Even without a big trauma story, your nervous system might be running on empty. Here’s why today’s media overload is quietly draining your resilience, and what real recovery can look like.
Why you still feel worn out—even when nothing looks “wrong”
You don’t need a dramatic trauma history to feel fried by the world right now.
You just need a smartphone.
Most people think they’re just tired. Long day, tough year, maybe a bit of burnout. But underneath that fatigue, something deeper is playing out a nervous system slowly worn down by background threat.
In December 2025, psychiatrist Dr Peter Yellowlees warned that nonstop exposure to crisis headlines is causing genuine trauma responses even in people with no prior trauma.
Not metaphorically. Neurologically.
It makes sense. Your brain is wired to detect danger. Not actual danger perceived danger. And in a media environment designed to grab attention through fear, your body ends up in low-level survival mode without you even knowing it.
You check the news. You scroll social media. You see another disaster. Another outrage. Another warning. Your body doesn’t know it’s just a headline. It only knows: this feels unsafe.
So you start reacting.
Shorter temper. Poor sleep. Tension in your gut. Apathy. Shut down. You think you’re just being moody. But your system is overloaded and it hasn’t had a proper “off switch” in years.
This is especially true if you’ve lived through instability before. If your childhood trained you to stay alert, to scan the room, to hold your breath — then modern life can reawaken those old patterns. Quietly. Daily.
And the cost is stacking up.
Global mental health rates are climbing. Burnout is everywhere. People are functioning, but they’re not okay.
We need a different conversation. Not about working harder. Not about “staying positive.” But about regulation. Recovery. Nervous system repair.
Trauma-informed EMDR and life coaching aren’t just for people with big trauma stories. They’re for anyone who’s running on fumes and knows this isn’t sustainable.
Working with a trauma-informed lens means slowing down. Listening to what the body’s been trying to say. No pressure. No performance. Just space to actually exhale.
If something in this article resonates, you're welcome to get in touch.
There’s no pressure to explain things perfectly and no expectation to be “ready.”
Just a calm, confidential space where you set the pace, and we take it from there.
Email: rhmindcare@protonmail.com
Call (Int’l): +44 1304 799658
