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Taking care of yourself isn’t selfish—it helps you show up better for others.

Set boundaries around news to protect your peace—and make a real impact where you can.

Even the smallest light you offer can shift the darkness.

The news is really heavy right now. More than ever, my clients are bringing to sessions their struggle to stay emotionally balanced amidst what's going on in the world. I'm hearing many of the same questions:

How do I stay engaged with what's happening in the world without losing myself?

If I'm not watching the news all the time, am I abandoning those in pain?

Why can't I stop checking or scrolling, even though it makes me feel worse?

How can I enjoy my blessings when so many others are in despair?

So, how do we find balance? The answer isn't avoidance–and it isn't constant vigilance either. The most important question we must ask is: "How can I best take care of myself in order to show up for the world in the best way?" The answer to this is lifelong and personalized, but for now, let's start with these five tools for creating emotional balance in a chaotic world:

1. Appreciate that self-care isn't a retreat from responsibility

The first tool is to have this consciousness: Prioritizing my own emotional balance allows me to show up for others in the best way. Self-care isn't selfish or avoiding the pain of the world. Self-care is responsible and essential. We can easily fall into a hole of rage, judgment, and despair. Make no mistake; allowing these emotions to take hold, all in the name of caring for the world, can become a false trap that neither reduces the suffering nor adds light to the world.

Years ago, I remember asking author and kabbalah teacher, Monica Berg, "How can I be happy when so many others are suffering?" She replied, "You have to be happy; it's your responsibility. If you don't fill your well and allow the joy of your life to enter, then you will have nothing to give to anyone."

2. Learn to regulate your nervous system: P.B.R. method

Staying grounded starts with noticing what's happening in your body and learning how to regulate your nervous system. Awareness is the first step. I suggest in my book, A Soulful Marriage, what I use myself and call the "P.B.R. method." It's micro-mindfulness meditation involving short, intentional bursts of awareness to break stress cycles and signal safety to the brain.

Try these simple steps: Pause. Breathe. Relax. Approach each slowly and as its own action step. Then again. The beauty of this practice is its accessibility. You can P.B.R whenever and with whatever you're doing with little interruption. Only enough interruption to put you in the driver's seat of your own nervous system and consciousness. Then you can make other grounding choices with intention, in your thoughts, words, and actions.

3. Create consumption boundaries (no guilt)

When empathy goes too far, it's not responsible or helpful anymore. We can easily center our own feelings, not those we are concerned about. It's vital that we have self-compassion when we or others are suffering. At the same time, the ego can trap us into becoming paralyzed by our emotions under the veil of care. Yes, it's important to feel the pain of others, but then what? We need boundaries to harness the proactive part of our essence that has important energy to give.

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Here are some boundaries you can create for your exposure to the news:

Limit news consumption times—schedule short check-ins and set a curfew.

Disable push notifications.

Avoid doom-scrolling with curated phone blocks.

Refrain from especially triggering topics or news feeds.

Establish "no-go" conversation topics with family and friends.

Here are some boundaries that include directing your attention toward positivity.

Consume content that uplifts, opens your heart and soul, and inspires joy and kindness.

Invest time in what lights you up (e.g., music, outdoors, friends, games, moving, laughing, baking).

Focus on actionable steps you can control (like donating, volunteering, giving, and creating).

When the news is overwhelming, one of the most damaging results is powerlessness. This feeling stems from doubting the impact of the good we do. In The Wisdom of Truth, Rav Yehuda Ashlag explains the concept that spiritual matters, positive actions, and energy never disappear. The light from our thoughts and actions is accumulated and stored, even if we can't see or feel it. He encourages his students and readers to trust that every effort made will eventually become a great light.

Science supports this ancient idea that energy is never truly "wasted." Rather, it is always conserved and transformed from one form to another. We call this the Law of Conservation of Energy (First Law of Thermodynamics).

So share your heart out, pray for others whenever you can, live the principles that you want to be remembered by, and go out of your way to make someone else's life better. Know that by sharing in one area of your life, this adds to the collective goodness in the world, even when we can't see it. We do have power, and there are no small actions in this world.

5. Connect with a higher source

Connect to something higher that is divorced from the limitations of this world. As Einstein suggested, our problems require a higher level of thinking and moral awareness than the mindset that created them. When we elevate our "level of consciousness," we can leave behind the old, ingrained patterns that will only perpetuate the same problems. Anything that expands your consciousness, connects you to what you know to be true, awakens love and unity, inspires you, brings you fully into the present moment, makes you appreciate being alive, do that more. This is how we remove negativity. Please don't underestimate the power you have to add this much-needed light to the world.

When the news cycle feels relentless, protecting your mental health isn’t avoidance—it’s responsibility. Choose intentional engagement over constant exposure, so you stay informed without becoming emotionally flooded—and preserve the clarity and strength you need to bring light to the world.

© Psychology Today