When the World Feels Loud: What’s Happening Inside of You?

A lot is happening in our world right now.

• Politically and emotionally charged conversations that are on repeat.

• News articles that never sleep.

• Algorithms that seem personally committed to keeping your nervous system in a dysregulated state.

I have never heard the term “I’m fine” more in sessions or in my own personal life, but even if you’re “doing fine,” there’s a good chance something inside you is working overtime.

And from an Internal Family Systems (IFS) lens, that makes perfect sense.

You are not just one solid, consistent emotional state walking around. You are a system made up of many moving parts.

We Don’t React as One Whole — We React in Parts

When the world feels unpredictable, loud, or uncertain, different parts within us tend to step forward.

One that may worry.

One that wants to avoid everything going on.

One that feels angry.

One that feels judgement towards you taking a break from social media and difficult conversations.

And let’s be honest, one that most likely feels tired.

NONE OF THESE PARTS ARE RANDOM.

They each developed for a reason. At some point in your life, they helped you navigate something difficult. They learned strategies to try and help keep you safe.  

So, when today’s world feels even remotely similar to stress from the past, those same parts take a step forward and come back to work because they are adaptive.

The Protector Parade

IFS talks about protectors — parts that jump in to keep us safe and not feel pain.

Some protect by scanning for danger (“We need to read everything.”)
Some protect by controlling (“Let’s get productive so we don’t spiral.”)
Some protect by shutting down (“Nope. We’re done feeling today.”)
Some protect by criticizing (“If we were stronger, this wouldn’t bother us.”)

Here’s the gentle reframe:

If a part of you is loud right now, it probably believes something isn’t safe. When we look at what is happening in our environment, that belief makes sense.

Those parts are trying to help.

Even the critical one… Especially the critical one (I know… I was shocked too!!).

Why It Feels So Big

Trauma-informed work reminds us that the nervous system doesn’t just respond to what’s happening — it responds to what feels familiar.

If you’ve lived through instability, conflict, uncertainty, illness, loss, or sudden change before, your system remembers.

It doesn’t need the exact same situation to get activated.

It just needs enough similarity to say,
“Oh, I know this. I need to protect us.”

That’s why reactions can feel disproportionate to the present moment.

The Missing Piece: Self-Energy

In IFS, underneath all the parts, there is a state that is steady, calm, curious, and compassionate. This state can be hard to access, especially when parts are working hard to keep you safe in an environment they deem to be unsafe!

The goal isn’t to silence your anxious part or argue with your critical part (believe me... I have tried --- zero stars, do not recommend).

The goal is to access that steadier place inside and say:

“I see why you’re working so hard.”
“Thank you for trying to protect me.”
“We’re okay right now. We are safe.”

Even saying that internally shifts the system. You are giving your parts attention and appreciation for working so hard to protect you, because it isn’t as much about the behavior of your parts, it’s about their intent. Their intent is to keep you safe and protected from harm.

You’re Not Failing at Coping

If you’ve been more emotional lately.
More irritable.
More tired.
More sensitive.

It isn’t about you not coping effectively. You’re navigating a complex world with a nervous system that evolved to detect threat.

That’s not pathology.

That’s biology.

And biology responds beautifully to compassion (insert ah-ha moment!).

A Small Practice

The next time something feels big, try this:

Pause.
Take one slow breath.
And ask quietly inside:

“What’s happening in my body right now?”

Not to fix it.
Not to analyze it.

Just to notice and observe what comes up.

You may feel a rush. A tightness. A thought. An urge.

That’s a part.

See if you can soften toward it instead of correcting it.

You don’t need to label it perfectly.
You don’t need to solve it.

Just let it know you’re aware (e.g. “I see you and I get you are trying to protect me”).

Awareness alone changes the internal atmosphere.

We know the world will continue being loud.  

But inside you, there is room for steadiness.

There is room for compassion.

And there is wisdom in every part of you trying to navigate what is happening in the world right now.

Be gentle with your system.

Your parts are doing the best they can. 🌿

I’m rooting for you,

Bailey Charrois

Registered Provisional Psychologist