It was 4 p.m. on a Sunday afternoon. I lay on the couch, scrolling the web and flipping through cable channels, trying to ground my mind after a long week. The news was overwhelming—reports of catastrophic floods in Texas claiming hundreds of lives, including those of children; ongoing wars between Russia and Ukraine and in the Middle East; rising prices, tariffs, political violence, and the looming threat of civil unrest.

Almost instantly, I felt a wave of dread and anxiety. My mind flooded with worry about the world and the safety of my family. My body reacted too—quickening heart rate, muscles tightening, a sense of hyperarousal creeping in.

I wish I could say this was a rare moment, just a one-off experience. But the truth is, it keeps happening—like a never-ending Groundhog Day.

We live in an age of hyperconnectivity. Even if a tragedy unfolds halfway around the world, we’re exposed to it in real time, through vivid and emotional media coverage. We don’t just hear about it and see it: We are surrounded by it, we stew in it, absorb it, and feel it.

The word ambient comes from the Latin word meaning “to surround.” And that’s exactly what this feels like: being........

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