If you’ve ever wondered “Why does my anxiety get worse at night?”, you’re not imagining it, and you’re certainly not alone. There are clear psychological and biological reasons this happens.

For many young adults, climate change isn’t an abstract future problem. It’s a constant background presence. It shows up in news alerts, social media feeds, conversations about housing, family, finances, and the future. For some, it brings a steady hum of unease. For others, it becomes overwhelming.

“Quiet Quitting” is often framed as a lack of motivation or commitment at work. A sign that people no longer care. A generational problem. A productivity issue.

But psychology tells a different story.

Scrolling through social media can feel strangely destabilising. one minute you’re relaxed, the next you’re comparing your life, body, career, parenting, productivity or relationships to people you barely know… and somehow coming up short.

You replay conversations long after they end.

You analyse what you said, what they said, what they might have meant.

You run through every possible outcome, scenario, or consequence, even when nothing is actually wrong.

There’s a kind of struggle that doesn’t look like struggle from the outside.

You get through the day. You show up. You’re functioning.

But inside, there’s… nothing.

You know the feeling.

You’re going about your day; making coffee, commuting, replying to emails, when suddenly your chest feels tight, your stomach drops, or your mind jolts into worry mode.

We often hear advice like “You just need to move on” or “Just let it go.”

It’s well-meaning, but it misses something essential: healing isn’t about erasing the past, it’s about making peace with it.

Many of us can look perfectly fine on the outside - we get up, go to work, keep friendships ticking over, even laugh and plan holidays.

We've become masters at suppressing our negative emotions, donning a brave face, and soldiering on with our day. But in doing so, have we missed valuable lessons?

In today's fast-paced world, it's crucial to focus on our mental well-being just as we do with our physical health. One powerful tool for achieving this balance is mindfulness.

Usually, they work pretty well together - each responsible for their own tasks, but working together like a well-oiled team.

However, sometimes one part of the brain will take over, shutting out the other parts for the time being.

In a time when everything is felt so intensely - the grief, the fear, the sadness, the connection - it can be easy to be led by our emotions and our inner monologues. However, being led by our thoughts and emotions can lead us to feel quite unstable - think about how often your emotions change throughout the day. We are trying to adapt to this new lifestyle, and wondering what is the best way of doing this.

You know that feeling when you are working on something important and trying to focus, but you find yourself picking up your phone and starting to scroll through social media. You then berate yourself; “For goodness sake, why am I so easily distracted. So stupid. I need to focus and get this done.” Well, this is the opposite of a gentle, nurturing lens.