I’m Ashley Putnam, Director of Partnerships and Programs at Resources for Resilience, and my role is to make sure our training reaches communities in ways that feel accessible and grounded. I live in Weaverville, North Carolina, in Buncombe County. I grew up here. My...
Practical Tools For Finding Steadiness and Strength in Turbulent Times
In the previous post, we learned about how and why the news cycle and current events can affect our nervous systems. Now, we’ll share practical ways to help you help you reduce overwhelm and stay steady in the midst of ongoing headlines.
Through simple somatic tools and mindfulness practices, you can protect mind, body, and spirit and from there, even your family and community. The best part: All of these techniques are completely FREE and accessible to anyone, anywhere.
The goal isn’t to stop caring or to tune out completely. The goal is to stay regulated enough to think clearly and respond intentionally.
Connect
Humans are wired for connection, not isolation. Safe, supportive relationships are one of the most powerful antidotes to chronic stress and trauma. This includes friends, family, neighbors, coworkers — and yes, pets count, too! It can also help to connect with people who make you feel understood and supported.
Research shows that we regulate best with others. After taking in distressing headlines, being present with a calm and trusted person helps your nervous system receive a crucial message: “You’re not alone. You’re safe right now.”Comforting conversation, shared breathing, gentle touch, or simply sitting together can help systems synchronize and soften.
Sense In
Even in fear, grief, and uncertainty, subtle sensations of safety and strength still exist within us.
Bring attention inward. Slowly scan your body from feet to head and notice where you feel most neutral or at ease — even slightly. Observing sensations without judgment interrupts stress spirals and brings the thinking brain back online.
The warmth of your clothing
The firmness of the ground beneath your feet
A memory of being connected or cared for
These moments of awareness awaken our inner resources (our human-ness, our dignity, courage, love)— that difficult circumstances cannot erase. When we begin to notice “what else is true” with our thoughts, emotions, and bodily sensations are all connected, we can better understand the rhythms of our nervous system and learn how to gently guide it back to steadiness.
Reduce Exposure
Staying informed matters, but constant exposure can increase anxiety. If you feel anxious, heavy, numb, or dysregulated after consuming the news, that’s a sign it may be time to set a boundary.
One powerful shift is READING the news instead of watching or listening to it. When you read, you remove the added intensity of audio and visual elements, and the gentle, rhythmic eye movements can also help the nervous system settle.
You still receive the information, but your nervous system isn’t pulled into as much urgency or panic when you can process them in your own internal voice.
Another strategy is to choose intentional check-in times to “doomscroll” instead of continuous consumption throughout the day.
A recent study published by the American Medical Association found that a one‑week social media detox significantly reduced anxiety, depression, and insomnia in young adults – suggesting that suggests that even short breaks can meaningfully support emotional regulation.
Look for the Helpers
Consider balancing your media consumption with a mix of informative news, as well as positive, uplifting, and heart-warming messages too! This is not about ignoring difficult realities, but creating BALANCE in the type of content you’re consuming.
If you’re only being exposed to distressing headlines, your nervous system will continue to exist in a heightened state of mistrust and self-protection. Stories and images of kindness, compassion, nature, and human resilience remind us that there is still so much good in the world.
You can also find joy and hope in humanity by visiting art museums, seeing live music, theatre, or simply watching people interact at the park, at restaurants, and other third spaces where people gather.
‘Bloomscrolling’: The intentional practice of scrolling for what uplifts or furthers growth, learning, connection, or creativity. (i.e the antonym of ‘doomscrolling’)
“Name It to Tame It”
Most people care deeply, however they simply don’t have the tools or support to stay present with difficult or unpleasant emotions.
For some with an already overloaded nervous system, it feels safer to “dissociate”, check out, or look away from the problems around them.
To move through these difficult chapters with compassion, we can acknowledge our collective suffering and admit that things are not going well. Naming your experience as physiological reduces internal shame and helps the brain process what’s happening.
Remember that two things can be true at once: You can care deeply AND still protect your mental health.
Practice Self-Care
Sleep, nourishment, play, rest, and routine help signal safety to the nervous system, even when the world feels unstable. Calming “analog” hobbies and activities like reading, drawing, coloring, crochet, knitting, or playing a board game can help give your brain a break and establish a sense of quiet normalcy.
Take Action
Anger and frustration are often stigmatized as “negative’ or “destructive” emotions, but they can also be powerful motivators for change.
These heightened emotions are a signal that something matters, something hurts, or something needs to be addressed or improved. This can give people the energy to set boundaries, speak up, or take action in situations where they might otherwise stay silent. When anger and frustration and acknowledged and channeled with intention, they become a source of clarity, action, and protection.
Acts that could be considered include calling local representatives, making a charitable donation, volunteering your time or skills, or attending a community meeting or educational training.
“We are getting so much passive information and we have so few opportunities to act. We are tired then, not from doing too much, but from doing too little. The more time you spend doing something, the less exhausted you are by the onslaught of information that tries to convince you that the only thing you can do is watch what is happening to you.”
Dr. Tressie McMillan Cottom
Reset The Body
Our signature ‘Rapid Resets” are quick, simple body-based tools to remind the nervous system of safety.
- Ground: Sit, stand, or lie on something solid. Feel the sturdiness and support beneath you — the chair, the floor, the wall. What kind of work is gravity doing for you?
- Orient: Slowly look around your environment. Notice shapes, colors, sounds, light, or movement. Turning your head and scanning your surroundings signals to the brain that this moment is different from the threat you’re witnessing on a screen.
- Take a Sip: Drinking something— especially warm or cold liquids — engages multiple sensory pathways. Notice the temperature, weight, and sensation of swallowing to anchor yourself in the present.
- Sing or Hum: Vocalization stimulates the vagus nerve, helping calm the nervous system. Humming, singing, or making a steady sound (even quietly) can be surprisingly regulating.
- Tap Side-to-Side: The “Butterfly Hug” uses gentle bilateral stimulation. Cross your arms and alternate tapping left and right at a pace that feels soothing.
- Take a Walk: Movement helps discharge stress. Pay attention to your steps, your breathing, and the rhythm of your body moving through space. Bonus if you can let the sun hit your face, and touch grass- literally.
- Do Heavy Work: Engaging large muscles — pushing, lifting, sweeping, gardening, cleaning — helps release stored stress and restore a sense of strength and agency.
- Push Against a Wall: Using your body’s strength to push against something solid can help release excess energy and create a felt sense of stability.
Reminder: You don’t need to use every tool, every time. Even one or two can gently shift how your body responds during stressful moments — especially after reading, watching, or scrolling through difficult news.
“When people cultivate inner harmony, they radiate steadiness to those around them. Even one person’s calm presence can soothe and reassure; this presence can become an anchor for a community.”
Elaine Miller-Karas
Why These Tools Work
All of these practices regulate the nervous system — the foundation of how we think, feel, and respond to stress.
With consistent use, these tools:
- Shorten recovery time after stress
- Reduce the intensity of trauma responses
- Build confidence in navigating future stress
- Strengthen long-term resilience
In other words, when the regulation process is repeated and practiced regularly, regulation can occur easier and faster over time, and that ripple eventually extends out to those around you.
Your steadiness has the power to influence the people around you. We can learn, heal, and recalibrate together as one.
Resources For Resilience
If you’re feeling frustrated, anxious, or overwhelmed by current events, you’re not alone. Nervous system regulation is not about pretending everything is fine. It’s about finding practical ways to rest, reset, connect, and take thoughtful action without burning yourself out.
If you need space to pause and find support, Resources for Resilience offers free tools, workshops, and community programs designed to help individuals and communities regulate stress, process overwhelm, and build emotional resilience during challenging times.
Ready to take the next step?
