In the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, I found myself struggling to stop doomscrolling for days.
I constantly tracked my social media feeds for information from Western North Carolina loved ones; I refreshed at least four different news websites dozens of times a day. Once, I broke down weeping when my retired college English professor from UNC-Asheville put out a desperate call for baby food on Facebook, knowing how dire the situation must have become. I obsessively checked for updates as if at any moment the unfathomable devastation might disappear as suddenly as it had come on: Surely, this cannot be real. Surely, this is all a mistake.
Several months later, so much of the news seems unfathomable. Just days into the new year, winter wildfires have scorched Los Angeles neighborhoods with horrifying speed as a convicted felon and his climate-denying cabinet prepare to take over the White House and attempt to buy Greenland. How many climate disasters will we doomscroll our way through this year? How many times will we weep for loved ones and strangers in desperate need of water, shelter, baby food? When will we be the ones others are frantically checking for updates on?
Surely, this cannot be real. Surely, this is all a mistake.
Tell the Senate: Sound the Alarm on EPA Administrator Pick
When the news is heartbreaking, when reality is absurd, and when there is no stable ground to stand on anymore, there are still things we can do to care for ourselves and others. Here are a few ideas that are helping me right now, in the midst of the hard; maybe they’ll feel supportive for you too.
1. Be infinitely compassionate with yourself and others.
We have all been living through layers of collective trauma over the past several years, and I don’t know anyone who is operating as their Best Self at the moment. If you’re struggling to concentrate, irritable with loved ones, or turning to coping mechanisms you thought you’d left in 2024, you’re not alone. Give yourself and those in your circles as much grace as possible.
2. Set boundaries on your news and social media consumption—but gently.
Constantly scanning the news or social media for updates on a disaster or political event can be part of a trauma response called hypervigilance; it’s a way of scanning the environment around us for threats. Doomscrolling isn’t great for our mental health, but it’s also a very human response in these times—so don’t add to your suffering by beating yourself up about it. Instead, find gentle ways to set boundaries on the news, such as turning off notifications, deleting social media apps from your phone, and choosing times and places to go phone-free, like the dinner table.
3. Focus on what you can control.
If I’m really struggling to stay grounded, sometimes I’ll get out a piece of paper and make two columns: one for “Things I Can’t Control” and another for “Things I Can Control.” (Another version of this practice, The Circle of Control, was recently shared with our Moms Clean Air Force team by coach Chante Chambers.) I cannot control wildfires, hurricanes, or narcissistic politicians. I can control whether or not I choose to donate to mutual aid efforts, whether or not I call my representatives in Congress, whether I check in with a friend who might be struggling, and what I eat for dinner. This practice can be a good reminder that we do have agency, even in moments when it’s easy to feel powerless.
4. Prioritize slow, meaningful activities.
In the book When No Thing Works: A Zen and Indigenous Perspective on Resilience, Shared Purpose, and Leadership in the Timeplace of Collapse, author Norma Kaweloku Wong talks about the phenomenon of collective acceleration, or “the felt experience of living in the world during a time in which everything seems to be ‘going faster.’” Things do feel overwhelmingly fast—and we can also choose intentional ways to slow down. Reading a paper book is a slower way to take in information than the firehose of doomscrolling. Having an actual conversation with a loved one is more meaningful and deliberate than sending a text. Going for a walk outside without your phone can feel like pressing pause on the troubles of the world, even if just for a few minutes. Whenever possible, slow down.
5. Practice collective care.
In their TEDx talk on “How Collective Care Can Change Society,” Janey Starling and Seyi Falodun-Liburd talk about their decision to try every day “to build a tiny bit more of the world we dream of through the ways we relate to each other.” One of my favorite ways to practice collective care is to donate platelets on a regular basis; there’s something profound about knowing that my blood will go to whoever needs it, regardless of whether we voted the same way in the last election. What’s the tiniest way you could act in the direction of the world you want to see today? Do that, gently.
Our hearts go out to everyone impacted by the recent fires in Los Angeles and so many other climate disasters. We’ve compiled a list of resources to support people who are feeling the impacts of climate disasters, either directly or indirectly—we hope they will be supportive. Find the list here.