Lately, social media has been filled with negative news, both internationally and nationally in Indonesia.
On the international side, updates about Gaza and Palestine often make me feel furious, sad, and helpless. Seeing people suffer because of war, violence, and injustice is difficult to process, especially when the news appears constantly on our screens.
Then, on the national side, there is also a lot to worry about. We hear news about forests, mountains, and other natural areas in Indonesia being damaged or burned because of extreme weather, such as El Niño, as well as human activities like deforestation. There are also countless other stories about humanity, injustice, poverty, environmental destruction, and suffering.
Honestly, as a human being, thinking about all of these things at once can be overwhelming. Our brains simply were not designed to process an endless stream of information about problems happening all around the world every minute of every day.
As an empathetic person, I sometimes find this even harder. When I see other people suffering, I can easily imagine what they might be feeling. Their sadness, fear, anger, or helplessness can somehow become my own emotions. Sometimes, I don't even realize how much negative information has affected my mood until I suddenly feel mentally exhausted.
But over time, I have learned one important thing: not everything deserves my mental energy.
There are many things happening in the world that I genuinely care about, but caring about something does not mean I have to carry the entire weight of it on my shoulders. Most of the things I see on social media are outside my direct control.
So, whenever my brain feels overloaded by everything happening around me, I usually do three simple things.
1. Go Back to Nature
When I feel extremely tired of social media and all the negative news on it, one of the first things I do is put my phone away and follow my parents to the farm.
I don't necessarily do anything complicated there. Sometimes I just help water the vegetables my parents have planted. Sometimes I simply walk around, look at the plants, sit and observe what they are doing or talk to caterpillars maybe. 👀😂
And somehow, it helps.
There is something peaceful about being surrounded by soil, plants, sunlight, and fresh air. Unlike social media, nature doesn't demand my attention every second. There are no notifications, no arguments in the comment section, no breaking news, and no endless stream of information telling me about another terrible thing happening somewhere in the world.
Everything feels slower.
I can focus on something as simple as watering vegetables. I can see the soil becoming wet. I can watch the leaves move with the wind. I can hear birds or insects instead of notifications.
It reminds me that life is not only what appears on my phone screen.
Spending time in nature also feels like a form of therapy for me. When I'm stressed, my body feels tense and my thoughts become chaotic. Being outside gives me the opportunity to breathe, move, and disconnect for a while.
Of course, going to the farm cannot magically solve all the problems in the world. But maybe that's not the point.
Sometimes, we don't need to solve everything. Sometimes, we simply need to give our minds a chance to rest.
2. Do House Chores
The second thing I usually do is something surprisingly simple: house chores.
I am the kind of person who loves having a clean and tidy house. It doesn't matter if the house is modest or not particularly beautiful. As long as it is clean and organized, I feel more comfortable.
When my mind feels chaotic, I sometimes start cleaning or organizing things around the house.
Maybe I sweep the floor. Maybe I organize my belongings. Maybe I clean something that has been sitting untouched for a while.
Why does it help?
Because whenever I'm done cleaning, I feel like the only trash left is me. 🤫😂 (I'm kidding)
Okay, seriously speaking its because...
I cannot control everything happening in the world, but I can control the small space around me.
I cannot stop wars. I cannot personally solve environmental destruction. I cannot control what governments, corporations, or other people do. I cannot prevent every injustice from happening.
But I can put my clothes where they belong.
I can clean my room.
I can organize my desk.
I can wash the dishes.
And when I finish, I can look around and think, "Okay, at least this little part of my world is in order." 😅
It may sound insignificant, but sometimes having a small sense of control is exactly what I need.
There is also something satisfying about seeing a physical result from my effort. My brain may be full of complicated thoughts, but cleaning gives me a simple task with a clear beginning and ending.
Messy room to clean room.
Dirty dishes to clean dishes.
Disorganized things to organized things.
It's simple, but strangely comforting.
3. Write or Journal
The third thing I usually do is write.
Writing is one of the ways I release thoughts that have been occupying too much space in my head.
Sometimes I write seriously. Sometimes I just write whatever comes to mind. And sometimes, like what I'm doing right now, I turn those thoughts into a topic and try to understand them through words.
For me, writing feels like taking something heavy out of my head and putting it somewhere else.
I don't necessarily need to find a solution immediately. I just need to acknowledge what I'm feeling.
"I'm angry."
"I'm sad."
"I'm overwhelmed."
"I feel helpless."
Writing gives those emotions somewhere to go.
I think this is especially important in the digital era because information travels incredibly fast. We wake up, check our phones, and immediately receive hundreds of pieces of information from different parts of the world.
One minute we're watching a funny video. The next, we're reading about a war. Then we see environmental disasters, political arguments, economic problems, someone's personal tragedy, and another terrible headline.
Everything comes at us so quickly.
As a result, our minds can start feeling like they are constantly rushing from one thing to another.
That's why I think sometimes we need to return to activities that require a slower process.
Growing plants takes time.
Cleaning a house takes time.
Writing takes time.
Healing, too, takes time.
We cannot always scroll our way out of exhaustion.
Sometimes, we need to put the phone down, step away from the noise, and return to simple things that remind us that we are human.
I still care about what happens in the world. I still get angry when I see injustice. I still feel sad when innocent people suffer. I don't want to become indifferent just because the world is overwhelming.
But I am learning that protecting my mental energy doesn't mean that I don't care.
It means I understand my limits.
I can care without consuming every piece of bad news.
I can feel empathy without carrying everyone's pain as if it were entirely mine.
And most importantly, I can accept that I cannot control everything.
So when my brain becomes overloaded, I try to return to what I can control: the nature around me, the little space I live in, and the thoughts inside my own head.
Maybe there will always be another terrible headline waiting for us tomorrow. But we don't have to live at the same speed as the internet.
Sometimes, the best thing we can do is slow down, breathe, touch the soil, clean our homes, write down our thoughts, and give ourselves permission to rest.
Because we are human, after all. And even empathy needs somewhere to breathe. ✨
