When It Feels Like the World Is Burning: Finding Your Peace in the Chaos

By Stephanie Greco | Founder, Purple Lotus Revival | Spiritual Advisor

If you’ve found yourself doomscrolling more than usual lately, waking up with a pit in your stomach, or feeling like your rights, values, and sanity are under siege—you’re not alone.

For many liberal Americans, the current political climate feels like a never-ending assault on truth, human rights, bodily autonomy, and basic decency. Between rising authoritarianism, the erosion of reproductive rights, environmental backsliding, and the normalization of cruelty, it’s easy to feel hopeless, enraged, and emotionally exhausted.

But here’s the truth: staying chronically stressed or angry doesn’t make us better advocates—it burns us out. And burnout is exactly what oppressive systems count on.

So how do we stay informed and intact? How do we continue to fight for what’s right without losing our peace of mind?

Here are 3 grounding strategies that can help you stay present, resilient, and aligned with your values:

1. Unplug with Purpose

You don’t need to consume every headline to stay informed. In fact, constant exposure to breaking news can dysregulate your nervous system and increase feelings of helplessness.

Try this: Choose one or two trusted news sources and limit your check-ins to once a day—preferably not first thing in the morning or before bed. Let your mind and body have space to breathe.

2. Reconnect with Real People and Real Joy

The chaos can make us feel isolated, but community is a form of resistance. Whether it’s attending a local meet-up, texting a friend who “gets it,” or helping a neighbor, human connection reminds us that we’re not alone—and that the good still outweighs the bad.

Bonus tip: Do something joyful every day—yes, even now. Bake banana bread, dance to Lizzo in your kitchen, hug your dog. Joy is not frivolous—it’s fuel for the fight.

3. Align with Action, Not Overwhelm

You don’t have to fix everything to make a difference. Choose one cause or action that speaks to your heart and take small, meaningful steps—whether that’s donating, canvassing, writing postcards, or helping someone register to vote.

Ask yourself: What is one thing I can control today?

We can’t change the world overnight, but we can protect our peace while we work toward a better one. Breathe. Ground. Move with intention. The work continues, but so do we.

In solidarity,
Stephanie