I Can't Handle More Bad News: What Do I Do When It All Feels Like Too Much?

When you're grieving, the world doesn't stop spinning. News cycles keep turning, headlines keep flashing, and people keep sharing stories of loss, tragedy, and upheaval. And if you're already carrying the weight of your own grief, all of that can feel like someone's piling bricks onto your chest.

Maybe you've caught yourself thinking, "I can't handle any more bad news right now." Maybe you've muted group chats, stopped scrolling, or found yourself feeling guilty for wanting to tune out. If that's you, I want you to know something: there's nothing wrong with stepping back. Your grief deserves space, and protecting that space isn't selfish. It's survival.

As a grief therapist, I've sat with so many folks navigating this exact tension. How do you stay informed without being overwhelmed? How do you care about the world while also caring for yourself? Let's walk through this together.

Is It Okay to Stop Watching the News When I'm Grieving?

YES! It's okay.

When you're grieving, your nervous system is already working overtime. You're processing loss, adjusting to a world that's been rearranged, and trying to function through exhaustion that runs bone-deep. Adding a constant stream of global crises, political turmoil, or community tragedies on top of that? It's like trying to heal a wound while someone keeps pressing on it.

Taking a break from the news doesn't mean you don't care. It means you're honouring what you can hold right now. And right now, what you're holding is already heavy enough.

Why the News Hits Differently When You're Grieving

Grief changes how you take in the world. Stories that you might have scrolled past before now land differently. A headline about someone's death, a post about injustice, a friend's crisis, they all feel closer, sharper, more personal. That's because grief has already cracked you open. Your boundaries are thinner. Your capacity is smaller.

When the news is filled with stories about violence, discrimination, injustice, or loss, you're not just watching distant events. You might see echoes of your own experience, your own fears, your own vulnerability reflected back at you. Maybe you've experienced marginalization or felt unsafe in the world. Maybe you're carrying generations of pain alongside your personal grief. Maybe the news reminds you that the world isn't always a safe place, and that knowledge feels unbearable when you're already broken open.

When you're already grieving a loved one, a relationship, a dream, or a version of yourself that no longer exists, these reminders can feel like too much to bear.

How Can I Stay Informed Without Being Overwhelmed?

You don't have to choose between staying connected to the world and protecting your peace. There's a middle path, and it can look different depending on what you need on any given day.

Here are some options to consider:

• Designate a trusted person as your "news filter." Ask someone you trust to let you know if something urgent comes up that directly affects you or your safety. Give them permission to hold the rest for now.

• Set specific times to check the news. Instead of constant scrolling, choose one time a day (or every few days) to catch up. Then step away.

• Curate your feeds carefully. Unfollow accounts that share distressing content. Mute words or hashtags that trigger you. Your social media can be a place of rest, not retraumatization.

• Choose one trusted source. Instead of consuming news from every angle, pick one reliable outlet and check in there when you're ready.

• Give yourself permission to say "not today." Some days, the answer is simply no. That's valid.

What If I Feel Guilty for Tuning Out?

Guilt is such a common companion to grief, and it shows up in sneaky ways. You might feel guilty for not being available to others, for not staying informed, for prioritizing your own healing when "so much is happening in the world."

But here's what I want you to sit with: you can't pour from an empty cup. You can't show up for your community, your loved ones, or the causes you care about if you're running on fumes. Taking a break from the hard stuff isn't abandoning the world. It's making sure you're still here when you're ready to engage again.

You might feel pressure to always be "on," to show up for every crisis, to carry the weight of collective trauma on top of your personal pain. Maybe you feel responsible for educating others, for being strong, for holding space when you barely have any left. But you don't have to be a martyr to your grief or anyone else's pain. Rest is resistance. Boundaries are care.

What Do I Say When Someone Shares Bad News With Me?

This one's tricky. You want to be there for your friends and loved ones. You want to support them. But right now, you're barely keeping your own head above water. So what do you say when someone comes to you with their hard news, expecting you to hold it for them?

It's okay to be honest. It's okay to set a boundary. And it's okay to offer support that looks different than it used to.

Here's a script you can adapt:

"Thank you for telling me. That sounds really hard. I can see you're going through something heavy, and I want to be there for you. I also need to be honest that right now is a really difficult time for me, so I don't know how much I can show up in the way I want to. But I do want to support you when I'm able. Can I check in with you when I have more capacity? It might not be as often as I'd like, but I care about you and I'm holding you in my thoughts."

This script does a few things. It acknowledges their pain. It honours your own limits. It offers a path forward that's realistic. And it reassures them that your boundary isn't rejection, it's honesty.

When Friends Assume You Can Relate

Sometimes people share their grief or bad news with you because they think you'll understand. And maybe you do. Maybe you've been through something similar. Maybe you carry experiences that make their pain feel familiar. But understanding doesn't always mean you have the bandwidth to hold it right now.

If someone keeps bringing you heavy stories because "you get it," you can gently redirect: "I do understand what you're going through, and that's actually why I need to be careful about what I take on right now. My own grief is asking a lot of me, and I need to protect my energy so I can heal. Can we talk about lighter things for a bit? Or if you need support, maybe there's someone else who has more space right now?"

It might feel uncomfortable at first, but you're teaching people how to care for you. And that's not selfish. That's self-preservation.

What If I Need to Check the News for My Own Safety?

This is real. For some of us, staying informed isn't just about being a "good citizen." It's about survival. You might need to know if there's a hate crime in your neighbourhood. You might need to know if legislation is being passed that threatens your rights or your safety. You might need to know if your community is organizing or if there's somewhere you need to avoid. You might need to track information that directly impacts your ability to move safely through the world.

If you need to stay informed for safety reasons, here's what can help:

• Be strategic about when and how you check. Choose a time of day when you feel most grounded, not right before bed or first thing in the morning.

• Set a timer. Give yourself ten minutes to check what you need, then step away.

• Pair it with something grounding. After you check the news, do something that brings you back to your body: a short walk, a cup of tea, a few deep breaths, a call with someone who makes you laugh.

• Separate urgent information from noise. Ask yourself, "Does this directly affect my safety or wellbeing today?" If not, you can let it go for now.

  
  

When the News Feels Personal

Some news stories don't feel distant. They feel like they're happening to you, to people like you, to your community. When you see yourself reflected in stories of loss, violence, or injustice, it's not just information. It's a gut punch. It's a reminder of your own vulnerability.

If you're someone who's experienced discrimination, violence, or systemic harm, the news can feel like it's confirming your worst fears. It can make the world feel smaller and more dangerous. It can trigger memories and pain that you're already trying to process.

You're allowed to step back from that. You're allowed to protect yourself from retraumatization. Staying informed doesn't require constant exposure to stories that mirror your pain.

You're Allowed to Take a Break from the Hard Stuff

Grief already asks so much of you. It asks you to wake up and keep going. It asks you to feel things you didn't know you could feel. It asks you to rebuild a life around an absence. You don't have to carry the world's grief on top of your own.

You're allowed to focus on your healing. You're allowed to protect your peace. You're allowed to say, "Not today." And when you're ready, when you have more capacity, you can re-engage on your terms.

Healing isn't linear, and neither is your relationship with the world around you. Some days you'll feel strong enough to stay informed. Other days, you'll need to close the door and tend to what's right in front of you. Both are okay. Both are part of the process.

If you're in Surrey, Coquitlam, Greater Vancouver, or anywhere online, and you need support navigating grief while everything else feels like too much, I'm here. You don't have to do this alone. Let's walk through it together.

Key Takeaways:

• It's okay to step back from the news when you're grieving—you're not abandoning the world, you're protecting your capacity to heal

• Designate a trusted person as your "news filter" to let you know if something urgent comes up

• Set boundaries with friends who bring you heavy news, even if they think you can relate

• For those who need to stay informed for safety reasons, find strategic ways to check in without overwhelming yourself

• Guilt about tuning out is common, but rest and boundaries are acts of care, not selfishness

• You can offer support to others in ways that honour your current capacity

  
  

Book a Free Consultation

If you're struggling to navigate grief while the world keeps demanding your attention, let's talk. I offer grief and loss therapy for people who understand what it means to carry multiple layers of pain, who've experienced marginalization, and who need a space that honours all of who you are. Book a free consultation, and we can explore what support might look like for you right now. You deserve to feel safe, seen, supported, and steadied.

FAQ

How long should I take a break from the news while grieving?

There's no set timeline. Take the break you need, whether that's a few days, a few weeks, or longer. Check in with yourself regularly and notice when you have more capacity to re-engage. Trust your body and your gut.

What if I'm worried about missing something important?

Ask a trusted friend or family member to let you know if something urgent comes up that directly affects you. You can also choose one reliable news source and check in once a day or a few times a week, rather than scrolling constantly.

Is it normal to feel more sensitive to bad news when I'm grieving?

Absolutely. Grief opens you up and makes everything feel more intense. Your nervous system is already activated, so additional distressing information hits harder. This sensitivity is a normal part of the grieving process.

How do I tell my friends I can't handle their bad news right now?

Be honest and compassionate. Let them know you care about them, but that you're in a difficult season and need to protect your energy. Offer to check in when you have more capacity, and reassure them that your boundary isn't rejection.

What if the news directly affects my community and I feel like I should stay informed?

You can stay informed in ways that protect your wellbeing. Set specific times to check the news, use a trusted person as a filter, and pair news consumption with grounding practices. Staying safe and informed doesn't require constant exposure to distressing content., use a trusted person as a filter, and pair news consumption with grounding practices. Staying safe and informed doesn't require constant exposure to distressing content.