Mental Health Monday: Coping When the World Feels Like It's Burning

If you’ve been feeling heavy lately, you’re not alone. The headlines in 2025 hit differently. From the war escalating between Israel and Hezbollah, to the Mass Deportations, to Nationwide Protest, to ongoing conflict in Ukraine, to Iran and Israel fighting, to economic instability and deepening political divides right here in the U.S.—every day feels like a new emotional gut-punch. And let’s not forget the constant threat of climate disasters, the surge in gun violence, and the rise in hate crimes.

It’s not just global news. It’s real. It’s affecting how we sleep, how we function, and how we see the future.

So, how do we protect our mental health when the world feels like it’s spinning out of control?

This Mental Health Monday, let’s get real about how to survive emotionally in a time that feels anything but normal.

1. Don’t Normalize the Numbness

Another mass shooting. Another wildfire. Another video of someone being dehumanized or killed. We scroll past it, maybe repost it, but deep down… we’re shutting down emotionally. That’s called trauma fatigue.

Take a moment to check in with yourself. If you’re feeling numb, angry, helpless, or exhausted—it’s okay. You're not weak. You're reacting to a world in crisis.

Give yourself permission to feel everything. These aren’t just “headlines”—they’re human lives. They deserve your compassion—and you deserve your own compassion, too.

2. Limit Your Exposure, Not Your Empathy

You can care without consuming every graphic video or reading every horrific detail. The 24/7 news cycle and social media algorithms are designed to keep us in a constant state of alert—and that’s not healthy.

Stay informed on your terms:

• Set news check-in times.

• Avoid scrolling before bed.

• Follow mental health-centered pages that balance the chaos with healing content.

Protect your peace like your sanity depends on it—because it does.

3. Anchor Yourself in Purpose, Not Panic

The war in Gaza. The chaos in Sudan. The political tension leading into the 2024 U.S. election cycle that still hasn’t settled. It's easy to feel powerless.

But small actions create ripples:

• Donate to vetted organizations on the ground.

• Join local mental health initiatives.

• Talk to your kids, your friends, your family about what’s going on.

• Support Black and brown-led community healing spaces.

Even sharing mental health resources or promoting local therapists of color is activism. Action is one of the best antidotes to despair.

4. Practice “Soft Resilience”

2025 has been rough for a lot of us. Inflation is squeezing budgets. Student loan repayments are back. And for many, we’re grieving personal losses that get overshadowed by global tragedy.

Soft resilience means:

• Taking slow mornings.

• Logging off without guilt.

• Crying when you need to.

• Praying, meditating, or just breathing deeply for five minutes.

This isn’t about pretending to be okay. It’s about being gentle with yourself while finding ways to keep going.

5. Hope is a Form of Resistance

With the rise in anti-Blackness, Islamophobia, antisemitism, and political extremism, it’s easy to believe the world is past saving. But look closer. There’s also resistance. Solidarity. Innovation. Voices rising up. People are organizing and healing each other.

Hope isn’t delusion—it’s defiance.

It says:

“You may want us divided, hopeless, and broken… but we still choose love, joy, and liberation.”

And that mindset? That’s powerful.

Final Word: You Are Still Here, and That Matters

You’re surviving in a world that’s constantly testing your spirit. That in itself is strength. Your rest is resistance. Your joy is rebellion. And your mental health is worth fighting for—no matter what’s happening outside your door.

Let this be your reminder on this Mental Health Monday:

You don’t have to carry the weight of the world alone. Just carry yourself forward, one day at a time. That’s more than enough.