What’s your anchor?
Shutting Out the Noise – Finding Calm in a Chaotic World
We can’t deny it — the pace of life has increased tenfold. Every app, email, pop-up and advert is fighting for our attention, making it harder and harder to stay focused and unaffected by the constant noise. So much of it is cleverly designed to sell to our insecurities: that we’re not good enough, not attractive enough, not knowledgeable enough.
Whether it’s cosmetics and skincare promising to “fix” our imperfections, online courses speaking to our fear that we aren’t accomplished enough in our careers, or fear-based advertising pushing us toward nutritional supplements, quick-fix therapies, and “wellness hacks,” the message is the same — you’re not enough as you are. And yet, the truth is that the calm, confidence, and inner peace we’re searching for can’t be bought.
It goes without saying that we are also affected by the wider world — the chaos of increased wars, polarised politics, major corruption, rising poverty, and the destabilisation of institutions we once felt safe within. Even if we avoid the news, it seeps in through conversations, social media, and the general energy around us.
While some believe it’s our duty to stay fully informed and engaged with political debates, for many it’s simply too much to bear. Constant exposure to distressing headlines can tip us off balance. Compassion fatigue is real, and it can be deeply draining. If you have family, children, careers, and community roles to fulfil, protecting your mental space isn’t selfish — it’s essential. When we are healthy and centred, we can show up with more patience, empathy, and kindness, creating a ripple effect of care and positivity. That, in itself, is a quiet but powerful force for change.
It’s also worth remembering that despite what the headlines tell us, there is so much good in the world. Search intentionally and you’ll find it — inspiring individuals building sustainable solutions, communities creating grassroots projects, medical breakthroughs changing lives, and local initiatives like park runs, Active Devon schemes, community yoga sessions, and support groups bringing people together. The internet, when used consciously, can be a force for good — connecting us with like-minded people across the globe, giving us free access to knowledge, and reducing isolation. Twenty years ago, this was unimaginable.
And yet — paradoxically — the same internet and social media can drain us. It can steal our time, scatter our focus, dull our creativity, and feed the very insecurities we’re trying to heal. Which is why it’s never been more important to be intentional.
We can choose what we consume, who we follow, and where our attention goes. We can put boundaries around our online time, curate our feeds to include uplifting content, and schedule in genuine downtime — time that’s free from screens, noise, and other people’s opinions.
The world may feel loud, fast, and overwhelming. But we have more power than we think. By choosing stillness, seeking connection in real life, and focusing on what’s good, we can create pockets of peace in our own lives — and those pockets of peace are exactly what the world needs more of right now.
When the waves of modern life feel relentless, we all need something to hold us steady — an anchor. It doesn’t have to be grand or complicated. In fact, the simpler it is, the more powerful it becomes.
Your anchor might be a daily walk in nature, early mornings before the world wakes up, journaling with a cup of tea, a regular yoga class, cooking from scratch, or even just a few deep breaths by an open window. It’s anything that helps you feel present, connected, and reminded of who you are outside of all the noise.
An anchor isn’t about escaping life — it’s about finding a point of stillness within it. The more often we return to that point, the more resilient we become against the push and pull of news cycles, notifications, and pressures that aren’t ours to carry.
So ask yourself — what is my anchor? What practices, people, or places bring me back to centre? Once you find them, protect them fiercely. Build them into your routine, not as an afterthought, but as a daily essential — because when you are anchored, you’re harder to shake, and far better equipped to send that grounded energy out into the world.
