| From Reaction to Response | Staying Informed Without Panic
I'm living between wanting to stay informed and wanting to protect my inner calm - how to find the balance?
3rd of January 2026. That was the day I wrote my first blog post about King Frederik X's New Year's Address, where grounded awareness in a world in chaos was the central theme.
Later that day, I got a WhatsApp message from my husband while I was at the supermarket:
My husband: "Trump has kidnapped Maduro and taken him to the US!"
Me: Can't be true 🤦🏻♀️🤦🏻♀️🤦🏻♀️. That's an early April Fools' joke
My husband: Unfortunately, not
(Yes, we run our household in three languages…)
I remember the train of emotions circulating in the five minutes between the first and last message:
Shock.
Disbelief.
Outrage.
Confusion.
Fear.
Yes. Fear. Precisely that which I had been campaigning against in that first blog post.
As a South American, that news hit quite hard. As a Dane — I got my Danish citizenship about six years ago — and given the current global circumstances, the hit was even more intense.
We, common citizens of the world, feel, at best, indifferent, and at worst, like victims of global events presented by mainstream media — each served with a generous portion of worst-case scenarios as side dishes, spiced with conflict and paired with a glass of uncertainty.
Dinner is served!
"As a South American, that news hit quite hard.
As a Dane — I got my Danish citizenship about six years ago — and given the current global circumstances, the hit was even more intense."
But what if we do have a role to play?
What if we do have influence over the drama being played out on the global stage?
I feel King Frederik X, in his New Year's Address, came up with one very good idea of what our role could be in these muddy times: understanding the difference between awareness and panic.
I once heard that we, as humans, are able to witness an emotion from a neutral place for up to 45 seconds. Hold the emotion past that time and you'll get sucked into it, losing your observer position.
Now, think about it… We haven't just been exposed to negative emotions for more than 45 seconds — most of us have been marinated and macerated in them for years, lifetimes, or even generations.
These negative emotions are enhanced not only by current events, but to a great degree by the way the news presents them, triggering fight, flight, freeze, or fawn responses — unconscious choices, deeply rooted reactions that help us cope by altering behavior in order to stay safe.
But have you ever thought about the space that exists between becoming aware of a threat and reacting to it?
If a tiger is chasing you, you'd better assume that space is non-existent (run for your life!🏃🏽♀️🏃🏽♂️🐅). However, for most of us reading these lines right now, the threats relayed by the news are — luckily! — not immediate.
The non-immediacy of the threat is the key. The gold lies in the liminal space between acknowledging the threat and responding to it — that space is the lifesaver we can grab to get out of the whirlpool. This is where grounded awareness begins.
This connective space between what is happening and how we react to it shrinks when we are not timing, pacing, and being intentional about our informational "diet."
And here I want to share a small tip that has shifted things for me: when I am aware of the existence of this space, I can choose how and when to consume news. With this realization, I also become aware that I have a choice about what to welcome into my space, which results in a transformation not only of this liminal space, but of one of its limits: reaction becomes response.
This is what King Frederik referred to in one of the quotes I commented on in my first blog post:
"The skill lies in staying informed without allowing fear to dominate our lives."
And this is also the resource that helped me process the shocking news that arrived in that brief WhatsApp message from my husband.
That day, I decided to walk back home in the snow instead of taking the metro. Walking helped me process the complexity of the news I had just received. The movement of my body, the sound and rhythm of my steps on the snow, created a clear contrast to the speed at which I receive information from all possible sources — sometimes almost before things even happen.
Body movement creates space for reflection. As we walk, places become containers for difficult thoughts — all at a human scale.
Exploring how to create a different relationship between yourself and the world around you is part of the Insightseeing™ way of approaching travel and everyday life. Cultural insights and mindful reflections, for visitors and locals alike, are the backbone of this philosophy.
Walking as a practice can be a way to digest information. And if you live in Copenhagen or are visiting the city, I'd like to remind you of my self-guided walking audiotours, or Audio Insightseeings™.
They can be the factor that unlocks awareness of that liminal space between trigger and response.
They help you exercise your curiosity and wonder muscle.
They are the perfect activity for processing big emotions, overwhelming news, or simply exploring more of your inner landscapes through cultural insights.
Fear doesn't have to get the final word.
Reflection, reformulation, and resilience are integral parts of our human blueprint. Let's use them more often.
The gold lies in the liminal space between acknowledging the threat and responding to it — that space is the lifesaver we can grab to get out of the whirlpool. This is where grounded awareness begins.
- ...liminal spaces are transitional or transformative spaces? They are the waiting areas between one point in time and space and the next. (Source: betterhelp.com)
- ...research shows moderate walking can reduce stress hormones like cortisol while increasing cognitive clarity?
- ... the concept of "grounded awareness" is often linked to practices that combine attention, embodiment, and movement — not just mindfulness in stillness?
In a nutshell...
How can I stay informed without feeling overwhelmed by the news?
Staying informed doesn't require constant or in depth exposure. Timing, pacing, and intention matter. Here's what I do: I have subscribed to a free email newsletter of a newspaper I trust, so I just get the headings of the news. In this way I'm able to know what is going on in the world, and have the option to research deeper the topics I actually need to know about, without getting myself too involved in all the fear the news generate.
Why does walking help process difficult news or emotions?
Walking engages the body, slows the nervous system, and creates rhythm. This physical movement helps transform emotional reactions into reflective responses, making space for clarity. It doesn't need to be an extensive walk, nor is it something that has to happen every day. Just try to integrate this practice in your weekly routine, making sure you disconnect from distractions -aka your mobile- when you are at it.