By: Louis Catania, Division of Infectious Disease and medically reviewed by Ann K. Avery, MD, Infectious Disease Physician at MetroHealth Medical Center
Lately, it feels like the world is loud, tense, and constantly on edge. Bad news moves fast. Prices go up. Systems we were taught to trust feel shaky. And for many people, there’s a constant feeling that something is just… off. 😬
It’s hard to focus on finding peace in the middle of all this chaos.
That feeling isn’t imagined. We’re living through rapid change, constant pressure, and nonstop digital noise. Unfortunately, much of it is negative. Over time, that kind of environment wears on your nervous system. It makes it harder to rest, harder to focus, and harder to believe things will settle.
If you’re feeling on edge, distracted, or like your brain just won’t quit racing, that doesn’t mean you’re weak. It means you’re human. Learning how to slow down is a first step toward grounding yourself, honey. 💁🏾♀️
Why uncertainty messes with our minds
As humans, we struggle with uncertainty. Not knowing what’s coming can feel unbearable, and sometimes our brains prefer negative certainty over not knowing at all. Believing something bad will happen can feel easier than sitting with a simple, “I don’t know, babe.”
So, our minds start filling in the gaps. What if this gets worse? What if everything falls apart? What if I’m not ready? These spirals can be exhausting, but hey, they give a false sense of control.
Living in that mental space keeps your body constantly on alert. Your shoulders stay tense, your breathing stays shallow, and your mind never really gets a break. The uncomfortable truth is this: we don’t know what the future will bring. Uncertainty is the only real certainty, and learning to glide through it instead of stressing is where the magic begins.
Start by trusting yourself
Trust feels fragile right now. Many people are questioning the media, healthcare systems, leaders, and even the people closest to them. When trust is shaky everywhere, it can feel like there’s nothing solid to stand on.
That’s why it helps to start with the one place you still own: yourself. Trusting yourself doesn’t mean you’re always right. It means you listen when your body and emotions are serving you cues.
If you’re tired, you rest. If you’re scared, you acknowledge it instead of pushing it away. If scrolling makes your chest tighten, give yourself a breather. Self-trust grows when you respond to your needs with honesty and care, and that kind of grounding is a major key to finding peace from within.
You don’t need to know everything right now
We’re often taught that staying informed is the same as staying safe. In reality constant information intake can quietly jack up your anxiety and confusion. Nobody knows everything right now; not you, not experts, not the people flooding the feeds with nonstop updates.
Slowing your info binge can help restore balance. That might mean waiting for a beat before reacting to breaking news, unfollowing accounts that spike your stress, or focusing only on topics that directly affect your life. Learning with intention (instead of mindlessly scrolling) gives your brain space to process and reflect.
You don’t lose awareness by slowing down. You gain clarity.
The news isn’t the whole picture
The news isn’t fake, but it is selective. It focuses on what’s rare, dramatic, and alarming because that’s what grabs eyeballs. Over time, that focus can make it feel like the world is nothing but danger and decline.
What often gets missed are the slow, steady improvements that don’t make the headlines: progress in health, education, and human wellbeing. When all you see is crisis, it makes sense that you’d stay stuck in that “flight or fight” mode. Perspective doesn’t erase real problems, but it reminds you that the world is serving more than just drama. The picture is bigger than the scariest parts.
Pause before you react
If you’re feeling angry or outraged, that feeling is valid—it’s your inner justice alarm going off. Anger can spotlight injustice and spark real change. But staying in a constant state of outrage drains your sparkle and clouds your judgment.
Slowing down helps you respond rather than react. You don’t have to jump into every argument or throw fuel at every drama. Staying calm isn’t giving up, rather, it’s choosing steadiness over chaos, which always looks good on you.
Slow down, your body will thank you
When you slow down, you shift out of that “survival mode” drama. Take a deep breath, feel your heartbeat settle, and let those stress hormones sashay away. 💃🏾
Now your body can do what it’s born to do: digest like a queen, sleep like royalty, and think clearly.
Finding peace by returning to right now
Mindfulness doesn’t have to be perfect. It’s simply noticing what’s happening inside you without throwing shade at yourself. That awareness creates space, and it is in that space that healing begins.
When your thoughts race ahead, slowing down brings you back to what’s real. Take a moment to feel your feet on the floor and notice your breath moving in and out. Check in with your body. Are your shoulders tight, or your jaw clenched?
In this moment—right now—you are okay. Your survival isn’t immediately threatened, and nothing terrible is happening right now. That doesn’t mean nothing bad ever happens. It just means this moment deserves your attention, too.
Slowing down pulls you out of the future and back into the present. From here, you can make choices instead of reacting automatically.
Do things that lift you, even a little
You don’t need big, life-changing routines to feel better. Sometimes small moves make the biggest impact. Physical touch (a hug, a cuddle, a hook up), a good belly laugh, real sleep (not scrolling till 2 a.m.), moving your body like you own the runway, a few mindful breaths, or just stepping outside to soak up some sun. These tiny, fabulous actions work wonders for your mood and stress.
Focus on what really matters
You don’t have to fix everything. Everything is not yours to fix. Concentrate on excelling in your life. Excel at your job, at school, or with your crafts. Excel at kindness, honesty, fairness, and generosity–which matters more than people like to admit. These small acts of care trigger real physiological benefits that reduce anxiety and strengthen connection.
- Hug someone you trust or cuddle a pet 🐾
- Get real sleep 😴
- Move your body in ways that feel good–exercise or sexercize 😉
- Spend some time outside 🌳
- Laugh (really laugh) at something silly or comforting 😂
- Breathe deeply, on purpose, a few times a day 🧘🏽
Living in alignment with your values creates meaning, even when the future feels uncertain. When your actions match your heart, that alignment becomes a cornerstone of finding lasting peace. ✌️
You don’t have to do this alone
When the world feels unstable, isolation just cranks up the fear, and it’s easy to retreat into your shell when everything around you is a little shaky.
Having even a few people you trust can make a real difference. People you can check in with. People who help you slow your thinking instead of feeding the spiral. People who remind you who you are when the world feels like it’s losing its glitter. ✨
As one Positive Peers member shared:
“Some people need a support system—people they can reach out to when they’re scared—help connect people that are all going through the same thing.”
- Dennis W., Positive Peers Member
Connection doesn’t fix everything, but it makes things feel more manageable.
Final thoughts
When everything feels like it’s falling apart, slowing down helps you see what’s still standing. It helps you focus on what you can control, care for yourself with compassion, and stay connected to people who remind you that you’re still fabulous.
If you’re living with HIV and need a space to share your worries, ask questions, or just be heard, the Positive Peers community is here for you. It’s a supportive place where you don’t have to explain yourself. ❤️
👉Register for the Positive Peers app: positivepeers.org/register
You don’t have to hold everything together by yourself.