Have you noticed how fear is everywhere now? Turn on the news and it’s doom after doom. Scroll social media and it’s outrage and panic. Even your “off-grid” friends are selling fear. Climate collapse. Government conspiracies. Economic collapse. Survivalist prep lists. And the craziest part, is most of these people and entities are profiting off making you anxious, reactive, and obsessed.

It’s exhausting. And the truth is none of us really control much outside of our own emotions. So why go crazy or make yourself sick?

A Sad Truth: Fear and Anxiety Sell

Fear works. It spikes your brain chemicals and hijacks your attention. The news knows this. Social media knows this. Headlines like “Everything Is Falling Apart” or “You Won’t Believe This Disaster” are crafted to pull you in. And once you’re hooked, your brain treats every update like a threat you need to survive.

You’re not being completely gullible. You’re just being human. Your amygdala is lighting up, while your frontal lobe is begging for a pause. Meanwhile, your mood, your energy, and your focus all are in survival mode.

The News Is Not a Survival Tool

Hot take, I guess…but reading about every crisis doesn’t make you safer. It doesn’t make you smarter. It doesn’t improve your work, your relationships, or your health. Most of what we stress about is completely outside our control. The news is addictive because it gives you small hits of tension and adrenaline, but it isn’t actually that useful for living your life. And this is coming from a girl who once upon a time sprayed her deliveries with Lysol because of a little germs — thankfully that was short lived.

How to Stop Letting Fear Run Your Life

1. Set boundaries
   If you have to check the news, do it once or twice a day, and stop there. Turn off notifications and avoid endless doomscrolling.
2. Focus on what you can control
   You can’t control the world but you can control your emotions, your choices, your space, your relationships. There’s a lot of power in that.
3. Choose sources deliberately
   Pick one or two outlets you trust. Ignore the rest. Depth beats constant noise.
4. Filter your environment
   Social media, group chats, comment sections. Curate them ruthlessly. Protect your peace.
5. Remember: fear is being sold to you
   Everyone benefits if you panic. Algorithms, media, and yes, even the “off-grid prepper” influencers. Don’t give them that power.

You’re Not in Control of the World. You Are in Control of Yourself

And that is enough. You can’t stop the chaos, the disasters, the political games, or the economic swings. But you can decide what occupies your mind, how you respond, and how you spend your energy.

Stop living in fear. Stop letting headlines hijack your nervous system. Stop scrolling every alert and every rumor like it defines your life.

Focus on what you can control. Everything else is just background noise.