rise more quickly, patience shortens, and reactions can replace action and reflection. In a situation where everything feels urgent and the “best time” to act seems to have been yesterday, we can lose many important things, first and foremost, ourselves.

Myth of constant calm

Our role in the world matters and we have responsibilities where our actions can make a difference. However we need to consider that as we seek ways to remain present in a demanding world, there is often an unspoken expectation that we should always remain calm. This is the myth of constant calm, the idea that inner stability means never being disturbed and feeling anxious.But what if, instead of pushing ourselves to appear calm, we focused on regulating our emotions?

The truth is much simpler: being human means feeling. Feeling deeply which is a natural response to a world that is unpredictable, urgent, and sometimes overwhelming. Emotions will come, as they always do; the gentle practice is in letting them pass through without letting them define our actions. Pushing away fear, frustration or sadness may provide a temporary illusion of calm, but it comes at a cost.  It disconnects us from our own experience and, over time, adds tension to the body and mind. At the same time, noticing these feelings can be a form of relief. If the weight of the world feels heavy, pausing to acknowledge it can allow us to set it down temporarily, share it with someone we trust, or accept support without guilt. 

When we connect this to how we engage with the world, a new possibility opens: we can witness headlines, respond where we can, and remain aware of the state of the world, without losing our center. Emotional regulation and wellbeing allows us to stay responsive and compassionate. It turns our inner life into a resource rather than a battlefield, giving us the resilience to act in ways that are sustainable and aligned with our values. 

Practical steps you can try now for emotional regulation

There are a few simple techniques that can help us regulate our emotions. They are easy to use and available to us in everyday moments. Take a moment now and regulate your emotions by using BREATHE: 

Be present: Stop scrolling. Close your eyes if you can, and notice one simple thing: your breath, your feet on the ground, or the weight of your body in the chair. For me, it was only when I began giving myself this kind of pause that I realized how little I was actually living in my body. I was often somewhere in my thoughts, far from physical sensation. Practicing a return to the body, through sight, touch, sound, smell, taste, became a way back. 

Release through breath: Take three conscious breaths. Inhale slowly through your nose for 4 counts. Hold for 2 counts. Exhale gently through your mouth for 6 counts. Feel the rise and fall of your chest or belly.

Explore your feelings: Name and describe what you’re feeling. Naming moves the feeling from an unformed weight into something you can notice. You can do this in any way that feels right to you. For me, one way to describe these feelings is through poetry. Reading poems helps me give words to emotions that feel tangled inside, letting me touch and release them. Find your own way, name the feelings as they are: painful, lonely, terrifying, hopeless.

Activate the body: Move your body in a small way. Shrug your shoulders, roll your neck, stretch your arms above your head. Shake out your hands or wiggle your fingers. Even small movements signal to your body that it’s safe to relax, and help release some of the physical tension.

Touch the ground: Put your feet flat on the floor and press gently into the ground. Notice how your weight is distributed. You can even touch something solid nearby, desk, chair, wall, and feel its support. This simple attention to your body and surroundings can bring you back from the rush of constant mental noise. 

Handle one small action: Ask: “What is one small thing I can do right now?” It could be taking a sip of water, sending a supportive text, or just standing up and stretching. Choosing something small and concrete helps move emotion into thoughtful action, rather than reaction.

Evaluate gently: Notice how your body and mind feel after these steps. You don’t need to fix everything, just recognize the shift, even if it’s small.

The world may remain loud, but these small steps can help us meet it from a more grounded place within. So we can ride the waves without losing our balance.