When the news feels bleak, it helps to focus on what we can control, small things that truly matter – our health, relationships, and community. 

If you’ve lived in D.C. for any length of time, you know that navigating government shutdowns take a toll—not just on paychecks, but on moods, routines, and the sense of stability we crave as parents. This season feels especially heavy. Conversations with friends and colleagues keep circling back to the same question: What can we even do when so much feels out of our control?

The answer isn’t easy, but it can be grounding when we focus on what we can control—the things right in front of us that bring steadiness and meaning.

When the news feels bleak, here are a few places to anchor your energy—simple ways to care for yourself, your loved ones, and our community. These ideas apply in any season, but especially when navigating government shutdowns or other challenges that feel heavy or take a toll.

Care for Your Health

For me, daily walks have become my go-to reset. Sometimes I invite a friend with a simple, “let’s walk and talk!” Moving my body while connecting with someone I care about gives me an instant dopamine boost.

Sleep is another one. I notice a huge difference in my mood and outlook when I get to bed early. Waking up rested makes it so much easier to approach the day with a clear head and a little more hope.

Your version of this might look different—whether it’s stretching in the morning, hydrating before coffee, or taking a few deep breaths while waiting in the school pick-up line. These small practices are one way to focus on what we can control when so much else feels uncertain.

Nurture Relationships

Shutdowns remind us how much we need each other. Even small gestures matter.

• Send a “thinking of you” text to a friend you haven’t seen in a while.
• Plan a family game night or cozy dinner at home—anchors of joy for your kids amidst the heaviness.
• Check in with a neighbor or parent at school who may be directly impacted by the shutdown.

Support Your Community

One of the fastest ways to move from powerless to purposeful is to help someone else.

• Donate pantry staples to local food banks or community fridges (demand often rises during shutdowns).
• If you’re a professional who can, offer pro bono services—resume help, tutoring, or childcare swaps can make a real difference.
• Shop small: order from local restaurants, visit neighborhood shops, or support makers at weekend markets. Every dollar helps sustain our local economy.

Reframe Your Perspective

We can’t control the shutdown—or tomorrow’s headlines. But we can control how we show up each day. When I feel the swirl of uncertainty, I return to a simple affirmation:

“I may not control the news, but I can control the peace, love, and kindness I bring into my home and community today.”

It doesn’t erase the bigger challenges, but it reminds me that even in bleak times, hope is built choice by choice, action by action.

And that’s something we can control.