Ep. 85 | Overwhelmed by the State of the World? How to Harness Your Stress Strategically — A Nervous System Approach”

Quick note: The message in this episode is not intended for those who are currently facing direct threats to their safety, rights, or well-being—for example, individuals fearing deportation, navigating systemic discrimination, or experiencing the impacts of harmful policy changes firsthand.

This message is for those of us who are feeling the weight of the world—angry, heartbroken, overwhelmed by the injustice we see—but who also hold some level of privilege, safety, or stability. If you're someone who wants to show up more intentionally without burning out, this is for you.

It’s easy to feel powerless or overwhelmed by the state of the world right now. But this isn’t about spiraling into despair—it’s about understanding your body’s stress response and how to use it strategically. When you learn to work with your nervous system instead of against it, this chaotic time can become a turning point. One that helps you support your energy, take aligned action, and create meaningful change—even when the world feels heavy. This episode is a hopeful invitation to see your stress differently and move forward with clarity and compassion.

How to Use Stress Strategically Instead of Letting It Drain You  

In Buddhism, they talk about the 3 fires that are the root of all human suffering: greed, ignorance, and hate.

Lately, it feels like the world is on fire with those three things: greed, ignorance, and hate.

But that means there has never been a more important time to observe how you respond to stress, so that you can use it strategically instead of destructively. 

If you’re like me, your baseline stress level has probably been higher lately.  

There are so many messed up, inhumane things happening in our world right now. It’s heartbreaking, overwhelming, frustrating, scary...

But the stress and discomfort you’re feeling aren’t actually a problem.
They're a sign that your body, your values, your humanity… are still intact.

What if that discomfort could actually be the nudge you’ve been needing to do more of what matters and less of what doesn’t?

You’re supposed to feel unsettled by cruelty, corruption, and disconnection.
You’re supposed to feel activated when basic rights, safety, and well-being are threatened.

The problem isn’t that we feel discomfort.
This discomfort is a compass. It’s our bodies telling us that our world is out of alignment.

We’ve been conditioned to numb out or push through.
To self-soothe with food, alcohol, pills, and screens.
To overwork, overthink, over consume, or shut down.

We do everything to avoid sitting with and fully acknowledging the discomfort of the reality around us—because that’s what we’re taught and conditioned to do.

And that's exactly what the systems built on profit and power rather than well-being want:

👉 Our political system thrives on polarization, overwhelm, and hate. Because when we’re exhausted or blaming each other, we’re not zooming out to challenge the root issues.

👉 Big Food and Big Pharma profit when we blame our bodies and try to "fix" ourselves—rather than questioning the narratives that keep us reliant on their solutions.

All of this keeps us in one place: Survival mode. Reactive. Divided. 

Stuck on the hamster wheel. Too tired, too busy, too disconnected to notice that the real problem isn’t us or each other—it’s the systems we’re caught in.

But here’s the shift:

✨ When you start to recognize your stress response patterns, you gain the power to use that energy (or lack thereof) intentionally—so it becomes strategic instead of destructive.

So, which of these stress responses sounds most familiar lately? It could be a mixture!

🏃‍♀️ Flight (a.k.a. “don't slow down”)

This is where you respond to stress by doing more.
You're planning, fixing, perfecting, overcommitting.
You probably feel exhausted, but you also can't slow down.
You may want to speak up about what's going on right now, but you may feel afraid of saying the wrong thing - perfectionism gets in the way a lot.
And you may constantly be fantasizing about having a break or getting to relax, but something always is getting in the way.

What’s happening:
Your nervous system is trying to flee from what’s feeling threatening, but it feels like there are threats everywhere. And so it never feels safe to pause.

You also probably have impossibly high standards for yourself, which is holding you back because you overthink and overanalyze how to say something or which direction to go in instead of actually taking action.

You stay busy, but depleted and disconnected from what you actually care about.

How to use this strategically:

Pause.

Notice how your brain may already be thinking about reasons you can't right now. Pausing will feel uncomfortable—that’s okay.

The flight stress response means you have energy and drive. Your body is ready to mobilize, to run, but we want to make sure you're directing that energy towards things that actually matter and are going to support your energy instead of draining it. 

Otherwise you end up in that tired but wired state, because you have that drive but you're exhausting yourself. 

Do a time audit and write down the things that are filling up your day:

• How many of those things are giving you energy and feeling fulfilling vs draining them?

• How many of those things will seem important 10 years from now? At the end of your life? Even a week from now?

• How many of those are aligned with your values and the things that truly matter to you?

• How many of those things are helping you to show up as your best self? Are you putting your oxygen mask on first?

Also notice where fear of saying something is wrong preventing you from speaking out as an ally.

You don’t need to do more—you need to do what actually matters.
Use this as an opportunity to pause so you can prioritize. What really matters right now?

😡 Fight (a.k.a. “everything is a threat”)

You respond to stress by feeling irritable. Angry.
Arguing online. Snapping at people you love. Cursing at the news.
Or maybe you’re silently stewing, or directing all that negative energy towards yourself.

What’s happening:
Something you value—safety, rest, fairness, autonomy, basic rights or necessities—feels like it’s being threatened.

And your body wants to protect you. But instead of challenging systems, your fight response turns toward people or yourself.

Shift:

Use that fire strategically!

Instead of fighting against something, what are you fighting for?

• Channel that fire to have the courage to speak up for boundaries or to ask for support instead of people-pleasing or feeling resentful because you haven't clearly spoken up for what you need.

• Use that energy for a workout that helps you to feel strong and confident instead of judging or feeling frustrated with your body.

Notice where your frustration really stems from systems rather than yourself or other people like:

• hustle culture that makes you think you always need to do more
• diet culture that teaches you to treat your body as the enemy rather than your biggest ally
• news and social media designed to steal your attention and be inflammatory 
• leaders who have been elected because they are fueling polarization and hate

Then fight back by choosing to do things differently:

• Choose rest.

• Choose to nourish your body.

• Choose to look for the good news and positive moments to balance the heavy news.

• Choose to see people as individual, unique humans rather than labels.

• Choose to meet anger with compassion and curiosity and to see different perspectives as an opportunity to expand your viewpoint rather than a threat.

Turn anger into advocacy, not division.
In a world where there is so much hate and judgment, chose kindness toward yourself. And stay curious about others.

🧊 Freeze/shut down (a.k.a. “this is too much”)

There’s so much stress that your reaction is to check out.
You scroll, eat, binge, drink, shut down.

You feel lazy and can’t find the motivation to do the things you “should” be doing.
You feel hopeless, depressed, or burned out.
You find it hard to concentrate or focus.
You may not be interested in or care about the things that you used to.

What’s happening:
Your nervous system is saying “this is too much right now.”
Your body is trying to keep you safe by disconnecting from what feels impossible to face.

Shift:
Be kind and gentle with yourself.

Our society has tragically pathologized this nervous system state so that we call it “lazy” and think we just need to push through or try to “fix” it with a pill—instead of seeing it for what it is: a really important message that something in your life physically, mentally, or emotionally is feeling like too much.

You’re not broken or lazy—you nervous system is simply overwhelmed. And I guarantee there’s a really understandable reason you’re feeling that way.

You can be a part of huge positive change in our world simply by seeing this nervous system state as an opportunity to welcome what your body is asking of you: to pause.

This is your body asking for nourishment, support, comfort. It's an opportunity to give yourself permission to take something off your plate.

Start with one small step.

Have compassion for yourself and choose one nourishing act today that supports your energy to signal to your body: “I hear you, and we’re going to get through this.”

• Drink water so you don’t feel like a withered flower.

• Take a short walk to release stress.

• Spend time in nature for fresh air and peace.

• Make a nourishing meal to fuel your body with good energy. 

• Spend a little time connecting with someone or something that makes your heart happy. 

• Give yourself permission to ask for help.

• Write down something positive from your day or something you’re grateful for.

Sometimes fighting for positive change means quietly leading by example and tending to your own needs and nervous system.

If everyone in our world reacted to freeze/shut down in this way, we would not have the current hate and polarization that’s spreading like wildfire. 

Know that when you are giving yourself permission to slow down and find comfort, you are helping to create positive change.

So, which of those nervous system states sounds most familiar to you right now?

Personally, I’ve been feeling all of them.
The state of our world is a lot—and every day seems to bring more heartbreak, frustration, and heaviness. It’s easy to feel overwhelmed, angry, or like nothing you do will make a difference.

But here’s what’s been helping me:
Being intentional.
Noticing my initial stress response… and then choosing how I want to move forward.

That small shift helps me make sure I’m using my frustration or anger to fuel meaningful action—especially when it comes to speaking out and showing up as an ally. I know I carry a lot of privilege, and I want to use it to be busy in the right ways.

It’s also a reminder that now more than ever, it’s important not to get swept up in hustle culture or systems that will drain us if we let them. We have to choose when to tune into our own needs—because running on empty helps no one.

We can pause.
We can listen to what our body is telling us.
And we can choose how to harness the stress we’re feeling for good.

This chaotic time in our world could be your turning point.

The moment where you stop blaming yourself.
Where you stop trying to just push through.
And instead, you start tending to what you actually need.

Because you are not the problem.
Even the people around you—who might feel like the problem—are not the root issue.
The systems are.

You might be thinking of specific individuals who seem like “the problem”… and I get that.
But the reality is: many of those people are also caught in systems that reward survival-mode thinking and disconnection. They’re often acting from a place of fear, exhaustion, or a deep need to feel heard. And when a leader comes along offering a sense of certainty or validation, it’s easy to understand why they’d follow that voice—even if it leads to more division.

And that brings us back to something we all share:
A nervous system.

Understanding how the nervous system works helps explain why we’re collectively so stuck—and it also helps us find our way forward. When you begin to recognize your own stress responses, you begin to reclaim your power.

Yes, we need systemic change.
But that starts with understanding how these systems manipulate our stress responses and keep us reactive instead of reflective.

So take a moment and think about:
👉 Which stress response resonated most with you?
👉 What’s one small shift you want to make moving forward?

And if you’d like some support with that, I’ve created something new to help!

I made a super quick, 2-question quiz that’ll point you to the free resource I think will be the best fit for you based on how you’re feeling right now and the kind of support you need. 👉 Click here to take the quiz.

Sending you so much love, positive vibes, and energy,

Amelia