Every time I open a reputable news site—whether it’s the New York Times, Washington Post, or others—I brace myself for the next wave of upsetting headlines. On a daily or even hourly basis, it feels like there’s a relentless tide of chaos and harm hitting the people, institutions, and values that I—and my global community of family, friends, clients, and colleagues—deeply care about.
It can be overwhelming to the degree that any of us may feel powerless, paralyzed, or emotionally numb. In the midst of it all, it’s important to remember: we still have power. We still have agency.
How can we reconnect with our personal power and use it to stay grounded and to engage in meaningful ways?
1. Practice Self-Care
You’ve heard it before because it works! Eat as healthy as you can. Get regular exercise. Get good sleep. Take breaks from all stresses. Spend time with people who uplift you. Practice mindfulness.
If it feels like too much to focus on all of these at once, pick just one self-care practice that feels manageable, and build from there. Even a small act of self-nurturing can help you feel stronger, more focused, and better able to face what’s in front of you. When we care for ourselves, we not only feel better, we become better equipped to care for and uplift others.
Good energy spreads. Be a source of good energy!
2. Recognize When You’re in Chaos—and Step Out of It
When I’m caught in chaos, I feel it in my body. There’s a buzzing, frenetic energy. My worrying or unproductive thoughts loop endlessly. My to-do list may overwhelm me, and I find myself jumping from task to task, yet nothing gets done. It’s exhausting and demotivating.
It’s worthwhile to check in with yourself throughout the day. Ask yourself: How do I feel right now, physically?
If you feel that frenetic kind of energy, pause. Step away from your computer and do something to reset: deep breathing (with a longer exhale), a short meditation, a walk where you pay close attention to your surroundings (what do I see, hear, smell, touch, taste?), a quick nap, etc. Or do a body scan.
Here’s a quick body scan to try:
- Sit with your feet on the floor or lie down, and close your eyes.
- Begin with your breath—just notice it, without changing or judging anything.
- Slowly bring your awareness to each part of your body, starting wherever feels natural (toes or head or wherever you feel like starting).
- As you scan, simply observe. Is there tingling, warmth, tension, pressure? There’s no wrong answer—just notice, without judgment.
- If your mind wanders, that’s okay. Gently guide it back.
- When finished, take a few deep breaths, wiggle your fingers and toes, stretch, and come back into the room.
Doing a body scan (or other relaxing activity) even for just a few minutes can reset your nervous system, reduce stress, and help you go back to your day with renewed energy, calm and clarity.
3. Protect Your Mind: Limit Doom-Scrolling
Everything you watch, read, and listen to gets stored in your brilliant brain. Be intentional about what you let in.
When you find that what you are watching, reading or listening to is feeding your sense of chaos or triggering anxiety, click out of it! If social media (including LinkedIn) is dragging you down, give yourself limits: set a timer, create a mental filter (Is this factual? Is this clickbait? Is this helpful? Is this just more noise chaos? If it doesn’t pass your filter, move on!), or take a break altogether. Consciously choose what you feed your mind.
4. Do One Intentional Act of Kindness Every Day
You have the power to make someone else’s day better. When you act with kindness, you generate good energy for others and for yourself.
Need ideas? Try one of these:
- Offer a warm smile and hello to a stranger (you might make their day!)
- Text, email or call a loved one just to say something nice.
- Take out or bring in your neighbor’s trash bins.
- Surprise someone with flowers or a treat.
- Do a chore your partner or roommate usually handles.
- Share a home-cooked meal or baked good.
- Do a favor for a friend, neighbor, family member, colleague.
- Spend extra quality time with your child or pet.
- Volunteer at a place that shares your values, even just once.
- Pick up trash as you walk/run.
- Mail a handwritten note or card.
- Start a conversation that’s purely uplifting.
An act of kindness doesn’t have to be big, just make it genuine. Offering kindness benefits both the giver and receiver and ripples out positively from there.
5. Wisely Choose Who You Spend Time with
One of the most important lessons I learned as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Togo, West Africa was this: the greatest positive impact I can make is within my own circles—my family, my friends, my colleagues, my sports teams, my interest groups, etc.
If we all strive to have positive impacts on the people we’re directly connected to, that energy multiplies.
Take a moment to reflect: What circles are you part of? Family, friends, neighbors, work groups, alumni networks, hobby communities, etc.? These are your greatest spheres of influence.
Now ask: How might you engage them more meaningfully?
You can…start a book club, a walking group, a potluck night, a sports group, a gardening group, etc. Or make more one-on-one time with people you love—the ones who always leave you both feeling seen, heard and cared for. You each then carry that energy to share with others.
When you’re with others, do your best to be fully present. Focus on and enjoy the moment. If someone needs to vent, keep it intentional and time-limited—and follow it with something uplifting, so everyone leaves feeling lighter.
Here’s one small example:
A friend and I recently met for lunch and agreed in advance—no talk about the news. Every time we took a sip of our drinks, we toasted to someone or something we loved. It started sweet (toasting to specific loved ones) and got more and more creative and funny (we toasted a stranger’s hilarious T-shirt). We laughed, enjoyed each other’s company and left feeling joyful and uplifted.
Connection, presence, and shared joy are powerful antidotes to chaos. They build a sense of belonging, purpose, and hope, and they remind us that we are not in any of this alone.
Final Thought
When you take good care of yourself, you will have more energy to brighten someone else’s day and that positive energy is more likely to ripple outward, also uplifting others. When each of us makes the effort to offer kindness, care, joy, love, a helping hand, and genuine presence within our circles, we empower and uplift others and ourselves. Through acts of kindness, we not only exercise and strengthen our own sense of agency but also contribute to building and strengthening our shared, collective agency.
This is how we can counterbalance chaos. Together we can make a difference.
Need help navigating the chaos you are facing?
This will be a zero pressure 20-30 minute conversation. We can talk about the challenges you face and what you’d like to shift. I always offer a tip or exercise to help. If we click and you are interested, we can create a guiding package that meets your needs, timeline and budget.