Collective Numbing & Politics

How We Check Out (and How We Come Back)

When the noise gets too loud, our nervous system does what it knows best — it shuts down. Numbing is a trauma response. It’s how the body says, “this is too much right now.” And it makes sense. The chaos of politics, the endless news cycle, the lies, the gaslighting, the constant fighting — it’s enough to make anyone’s system want to hit pause.

The problem isn’t that we numb. The problem is when we get stuck there. When we stay checked out, we forget our power. We start to believe nothing will ever change. We turn away from the world because it feels too painful to face, and in doing so, we abandon ourselves.

I’ve done it too. There were times when I couldn’t handle one more headline or one more disappointment. I tuned out because I didn’t know how to stay present without drowning in it all. But numbing doesn’t bring peace. It only delays the pain and feeds the belief that we’re powerless.

What helps us come back is remembering that numbness is not who we are — it’s simply a state our body goes into when it needs protection. Once we can see that with compassion, we can take a breath, put our feet on the ground, and come home to ourselves again.

This is why the Four Bodies matter. When you’re emotionally overwhelmed, your Emotional Body needs witnessing, not shame. When your Physical Body feels tight and braced, it needs presence and grounding. When your Energetic Body feels invaded, it needs boundaries and protection. And when your Spiritual Body feels cut off, it needs to remember that Source, God, the Divine has never left your side.

Coming back from numbness isn’t about pushing harder — it’s about gently choosing to re-enter your life. It might look like turning off the news and stepping outside to breathe. It might look like sitting beside a horse and letting your nervous system borrow theirs for a while. Horses don’t numb. They’re always present. And being with them reminds us how to be present too.

The world doesn’t need us to carry it all. It needs us awake, grounded, and willing to take the next right step. One step, one breath, one choice at a time. That’s how we come back. That’s how we heal. And that’s how we create change — both in our own lives and in the world around us.

Huge Love,
Jennifer Malocha