When the News Makes You Sick: Finding Clarity in a Shifting World

Lessons on Resilience and Inner Leadership in Times of Global Uncertainty

When I travel, I often find myself observing people. It helps me see through the surface—nationality, age, gender—and notice what connects us at a deeper level.

Not long ago, I was sitting with a coffee in a train station when I noticed a woman in her late twenties staring at her phone. Suddenly her expression changed. First, she looked almost nauseous, then her face tightened into anger.

She glanced around, embarrassed, as if to check if anyone had noticed. Our eyes met, and she offered an explanation: she had just read something in her news feed that shook her.

Still uneasy, she continued: “I know it would probably be better if I didn’t read the news, but it feels even more uncertain when I don’t. Lately, though, it’s been one scare after another. It seems like the world is getting worse every day.”

I introduced myself, and she told me her name was Anna. I thought for a moment, then asked: “It seems like both knowing and not knowing are troubling you. Do you think there might be a third option?”

She looked at me curiously. “I hadn’t thought about that. What do you mean?”

Since I didn’t know her beyond this brief encounter, my answer had to stay general. I said: “In my experience, it’s not about the news—or the lack of it—but about what we do with it inside ourselves. That’s why you end up with similar feelings, whether you read the news or not.”

Anna paused as if the thought had hit her like a jolt. “Now why didn’t I think of that?” she said. “And how can I deal with it differently in my mind?”

Just then, my train was called. We didn’t have time to go deeper, but Anna later agreed to begin a coaching process to explore a different way of handling information. She still reads the news most days, but no longer in fear. She has found steadiness inside, and even helps friends and family make more sense of the world without being overwhelmed.

Maybe you’ve felt like Anna—caught between fear and information overload. The world won’t stop bringing news, some of it heavy, some confusing. But your way of meeting it can become steady ground. And if this touches something in you, I’d welcome the conversation.