Freeing Yourself from Negativity: The Art of Resetting

It’s pretty easy to be overwhelmed by the world right now. War, violence, racism, pay cuts - and that’s before you even get to the healthcare crisis, the insurance nightmares, or the endless waiting rooms. Specialists are upping their prices, average working families are barely scraping by, and decisions made by those in charge seem to hit ordinary people hardest. Crime is up. Homelessness is rising. The list goes on.

A while back, I stopped engaging. I don’t comment on posts anymore. I might “heart” something to show support, but that’s it. Not because I don’t care - I do. But because engaging absolutely destroys my peace, and I’ve learned that peace is the only thing I can truly protect.

Peace is free. It’s not something you have to fight for online. It’s something you practice, quietly, in your own life.

There was a time, where I would get heavily involved in ‘having my say’. I wanted to save the world. I wanted to ‘be a part of the solution, and not the problem’. I thought the only way to live by it was to fight every battle - to post, argue, correct, educate, and raise my voice until someone listened. But I’ve since learned that standing up for everything can sometimes come at a cost and especially when it starts to erode your peace, your energy, or your health. Not to mention my inner-child healing knowing I don’t have to yell for attention anymore (yay).

Now I’m not saying you shouldn’t ‘mean what you say, and say what you mean’ (another great line from Michael Saccente, my acting tutor who taught the Meisner Technique here in Auckland). To live like that is to be authentic - and authenticity is one thing that AI can’t imitate. But authenticity doesn’t require constant engagement. It means checking in with yourself before you react and asking: Can my nervous system handle this today?

That question has saved me from spinning out of control and writing something because I’m emotionally charged (and this is easy for me lol).

Some days, I just can’t handle more heaviness. And that’s OK.

Anxiety and I go way back. She visits when I overextend myself - when I say too much, accept too much, sign myself up for too much or when I say something I later regret. She thrives on overexposure and overstimulation.

But I haven’t seen her much lately. Why? Because I’ve stopped inviting her over.
I don’t take on every headline, every event, every person. I don’t engage with trolls. I avoid discussions that I know will end in negativity. I steer clear of anything that pulls me away from who I am at my calmest.

It doesn’t make me a snob. It makes me someone who knows my limits. I’ve lived all the ways through life - motherhood, illness, loss - to know that my energy is so sacred (and so is yours, you get me?).

When people say, “The internet isn’t real,” they’re half right, but the emotions they trigger absolutely are. The pain, frustration, anger, and sadness we feel after scrolling the news? That’s real.

But here’s the truth: you don’t owe your energy to everything that hurts. You owe it to your healing.

Resetting doesn’t mean ignoring what’s wrong in the world. It means balancing what’s wrong with what’s right. It’s about seeking out joy, gratitude, and stories of hope. Be around people who make you feel good. Follow creators that elevate you. Engage with those who remind you that goodness still exists. And when something online doesn’t serve your peace - skip it.

Freeing yourself from negativity isn’t a one-time thing. It’s a daily choice and you get to choose (yay!) what you do next.
It’s pausing before you react.
It’s walking away when you feel the anxiety rise.
It’s turning off your phone and stepping outside to breathe.
It’s remembering that your peace is not a luxury, it’s your foundation.

And on the days when the world feels too heavy, resetting isn’t a retreat - it’s resilience.

You can’t fix everything, and you don’t have to.
You can care deeply and still protect your boundaries.
You can want change and still prioritise your calm.

Sometimes, the most revolutionary thing you can do is to stay peaceful - to keep your energy grounded in love, empathy, and authenticity.

That’s not giving up. That’s growing up.
That’s freeing yourself.
That’s resetting.