Finding Calm in a Chaotic World

In 2016, I was constantly on edge. The news, the uncertainty, the sense that everything was unraveling—it all weighed on me. I’d wake up already bracing for the next crisis, the next move toward safety, the next thing to worry about. It felt endless.

I know I’m not the only one who has felt this way. Many of us are feeling similar, or maybe even worse, this time around. If that’s you, I want you to know—you’re not alone.

For a long time, I believed that if I could just stay ahead of the chaos—if I tracked every headline, analyzed every worst-case scenario, and mentally prepared for every possible disaster—I’d feel safer. But instead of feeling more in control, I was exhausted. And at some point, I had to face a hard truth: this constant state of stress wasn’t protecting me. It was just draining me.

I didn’t have the energy to take care of myself because I was using all of it to worry.

Then, one day, I attended a dream-building conference. When I was asked about my vision for the future, I broke down in tears. I didn’t have an answer. I wasn’t thinking about the future—I was just trying to get through the day.

That was a wake-up call. I realized that my stress wasn’t just emotional; it was affecting everything—my health, my finances, my relationships. I had spent so much time preparing for the worst that I had forgotten how to live.

One Small Shift That Helped Me

I knew I couldn’t keep living this way, but I wasn’t sure where to start. I didn’t wake up one morning magically free from stress—I had to unlearn old habits and build new ones, little by little.

One of the first things I did was start paying attention to what I could actually control. Instead of spiraling over the latest news cycle, I’d pause and ask myself:

➡ Is this something I can take action on right now?

➡ Or am I just absorbing stress without a real way to respond?

If I could take action—make a call, donate, support my community—I’d do it. But if not, I reminded myself that I didn’t have to carry everything. That shift alone helped me reclaim so much mental energy.

I also replaced “doom thinking” with a gratitude practice. When I was stuck in a worry loop, I neglected to notice anything good in my life. So I made a habit of acknowledging even the smallest things—warm coffee, a kind conversation, a moment of quiet. It didn’t make my problems disappear, but it shifted the way I faced them.

That’s when I truly understood something: Energy cannot be created or destroyed; it can only be changed from one form to another. If I was using all my energy on worry, that meant I wasn’t using it to take care of myself, to support my loved ones, or to put something good into the world. The more I redirected my energy, the more I realized how much power I actually had.

Now, I approach things with more clarity, more balance. I still see what’s happening in the world, but I don’t let it consume me. And I want to help you find that same kind of steadiness.

An Invitation to Move Forward

If you’ve been feeling overwhelmed and want to explore tools like this, I’m putting together a small group for people who want to feel more resilient, less stuck in fear, and more in control of their mindset. We’ll meet weekly for short, practical sessions focused on shifting our perspective and building real tools for navigating stress.

Right now, I’m gauging interest and figuring out scheduling. If this speaks to you, let me know:

1. If you’d like to join

2. What days/times generally work for you

No pressure—just an open invitation. If this group isn’t what you need right now, I encourage you to try one small shift in your thinking this week: Pause, ask yourself if you can take action, and if not, give yourself permission to let go.

Because the best thing you can do to heal the world is to start with healing yourself.

You’ve got this. I hope today is your best day yet.