That Numb Feeling Has a Name

If you’ve been scrolling through headlines lately and felt the urge to look away—maybe feeling numb, burned out or like the world’s problems are just too much—you’re not alone. Every day, we’re inundated with bad news about climate disasters, political chaos, hate, racism, and escalating wars. Many of us are genuinely invested in these issues, but with so much pain on display, caring starts to overwhelm. This numb feeling has a name: empathic distress and recent research is helping us understand what’s going on inside.

Psychologist and neuroscientist Tania Singer led a study titled Empathy and Compassion, revealing why our reactions to others’ pain can be so intense—and how this emotional response can backfire. Her research explains that there are different ways to respond to suffering. Empathy, on the one hand, means feeling with someone else—immersing yourself in their pain as if it were your own. Compassion, on the other hand, involves feeling for someone, which creates a sense of kindness and care without dragging us down into emotional quicksand. The problem is that empathy, when taken to the extreme, can leave us burned out, drained and, yes, numb.

Empathic distress kicks in when we absorb so much of others’ suffering that we feel helpless or exhausted, and our natural response is to shut down to protect ourselves. You could also describe this by saying we become emotionally paralyzed.

The reality is that we’re all wired to care, but we’re not wired to handle a constant deluge of pain. Our nervous systems weren’t designed to absorb every crisis happening worldwide, all the time. As a therapist, I see this playing out with my clients and, honestly, in myself. Many of us are compassionate people who want to make a difference. But the sheer amount of global suffering often feels too big to manage, and feeling “checked out” or emotionally unavailable becomes almost a survival response. So how do we hold onto our caring hearts without burning out? Here are a few ways to move from empathic distress to a healthier kind of compassion:

1. Move Toward Compassion Over Empathy
   Singer’s study suggests that practicing compassion (feeling for others rather than with them) lets us stay connected without drowning in their pain. Imagine sitting with a friend who’s going through a hard time, we all have one. Instead of feeling their pain as your own, you offer support from a place of kindness, without taking on their emotional weight. Compassion creates a buffer, allowing us to show up without getting sucked into a cycle of distress.

2. Take a Break from News and Social Media
   It’s easy to feel like we need to stay informed 24/7, but constant exposure to every crisis can be damaging. Taking intentional breaks doesn’t make you uncaring or misinformed; it helps you stay mentally grounded and emotionally available. Unplugging from time to time is a way to protect your capacity to care deeply when it matters most.

3. Start Local
   Focusing on global crises can make us feel tiny and powerless. Channeling your energy into community projects, local advocacy, or simply lending a hand to people in your circle gives a renewed sense of agency. Small, tangible actions in your own world can cut through numbness, reminding you that change—no matter how small—is possible.

4. Be Kind to Yourself
   Feeling numb or disconnected is not a sign of weakness. It’s your brain’s way of saying, “Too much.” Practicing self-compassion means acknowledging that there are limits to what you can take on. Sometimes, the most compassionate thing you can do is offer yourself the grace to step back.

5. Stay Present
   When the world feels heavy, grounding yourself in the present can be a powerful antidote. Taking time for a walk, tuning into your breath or just appreciating a moment of calm can re-center you. Mindfulness keeps us connected to the world we’re actually living in, and a sense of calm lets us move through each day with purpose and resilience.

We’re in uncharted territory, facing a constant flow of crises that are almost impossible to process in real-time. But feeling numb doesn’t mean we’re indifferent or apathetic. It just means we’re reaching our emotional limits. And there’s a lot of that going around these days.

Recognizing empathic distress as a real thing lets us understand ourselves with a little more compassion. It gives us permission to care deeply without constantly carrying the world on our shoulders.