Feeling overwhelmed by the news? In this episode, Kelly and Nyssa unpack how to cope with bad news, negativity bias, and constant stress without totally checking out. 

They explore why our brains are wired to focus on threats, how the modern news cycle exploits that, and what happens when our stress cycles never fully complete—hello burnout, anxiety, and numbness.

With a mix of psychology, mindfulness, and real-life stories, they share practical ways to stay informed without destroying your mental health: “titrating” your news intake like strong medicine, completing the stress cycle, grounding in everyday life, and making small but powerful community connections. 

Drawing on ideas from Burnout, Four Thousand Weeks, Bare Bones Meditation, Rest Is Resistance, and Audre Lorde’s famous insight that self-care is political warfare, this conversation invites you to rethink your relationship with the news, your nervous system, and what “taking care of yourself” really means.

Main Topics Covered:

• Why your brain is so obsessed with bad news (and what “negativity bias” really means in daily life)
• How much news is “enough” before it quietly turns toxic to your nervous system
• The surprising link between unfinished stress cycles, burnout, and doomscrolling
• What ancient humans got right about stress that modern life gets totally backwards
• A simple metaphor that can change how you think about the unconscious (hint: lungs and vacuums)
• How tiny, mundane interactions—like chatting at the grocery store—protect your mental health
• The tension between wanting to stay informed and wanting to stay functional
• Why “self-care” has been co‑opted—and what Audre Lorde really pointed to as political self-preservation
• Practical ways to double down on what you can control when “the world” feels out of control
• How small, local actions and community connections quietly reshape big, broken systems

Links:

Workshops & Newsletter

• Partner Thai Massage Workshop – Sign up here
• Going Upward Newsletter – Join Nyssa’s list here

Referenced Episodes / Resources

• “Enemy Button” episode/resource

Books Mentioned

• Burnout: The Secret to Unlocking the Stress Cycle – Emily & Amelia Nagoski
• Four Thousand Weeks: Time Management for Mortals – Oliver Burkeman
• Buddha’s Brain – Rick Hanson
• Bare Bones Meditation – Joan Tollifson
• Rest Is Resistance – Tricia Hersey
• Real Self-Care – Pooja Lakshmin

Writers & Substacks

• Joan Tollifson’s Substack: https://joantollifson.substack.com/
• Polly’s Substack (on brain/consciousness): https://substack.com/@drpolly/p-185555303

Stay in Touch:

Nyssa Hanger: www.nyssahanger.com | IG: @nyssahanger

Kelly Brady: www.kellybrady.me | IG: @drkellybrady