How to Stay Human While the World Is on Fire w/ Kara Hackett

We’re taking in more information than the human body was designed to process.Not just more information, but more intense information. Constantly. Rapidly. Without context or pacing.In this episode, Olivia sits down with journalist Kara Hackett to explore what it actually costs to stay informed right now and why “being informed” has quietly started to mean “taking everything in.”Together, they unpack the emotional and physiological impact of modern news consumption, the pressure to care about everything, and the reality that more information doesn’t always make us more effective, ethical, or engaged.This conversation is about finding a more sustainable way to stay connected to the world without losing your capacity to function, relate, and show up in your life.In this episode, we explore: Why the news is not neutral and how it impacts your nervous system The emotional whiplash of scrolling between light and distressing content How journalists themselves are affected by repeated exposure to traumatic material The difference between being informed and being overwhelmed Why “taking everything in” is not the same as caring How to discern what is actually yours to hold What it means to stay human in a world that feels like too muchA key reframe:Someone needs to know what’s happening.But it doesn’t have to be you. And it doesn’t have to be all of it.If you’ve been feeling overwhelmed, fatigued, or unsure how to relate to everything happening right now, this episode offers a more grounded, intentional way forward.🎙️ The Tampon Aisle is a space for honest, nuanced conversations about the body, relationships, culture, and what it means to be human right now.--Kara Hackett (she/hers) is Co-Founder of The Local Fort Wayne newsletter with her husband Michael Metzler. Their goal is to make the news more approachable, relevant, and manageable for the citizens of Fort Wayne, Indiana. Get full access to Inner Signal at thetamponaisle.substack.com/subscribe