When the World Feels Unsafe: Finding Calm Amid Global Anxiety
- Jenny Beckman
- Oct 10
- 3 min read
When the World Feels Too Much
It can feel as though the world has become a very unsafe place. Every time we check the news, there’s another story of conflict, tragedy, or crisis. Wars in Ukraine and the Middle East, the worsening climate emergency, political unrest — it’s a lot to hold.
Even when these events are happening far from us, they can deeply affect our sense of safety and stability. You might find yourself feeling constantly on edge, doom-scrolling through headlines, or waking in the night with a sense of dread you can’t quite name.
If you’ve noticed yourself feeling more anxious lately, you’re not alone. Many people are experiencing what’s sometimes called global or existential anxiety — the unease that comes with living in uncertain times.
Why We Feel So Anxious About the World
Our nervous systems are designed to detect danger — but when we’re constantly exposed to distressing information, our brains can struggle to switch off. The result is a state of chronic alertness: a mind that never quite rests.
You might notice:
Feeling tense, restless, or irritable
A sense of helplessness or loss of control
Trouble sleeping
Guilt or sadness when you see others suffer
Avoiding the news altogether because it feels too painful
For some, world events may also reactivate older feelings of trauma or powerlessness. It can feel as though personal and global uncertainty merge — blurring into a generalised sense that the world is no longer safe.
How Therapy Can Help
Therapy can be a steady, containing space when the world feels unpredictable. It offers room to make sense of what you’re feeling, and to process emotions that might feel too heavy to carry alone.
In therapy, we might:
Explore how global events are affecting your sense of safety or trust
Work with feelings of fear, grief, anger or hopelessness
Learn ways to ground yourself when anxiety takes hold
Develop healthy boundaries around media and news consumption
Reconnect you with your values and sources of hope
While we can’t control world events, we can nurture how we respond to them. Therapy helps you build resilience, self-compassion, and the capacity to stay grounded — even when life feels uncertain.
Practical Ways to Soothe Global Anxiety
Small, steady steps can make a real difference:
🌿 Limit news exposure. Choose one or two trusted sources, and check them only at certain times of day.
🤝 Connect with others. Talking about how you feel helps you process and release what’s been building up.
🧘♀️ Ground yourself. Simple breathing, noticing your body, or feeling your feet on the floor can bring you back to the present moment.
🌅 Engage with hope. Small acts of kindness, community, or creativity can remind you that goodness still exists.
🌳 Spend time in nature. It’s one of the most effective ways to regulate your nervous system.
Finding Your Own Sense of Safety
We can’t always change what’s happening in the wider world, but we can strengthen our inner world — our sense of calm, safety, and connection.
If you’re finding current events hard to bear, therapy can offer a gentle space to talk, to be heard, and to rediscover a sense of balance. You don’t have to carry it all alone.
For a free 30 minute introductory call, email me here
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