Tools for a Turbulent Time: Leading with Calm in the Midst of Chaos

Finding peace amidst the social media clamor: strategies for stress management.

Social media can easily become a firestorm of volatility, causing emotions to run high and exhaustion to follow. In moments like these, it’s easy to get swept up in the chaos. It takes milliseconds for the brain to react to a single image, one headline, or the first few lines of a post. The emotional trigger can happen FAST, which is why it is so important to know how to self-regulate and appreciate the beauty in the pause.

Here’s the question I invite you to consider:

What kind of leader/human do you want to be?

Whether you’re leading a company, a family, or a community, your ability to stay grounded in turbulent times shapes the culture around you.

I practice self-regulation on a daily basis and was triggered by someone's reaction to recent events. Here I was, planning on heading straight over to my private Facebook group of achievers to post something positive, when my mind caught on an image and one sentence. In a blink of an eye, I felt an array of anger, sadness, shock, and back to anger again... all in a matter of seconds! I also wanted to fire back with my thoughts.

But I didn't. Why?

Because it wouldn't have done any good and would have caused more turmoil within me. Responding would have caused way more stress to me, losing productivity, and putting my headspace in the wrong place.

Instead, I paused and did the following self-regulation steps.

The result?

I felt calmer, enlightened, and empowered to lean into the kind of leader, doctor, and healer I'm designed to be.

Here are the tools to find your own peace within the chaos:

Step One: Observe How You Feel

When something online, in the news, or in a conversation triggers you, pause. Take a moment to simply notice what you’re feeling. Are you angry, anxious, hurt, indifferent?

Naming your emotions is the first step toward managing them.

Step Two: Hold Space for Your Feelings

Before you react—before you post, respond, or let frustration spill into the room—give yourself a moment to unplug completely. Step away from the screen, silence the noise, and let yourself feel what you feel.

Processing emotions privately allows you to respond with intention rather than react out of impulse.

Step Three: Ask the Bigger Question

Once you’ve grounded yourself, ask the following questions:

What kind of leader do I want to be—in my company, my family, and my community?

What kind of difference do I want to make with the strengths and tools I have?

Do you want to add fuel to the fire? Or do you want to offer solutions, hope, unity, and peace?

In leadership, you will always encounter a wide range of opinions, perspectives, and emotions. The true challenge is not in controlling them—it’s in holding space for them while creating a foundation of unity.

The Choice is Yours

Every moment of turbulence is an invitation to lead differently. To choose presence over panic. To model empathy and understanding, instead of division. To build strength not through control, but through compassion.

This isn’t easy work. But it is the work of leadership.

The next time the world feels volatile, remember: the way you respond sets the tone for those around you. It also sets the stage for your own well-being.

👉 So, as you are engaging with the online world, ask yourself- how is the making me feel?

Unplug to process and then choose to act in alignment with your purpose.

In calmness,

Dr. Lexi Lain