When Everything Feels Like Too Much: Coping in a Time of Chaos
It feels like every day brings a new headline that makes your stomach drop. Another law targeting LGBTQ+ or trans youth. Another attack on reproductive freedom. Politicians dodging accountability while pushing the country closer to the edge, sometimes literally, with whispers of war and escalating global conflict.
If you're feeling exhausted, angry, numb, anxious, or all of the above, you're not alone. We're living in a time of deep unrest. The U.S. is facing a crisis of leadership, human rights, and trust. And for many of us, especially in LGBTQ+, women’s and other minority communities, it’s not just political. It’s personal.
So how do we hold onto hope? How do we stay present, stay fighting, and still take care of ourselves when everything feels like too much?
Here are some real ways to care for your mind, body, and spirit in this uncertain world.
1. Feel What You Feel, Then Let It Move
Grief, anger, fear, these are normal responses to injustice and instability. You don't have to push it down or pretend it’s not affecting you. Let yourself cry. Scream into a pillow. Journal. Move your body. Talk it out.
Emotions are energy, and if we don’t process them, they build up. Letting yourself feel doesn’t mean you’re giving up. It means you’re being honest, and honesty is powerful.
2. Limit the Doomscroll
Staying informed is important. But watching the news nonstop won’t protect you, it will just burn you out. Give yourself permission to step away from the noise. Turn off news alerts. Set a timer for how long you spend reading headlines.
It’s not selfish to protect your peace. It’s survival.
3. Reconnect With People Who Ground You
Reach out to people who get it. Whether it’s chosen family, a group chat, or a local activist space, connection helps you remember you’re not alone. Vent. Laugh. Share a meal. Organize. Rest together.
Isolation feeds despair. Community builds power.
4. Take Action, Big or Small
Helplessness is one of the hardest feelings, but taking action can help you reclaim a sense of agency. That might mean donating to a trans rights org, calling your elected officials, volunteering at a clinic, or just talking to someone who’s on the fence about an issue you care about.
No one can do everything, but everyone can do something.
5. Prioritize Rest Without Guilt
The fight for justice is a marathon, not a sprint. Rest is not a reward, it’s a right. Turn off your phone. Take a nap. Watch something silly. Make something with your hands. Be in nature if you can.
You don’t have to earn your rest. You just have to honor your humanity.
6. Create Something Beautiful
In times of crisis, art matters. It helps us process pain, express truth, and imagine better futures. Paint, write, sing, dance, cook, whatever helps you feel alive and whole again.
Joy is resistance. Creativity is healing.
7. Ask for Help When You Need It
There’s no shame in needing support. Whether it’s a friend, therapist, hotline, or support group, reach out. You don’t have to carry all of this alone. Look for local mental health clinics, LGBTQ+ centers, or community-based organizations in your area. Many offer free or sliding-scale services, and some even have peer-led support groups that meet regularly.
You Are Not Powerless. You Are Not Alone.
The world feels heavy right now, and for good reason. But you are not broken for feeling overwhelmed. These times call for resilience, yes, but also for tenderness, for community, and for real care.
You’re allowed to take a breath. You’re allowed to grieve. You’re allowed to hope.
And we’ll keep fighting, together.
