Several friends haven been this: “I can’t stop scrolling, but every headline makes my chest tight.” If that resonates, you’re not alone—and what you’re feeling is your nervous system responding to something very real.
It’s a new year, and it already feels heavy. The news has always bombarded us, but the past few weeks have felt different. We’ve watched events that echo painful histories, and for many of us, these aren’t just distant headlines. They activate something deeper.
Why Global Crises Feel Personal When You’re a Child of Immigrants
Think about the crisis in Venezuela. On one hand, people are celebrating freedom from a dictator. On the other, U.S. intervention raises alarm bells for those of us with Latin American roots. We know that history—our families left because of it. That’s not abstract politics; it’s inherited memory.
Then there are the ICE raids. We’ve been seeing them for over a year, but they haven’t stopped triggering our nervous systems. Watching these raids isn’t just news—it surfaces the same survival instincts our parents carried when they arrived. The hypervigilance. The fear of being visible. The question: “What if that were us?”
A few days ago, it was the Iran crisis. Each event might not directly affect us, but they still impact us. Racial trauma surfaces as a tightness in your chest. The survivor’s guilt whispers, “Why am I safe when they aren’t?” Anxiety spirals into doomscrolling at 2 a.m., searching for answers that never bring relief.
When your parents sacrificed everything to get here, rest can feel like betrayal. But here’s what I need you to know: all of these feelings are normal, and you shouldn’t feel ashamed for caring.
The Hidden Cost of Caring: Recognizing Compassion Fatigue
We need to care. We should not stop caring. Now is when we need to hold on to our humanity. But humanity isn’t just caring, it’s also knowing when to step back and breathe.
Here’s the truth: we can care for the world and care for ourselves. Because at the end of the day, if we want to keep fighting, we need to protect our energy like the finite resource it is. How can you keep fighting if your reservoir is empty?
This is where many of us get stuck: caring feels like a moral obligation, but burnout makes us less effective, not more. You open Instagram and see another urgent fundraiser. Your stomach tightens. You share it, then scroll further, hoping the next post will offer relief. It doesn’t. That’s not rest, that’s numbing. And it’s overstimulating a brain that’s already exhausted.
Practical Steps to Care for the World Without Losing Yourself
Setting Boundaries with News Consumption
You need to have boundaries with yourself, which is one of the hardest things to do because we don’t always treat ourselves with self-compassion. Start here:
Limit doomscrolling. Set a timer for 20 minutes of news per day. Turn off breaking news alerts. Choose one cause or one action to focus on this month. We are only one person, we can’t do it all, and trying to will break us.
If you’re feeling overwhelmed right now, try this 60-second grounding technique: Tighten every muscle in your body for five seconds (think about tensing your shoulders, your hands in a fist and rolling your toes), then release completely while you shake your body. Notice the difference. Or find five minutes today to simply take deep breaths; no phone, no task, just breathing.
Actions That Match Your Capacity
You need to ask yourself how much you can handle, and you shouldn’t shame yourself for the capacity you may or may not have. By capacity, I mean your time, your energy physically and mentally, the funds in your pockets. It varies for all of us.
If you’re unemployed or money is tight, all you can do is a repost? You are still helping. If you can organize a donation or give money? That matters too. In both cases, you’re doing something.
If you can write a letter to your elected officials—which is free, and some organizations already have templates where all you have to do is add your personal information—that ripple effect matters more than you think. If you can volunteer with a local organization, it could go a long way. Here are two websites where you can start:
https://amnesty.ca/what-you-can-do/take-action-now/
https://www.hrw.org/take-action
The purpose is for you to do what is within your control. Because when we look at the news, we feel powerless, and with that comes big emotions that are hard to handle.
Expanding Self-Compassion: You Cannot Do It All
Self-compassion isn’t saying “I don’t care.” It’s saying, “I care deeply, and I also need rest to keep caring.”
It means accepting that we cannot do it all and giving ourselves grace for the things and actions that are within our reach. Cultural expectations often tell us we shouldn’t struggle, that we should be grateful for what we have, that our lives are “easier” than our parents’ were. But carrying that pressure while processing the weight of the world? Is not sustainable.
We also want to ensure that you keep caring for yourself. Make sure you prioritize your needs. It may sound selfish because we have that privilege while other people are struggling or dying, but again: how can you keep fighting if your reservoir is empty?
Whether what revitalizes you is reading, dancing, exercising, or hanging out with friends, make sure you keep your self-care habits close.
Learning to Slow Down When Life Feels Overwhelming
Sometimes this is hard because we haven’t learned how to slow down when life is overwhelming. It might not have been modeled for us. Sometimes we carry roles like being the protector, the one who holds it all together, and so we don’t know how to recognize our needs or the signs that say it’s time to slow down.
For that reason, I created a guide to help people look inward and learn how to slow down, recognize their protective roles and their needs, change narratives, and apply self-compassion. The guide includes:
- Journal prompts for self-compassion to help you process guilt and give yourself permission to rest.
- Exercises to recognize your protective parts—the roles you play that keep you from acknowledging your own needs.
- A mental health scan to check in with yourself and identify when you’re running on fumes.
You can get the free sample or purchase the full guide here.
Take the Next Step
Therapy isn’t for crisis only—it’s for processing the weight you carry daily. As a Registered Social Worker (RSW, MSW) specializing in intergenerational trauma and cultural expectations, I work with people navigating exactly what you’re experiencing: the anxiety, burnout, and compassion fatigue that come from caring deeply while trying to meet impossible standards.Book your free 15-minute consultation this week by clicking on this link—let’s create a plan that honours both your values and your capacity. You can also contact me at jessica.batres.rf@gmail.com for any questions.
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