How to Stay Calm When the World Feels Chaotic

A practice to orient and slow down

You might notice yourself feeling more on edge than usual. That alertness doesn’t come from nowhere.

Political volatility.
Rapid technological change.
Geopolitical tension.
Economic uncertainty.

When disruption is real and structural, the nervous system does what it’s designed to do. It speeds up. It scans for threat. It looks for certainty or control when none may be available.

For many capable women, this registers as vigilance.

• A low-grade sense of responsibility without clear edges.

• A feeling that you should be keeping up, thinking faster, responding better.

• An internal tempo that rarely slows.

If you’ve been feeling anxious, overwhelmed, or stuck in a constant scan-for-threat mode, this is your nervous system doing its job.

Moments like these require orientation. A way to remain present without urgency taking over. A way to stay connected to yourself when answers are not yet clear.

What follows is a short practice for moments when fear and uncertainty take over.

Nothing here resolves the larger moment we’re living in, but it does help you stand inside it with a little more steadiness.

When to use this practice

Use this practice when:

• the news cycle spikes your anxiety

• you notice yourself doomscrolling but can’t quite stop

• your body feels keyed up even when nothing immediate is wrong

• you feel pressure to “figure things out” before you can rest
  

A short practice to slow down and orient

This practice helps you re-establish contact with the present moment when the world feels too fast or overwhelming.

1. Locate yourself

Let your eyes rest on something solid nearby.
A piece of furniture. The edge of a window. A plant. The floor beneath you.

Notice its shape, color, or weight.
You’re not looking for meaning, just contact.

This is your nervous system remembering where you are.

2. Name the present moment

Quietly notice three ordinary things around you:

• a sound

• a texture

• a visual detail

Ordinary is enough.

3. Return from the future

Gently orient to now.

Notice the time of day.
Notice what part of your day you’re in.

Quietly ask yourself: What is actually required of me in the next ten minutes?

Anything beyond that belongs to later.

4. Signal safety through gentle movement

If it feels okay, bring a small amount of movement into the body.

Using one hand, lightly tap along the opposite arm, from wrist to shoulder.
When you’re ready, switch sides. Now include the legs.

Let the movement be slow and rhythmic.
You’re offering the body a sense of contact and presence.

5. Reclaim human pace

Before returning to your day, choose one ordinary action to do at half-speed.

• Drink a glass of water slowly.

• Walk to the next room without rushing.

• Wash your hands with attention to temperature or sensation.

This is about remembering what human pace feels like.

Questions for when the future feels heavy

When the future feels chaotic, the mind often tries to work harder.

These prompts are meant to restore proportion and steadiness not produce answers.

You can sit with them privately, journal about them, or explore them inside Meredith AI Coach.

✨ 1. Releasing false responsibility

I feel pressure to understand, respond to, or keep up with changes that are bigger than me.

Help me distinguish what I’m responsible for right now from what I’m carrying out of fear or expectation.

I’m looking for clarity about what is mine and what is not.

✨ 2. Letting uncertainty be present

I notice fear about the future and a pull toward trying to figure it out before I can settle.

Help me stay present when answers are hard to come by.

What becomes available when I stop trying to resolve uncertainty right now?

✨ 3. Returning to this moment

My mind is racing ahead.

Help me notice signs of safety here.

Guide me to feel my breath, my body, and the support around me, one step at a time.

I’m not looking for reassurance. Just presence. A gentle next step.

A Slow Down playlist for easing out of urgency

Sometimes even words are too much.

I’ve created a Slow Down playlist on Spotify as a simple soundtrack for moments when the world feels fast.

You might listen while walking, resting, or doing something totally ordinary.

👇Slow Down — A gentle reset for the nervous system

https://link.pauseboxco.com/slow-down-playlist

Remember…

You don’t need clarity about the future to meet this moment.

Presence is enough to begin.🧡

If it’s supportive, you’re welcome to explore a few additional resources at your own pace:

This 10-minute energy reset is great when you can grab a quick walk.

Or try this favorite meditation of mine, for moments when you want to settle without effort.

And whenever it feels right, you’re also invited to return to the Nothing To Prove Ritual , a weekly grounding practice designed to help you reconnect with your inner wisdom over time.

+Big Love,

Meredith