Coming Back to What Is Real
Will refreshing the page for the seventeenth time really lead to information that will save civilisation?
NERVOUS SYSTEM REGULATION
Coming Back to What Is Real
One of the things I remind myself when the world feels overwhelming is that life has always contained uncertainty.
That does not mean today’s concerns are not real.
They are.
There are difficult, unfair and deeply troubling things happening in the world. Pretending otherwise is not wisdom. That’s freshly squeezed denial in a keeper cup.
It takes discipline to choose your next right action when your mind wants to spin out into everything, everywhere, all at once.
For me, that next right action might be time with JonJon.
But perspective matters.
Across the long arc of history, many measures of human wellbeing have improved significantly. Far fewer people live in extreme poverty than 200 years ago. More people have access to education, healthcare, sanitation and opportunity than in previous centuries.
None of that erases suffering.
It does remind me that the whole story is rarely as bleak as the loudest headlines suggest.
And perhaps this is where the quote, “Comparison is the thief of joy,” becomes more interesting. Comparison can steal joy when we compare ourselves upward and feel inadequate. It can also distort things when we compare downward and use someone else’s suffering to dismiss our own.
The point is not to shame ourselves into gratitude.
Instead, let’s widen the lens and remember that life can be difficult and beautiful at the same time.
To acknowledge that there are problems we can act on, problems we can care about, and problems we cannot personally solve by refreshing the page for the seventeenth time.
Taking action where possible
Our greatest efficacy in life comes from taking action where possible and making peace with the rest.
That is not passive.
That is disciplined.
It takes discipline to care without becoming consumed.
It takes discipline to stay informed without becoming flooded.
(Well done JonJon - I said sit on the couch, and he did!)
It might be calling someone I love.
It might be making dinner, writing, working, a card game with friends or simply putting the device down and returning to the room I am actually sitting in.
These are the things I remind myself when the world feels overwhelming.
My focus is precious.
My time is precious.
My life is happening here, not somewhere inside the scroll that’s designed to keep me invested.
And when the world feels uncertain, perhaps one of the kindest and most powerful things we can do is bring our attention back to what is real, close, good and possible.
It is my intention that this series has been of some value to you. If you have a topic suggestion please let me know in the comments.
Till next week - Marisa
© Your Mind Redesigned 2026
Join the newsletter for practical insights into stress regulation, behavioural change and subconscious patterns — plus occasional guided hypnosis recordings.
We put a lot of love and thought into our newsletters. Head over and see what we have to share with you.
Online & Face to Face
Palmwoods, Sunshine Coast
Queensland, Australia
Stay in the loop
Your Mind Redesigned acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of the lands we live on. We pay our respects to all Elders, past and present, of all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander nations.