📰 A Newspaper, a Nervous System, and the Courage to Be You
I opened our session and smiled—there she was, unfolding a physical newspaper. A real one. Ink on fingers, pages in hand.
She told me she had been watching Gilmore Girls and kept noticing the grandfather was often reading the newspaper…
…and a light bulb went off. She deleted the social media and news apps from her phone and set up a Sunday and Wednesday newspaper delivery from a trusted news source.
Now she gets to stay up to date, but without overwhelming her nervous system!
It wasn’t just smart—it was brilliant.
In a world that floods us with content—so much that our minds can barely keep up—she had unknowingly chosen a nervous system strategy.A boundary.A limit.A return to a slower, more human pace.
🧠 The Courage to Filter What Was Never About You
And in her case, that boundary holds even more power.
She is a transgender woman—someone whose very existence has become a lightning rod in public discourse. Even on days when she’s thriving (and she truly is—her mental health has never been better), the media can still make her feel like she’s a topic instead of a person.
We’ve worked together for years, and to now witness her not only living more authentically but also actively shaping the way she engages with the world—it’s nothing short of extraordinary.
Her decision to unplug from the barrage and instead choose when and how she engages with information is more than a lifestyle choice.It’s a radical act of self-care in a world that hasn’t always been kind.
🔄 Bridging Identity and Information
The ability to access more information than ever before is not, in itself, the problem. In fact, it’s changed lives.
I’ll never forget someone I worked with many years ago—someone who began her gender transition in her 60s. She had grown up in a small town in the 1940s. One day in the early 2000s, she stumbled across an article in a more liberal magazine tucked in the back of her small-town library. It featured a story about someone who was transgender. This was the first time she had ever seen that word.
That moment opened a door. For the first time, she saw herself reflected in someone else’s story.Something she had held so close in her heart was finally named.
Media didn’t “make her” anything.It helped her finally find the truest version of herself—the version that had always been there but never had language or permission to exist.
Access to stories, language, and community is a powerful gift.
But what happens when that gift turns on us?
What happens when algorithms don’t just offer information—but trap us in loops of fear, outrage, and emotional exhaustion?
🗞️ 300 Newspapers… and No Off Switch
Here’s the broader truth: we’re all inundated.
In 2007, researchers estimated we were already taking in the equivalent of 180 newspapers’ worth of information per day. And that was before the rise of algorithm-driven feeds. Now? That number has more than doubled.
That’s over 300 newspapers’ worth of information—not chosen, but fed to us.
And it’s not just content. It’s:
The original headline
Everyone’s opinion about it
A thread contradicting it
A meme distorting it
An algorithm showing you more of what already activated your nervous system
When you’re engaging with something heavy—trauma, injustice, grief, or even your own identity—it’s hard to look away when the algorithm won’t stop pulling you back in.
You don’t get to just read the story and close it.You get pulled into a spiral of commentary, aggression, contradiction, and emotional intensity that doesn’t let your system settle.
That’s the difference between access and overload.Between agency and reactivity.Between healing and dysregulation.
📰 Why a Newspaper Matters Now More Than Ever
That’s why her decision to go back to the newspaper wasn’t just cute or nostalgic—it was brilliant.
She created a boundary. A rhythm. A way to stay informed without sacrificing her nervous system.
It’s not that she doesn’t want to know what’s going on.She just wants to choose how and when she engages.She wants information—without the endless feedback loop of fear and judgment.
A physical newspaper ends.It doesn’t push.It doesn’t suggest.It doesn’t pull you further into someone else’s agenda.
It says: Here’s what happened. Take what you need. Fold it up when you’re done.
In therapy, that’s what we call a containment strategy.In life, it’s a radical act of self-trust.
🌱 Try This: A New Way to Stay Informed
If you’ve found yourself feeling flooded or overwhelmed by the news—or if you notice your heart rate spike just opening an app—try creating your own boundary:
Start with a timer.If you're not quite ready to delete your apps or switch to a newspaper, begin by setting a limit. Before you start scrolling, ask yourself: How much time do I want to give this? Choose your time, set an alarm, and honor the boundary.
Create a grounding routine before and after.Ingesting the news directly into your nervous system without preparation can be jarring. Try one deep breath, an affirmation of safety, or even literally shaking your body after reading something upsetting. These rituals help your body metabolize what you’ve just taken in.
Pay attention to your algorithms.Notice what keeps showing up in your feed. Are you being pulled toward outrage, trauma, or anxiety? The algorithm isn't neutral—it learns from your engagement. Curate it intentionally, or step away when it’s steering your system into overdrive.
Choose set days or times to consume news.You don’t need to be on call 24/7 for every headline. Pick 1–2 times a day to check the news instead of having alerts interrupt your nervous system every time a story breaks.
Limit your phone exposure.If possible, remove news apps from your phone. Try checking the news only on a computer where you're less likely to spiral. This gives your brain (and body) clearer parameters.
Build a ritual around it.
Use a format that ends: a short podcast, a digest-style email, or a quick news segment with clear highlights
Set the space: light a candle, make tea, sit in the same place in your house each time
Pause between stories. Notice your breath
When you’re done, close it—literally. Exit the tab. Walk away. Put the phone down.
Consider going analog.If you’re ready to go all in, try buying one physical newspaper. Notice how it feels to hold it—to see the ink, the texture, the layout. Notice how your nervous system feels after each article. Can you pause and ask yourself: Do I want to keep going, or is this enough for now?
This isn’t about avoiding reality.It’s about reclaiming how reality enters your system—and trusting that your peace is worth protecting.
✨ Final Thought
In an age of infinite access, reclaiming control of your attention is a powerful thing.
Information can liberate us.It can offer language, connection, healing, and hope.
But when it’s fed to us through algorithms designed to exploit our fears, even helpful content becomes harmful.
The answer isn’t to shut out the world.It’s to reenter it on your terms.
Whether you’re a transgender person filtering your intake to protect your peace, or a curious, sensitive soul trying to stay grounded in a loud world… the principle is the same:
You deserve to choose what you consume—and when.
And in that choice, something sacred happens:
You remember that you’re not here to be consumed.You’re here to live—fully, freely, and at a pace your nervous system can hold.
❤️ A Note to Our Community
To all who carry layered identities—queer, transgender, neurodivergent, chronically ill, survivors, people of color, those on spiritual paths that don’t fit neatly in a box:
You are welcome here.You are safe here.
You deserve spaces that honor all of who you are!
At Healing Roots, we’re committed to offering space for every part of you to rise—without shame, without pressure, and without apology.We believe that healing doesn’t start with fixing what’s “wrong.”It starts with remembering what’s always been right about you.
One of my clients—the woman whose story inspired this piece—also wanted to share something with anyone who might need it:
One of the things I’ve had the most trouble with since Trump got elected was knowing that there are people out there that have decided not to transition due to the state of the country.
I’m so thankful that there was a window of time in my life where the pros list outweighed the cons list. I fear that if I had started this journey a year after I did there may have been too much negativity out there and I wouldn’t have been able to let the part of me that wanted to transition out shine the part of me that wanted to feel “safe” and hidden. I’m so much happier with the person I am now and feel so privileged to have been in a place where I could go for it.”
Just like we named in our last session:She is still the same person she’s always been inside.Now, she simply gets to live in the most aligned version of herself than she has ever been before!
There is so much noise out there…..So many stories, telling us who we are, how we should feel, or who we should be.
But just like my client,you deserve radical self-care too!!!
The kind that says: My story matters. My peace matters. And I get to choose what comes into my world!