Right Here, Right Now, There Is No Emergency

Everyone's flapping

Right now, people around me are flapping, and if you're feeling anxious about the news too, you're not alone. There's talk of a cable being cut, of us running out of electricity, and of needing to stock up on water. Before that it was the war in the Middle East (which may well still be going on) and what it meant for us. Will prices go up? Will war start here?

All very valid worries. But I'm not stressed about any of it. That isn't because I don't care. It's because I've stopped reading the news.

Your brain's ancient alarm bell

Evolution favoured the ancestors who assumed the worst. The one who heard a rustle in the grass and ran survived. The relaxed one who strolled over for a look often didn't. Scientists call this the negativity bias, and we've all inherited it.

Your amygdala is your brain's alarm bell. It constantly scans for any hint of a threat, and the moment it finds one, it hits the button. Your body's security system kicks in and puts you into fight or flight mode. Adrenaline floods in, your heart beats faster, and stress mode is switched on.

Meanwhile your rational brain, the prefrontal cortex, is only just waking up to all the noise and chaos. It reacts far more slowly. Eventually it steps in to work out whether this was a real threat or a false alarm, but by then your body is already in full panic.

The trouble is, the amygdala uses that same security system for modern life. A harsh email. Public speaking. A bit of criticism. To your alarm bell, they can all feel like the rustle in the grass.

How fear gets sold

The media and advertisers know exactly how this works, and they use it. You need this so you're liked. You need this so you can be better. You need this because everyone else has it.

It's why the negative story makes the front page. It needs drama. This country is going to attack. Can you believe what this person did? Look who's been arguing.

The result is that we're always worrying about something, living in an almost constant state of stress. When we buy the thing that's going to save us from being disliked, the euphoria is real, but it doesn't last. It's quickly replaced by the next thing we need, or the next drama unfolding somewhere in the world.

Informed, not consumed

I want to be clear: most of these stories aren't made up. Wars are real. Worries about cables and energy don't come from thin air. But the media amplifies them, because fear holds our attention and attention sells papers.

My situation hasn't changed. There's still a war. Someone may still be looking to cut a cable. The difference is that I'm not stressed. I can't do anything about what's happening, so why would I keep reading and feeding that ancient security system?

Stepping away isn't burying my head in the sand. If something genuinely affects me and my family, I'll hear about it, and I trust that I'll know what to do. What I've stopped doing is setting off my alarm bell every day over things I can't change.

Finding the quiet in the noise

You don't need anything external to find your peace, or to know your worth. You just have to sift through the noise to find it. Next time you feel that jolt, try this:

Just notice it. A racing heart, a tight chest, the urge to keep scrolling or to buy.
Name it. "That's my alarm bell." Simply labelling it gives your rational brain a chance to catch up.
Pause. Take a few slow breaths before you react, reply or reach for your card.
Ask one question. Is there an emergency right here, right now?

Most of the time, the honest answer is no.