You wake up, roll over, and grab your phone. You scroll through missed texts, peek at Instagram, then get sucked into the group chat rabbit hole. News apps say the world’s on fire and possibly ending. Again.
Before your feet even hit the floor, your whole body as well as your brain is weary of what the day holds.
You haven’t done a single thing, but somehow, you already feel tired and behind. Overstimulated. Anxious. Maybe even a bit numb.
Here’s the thing — you’re not broken. Your brain just wasn’t built to handle this much noise first thing in the morning.
Every day, we get slammed with way more information than we can possibly process. Not just the news itself — but everyone’s takes, memes, debates, reposts, and endless outrage. It’s really endless.
We don’t just read the headlines anymore. We’re expected to react instantly, even before the coffee kicks in. It’s not just tiring. It’s actually changing us.
We used to think living in the “information age” was great. But what happens when there’s simply too much? Trying to keep up starts to feel like a job that never ends — and certainly doesn’t pay the bills.
Our brains can’t handle 100 opinions in a single scroll. But that’s exactly what the feed demands. It wants us to care — deeply — about a war, a celebrity scandal, a natural disaster, and a trending meme, all at the same time.
So, no wonder we’re exhausted. No wonder we can’t focus. No wonder we can’t tell if we’re burned out or numb.
There’s actually a word for this: overchoice. It happens when we’re hit with too many decisions or too much input at once. Instead of sharpening our focus, our brains lock up.
The result? We care about everything and nothing all at once. And here’s the bigger issue: this isn’t only about focus. It’s literally rewiring how our brains work.
Dr. Caroline Leaf, a neuroscientist and Christian author (Switch On Your Brain: The Key to Peak Happiness, Thinking, and Health) and podcaster, puts it this way: “Consuming bad news all day activates the brain’s stress circuits. But intentional mental rest—like prayer, silence, or Scripture meditation—can help rewire those neural pathways. Your mind isn’t passive. It changes in response to what you give your attention to.”
That’s a big deal. We’re not just reacting to what we see — we’re being shaped by it.
Your feed isn’t just showing you the world. It’s choosing what you see, what you care about, and how long you care. Which means it’s shaping who you’re becoming.
That’s not just a mental health thing. It’s spiritual too.
We weren’t made for this constant noise. We were made for depth, reflection, and real community — not endless alerts and chaotic scrolling. Yet we fill every pause with something: podcasts in the car, videos while brushing our teeth. Silence used to be normal. Now it feels odd.
In the silence, things get clearer. Convictions find their voice. And yes — it’s where God still speaks to us.
Theologian James K.A. Smith says, “We are formed not just by our beliefs, but by what we pay attention to.”
So the answer isn’t to move to the woods and throw your phone in the nearest river. But there are some personal strategies that could work. Maybe check the news once a day instead of all day. Mute or unfollow accounts that spike your anxiety. Delete apps that leave you feeling worse. Go for a walk without headphones. Sit quietly, not to be productive, but just to breathe.
Give your soul some space to remember it’s still alive. This isn’t about escaping. It’s about reconnecting. Your brain can’t hold the weight of the world. You don’t have to know everything. That’s God’s job, not yours.
Sometimes, stepping back is actually the most caring thing you can do. Not because you don’t care, but because you want to care better.
