Fatigue that no sleep could possibly fix? A heart that breaks and repairs on a daily basis?

Well then, this is for you. Because same.

If you work in digital, you don't get the luxury of logging off. I know. TRUST ME. I know.

It's your job. Your livelihood depends on showing up to the same platforms where everything's unfolding in real-time.

And that creates an impossible situation. You can't be the Bypasser - looking away isn't an option when your career demands constant presence. But you also can't afford to be the Loosh Victim, doomscrolling yourself into paralysis while deadlines pile up and clients expect results.

Learning to witness what's happening, feel the full weight of it, and channel that rage into something productive - all while somehow still doing your job. This isn't optional. This is imperative for your survival, and something I’ve had to learn as of late.

Because the alternative is either checking out completely (and losing your moral compass) or burning out spectacularly (and losing your ability to function).

Neither of those options builds the world we need.

Two competing truths pulling in opposite directions.

Truth one: I can't keep looking at this. The news, the feeds, the constant documentation of suffering. It's destroying me, spiritually, mentally, all of the above.

Truth two: Looking away is a privilege I don't get to claim. Hiding in denial while people suffer is delusional at best, complicit at worst. These systems rely on my inability to watch, to know the full truth.

How do we witness atrocities in the world without letting it paralyse us? How do we hold onto our rage without it consuming us?

Because what I know is this: that rage you're feeling? It's not the problem. It's information. It's your moral compass screaming that the world needs to be different.

The question is what you do with it.

It's refusing to let atrocities get normalised just because they're constant.

When we witness collectively, when we share what we're seeing, when we refuse to look away - that creates pressure. It creates collective anger. And collective anger, when it's channelled right, becomes collective healing. The fuel for building a world where these things don't exist.

But (and this is the part nobody talks about) witnessing without action just breaks you. Consuming without doing anything about it is a recipe for literal despair. So the goal isn't to stop looking. It's to look AND act. To metabolise what you're seeing into something productive. And as crazy as that sounds, it’s totally possible.

1) The Bypasser.

This is denial. The “I can't deal with this right now” and turning off the news. Scrolling past, actively avoiding information that makes you uncomfortable. It's the privilege of looking away. And look, no judgment if this is where you are sometimes - we all need breaks. As long as you know that existing in this permanently is choosing comfort over consciousness.

2) The Loosh Victim.

This is the opposite end of the spectrum: obsession. Doomscrolling for hours and consuming every little piece of horrific news, each different take, angle, perspective. All before panicking, spiralling, and burning out spectacularly. You're witnessing, sure, but you're not acting - you're just feeding your nervous system until it crashes. And again, we've ALL been here. I have to actively pull myself out of here on a daily basis because it's so easy to fall into. But it doesn't help anyone, including you.

3) The Sovereign.

In the words of the Mandalorian, this is the way. You look the beast directly in the eye, acknowledge what's happening. You flinch. You feel the rage, the grief, the absolute fury at the injustice. And then you channel it. You take specific action to protect, to prevent harm, to build the world you need. You witness AND you act. You hold both the horror and your agency.

This isn't "just manifest a better world" bullshit. This is taking the rage you feel and turning it into something useful. But you need to know how to properly, and safely walk the Sovereign path. Here's how:

1) Set boundaries around consumption, not awareness.

You don't need to see every video that exists out there. You don’t need to read every thread. And you absolutely don’t need to absorb every detail. You can stay informed without traumatising yourself. Limit your news intake to specific times, choose trusted sources, and get the information you need to understand what's happening, then close the damn app.

2) Turn witnessing into action immediately.

Don't just consume and sit with it. Every time you witness something that enrages you, ask: what's one concrete thing I can do right now? Whether that’s donate, share resources, show up to a freaking protest, support mutual aid, call or email your representatives. These are all very achievable actions that don’t have to be huge, they just have to be something. These systems rely on our inaction, so do the opposite.

3) Build with others, not alone.

Sovereign doesn't mean isolated. Find your people: there are others online who are also looking directly at what's happening and refusing to accept it. So, organise together. Share the load. Collective action is more sustainable than individual burnout.

4) Remember that rest is part of resistance.

You can't fight with an empty tank. Taking care of yourself - actually taking care, not just numbing out - is what allows you to keep showing up. Sleep, move your body and absolutely disconnect when you need to. This is sustainable resistance in action.

5) Use your specific skills and position.

You don't have to do everything, and baby, you can't do everything. But that’s okay! Because you can do something that only you can do. If you're a writer, write. If you have money, donate. If you have a platform, use it. If you have time, volunteer. Your specific contribution matters to the collective.

The fact that you can't just scroll past and go about your day? That's your humanity fighting to stay alive at this point. That discomfort, that fury, that grief - it's telling you that the world is fundamentally broken and that you want, even need, to be part of fixing it.

We're not going to manifest our way out of this. We're not going to positive-vibe our way to justice. What we're going to do is witness what's happening, feel the full weight of it, and then channel that into building the world we actually need.

It requires you to hold both the reality of how bad things are AND your capacity to do something about it. To look directly at injustice without flinching and then act anyway.

I guess my point is, in times like these, when all you want is to look away, I need you to look, to witness, and to allow yourself to feel the rage. Let that be your fuel. Because the world isn’t going to get better on its own, but collectively, with intention, we can build the one we need. 

-Sophie Randell, Writer