Faith, Fatigue, and Healing: A Therapist’s Guide to Finding Peace in an Age of Outrage
- Diana S Rice
- Sep 22
- 8 min read
Liberation Lunes
Monday, September 22nd, 2025
Fatigue: The Word That Defines Our Time
Webster’s Dictionary defines fatigue as “extreme tiredness resulting from mental or physical exertion.”
That’s where so many of us are right now. Not just tired, but soul-tired. Not just weary from work, but worn down from outrage, algorithms, and the endless stream of bad news mixed with clickbait.
I’ve felt it in my own body, and I’ve seen it in my clients. The fatigue of September 10th, of funerals, of shootings, of political chaos. The fatigue of watching leaders, pastors, influencers — people we once respected — repost clips that divide instead of heal. The fatigue of trying to make sense of it all when our brains were never designed to carry the weight of the whole world in the palm of our hand.
Back in 2022, when the world felt just as heavy, I wrote a poem that feels just as true today as it did then:
Communal Conundrum Odyssey
Be aware that your soul is being sold as you blindly fall into the wormhole created by greed.
Tracking your every move as you continue to groove through the trail of this narcissistic seed.
Secretly planted on your connection journey as you eagerly wait on the red notification to get you high.
Always wondering why.
Why doesn’t anyone like my stuff?
Am I not enough?
Two hours go by in this matrix of forced-fed info from artificial intelligence.
While Big Pharma, Big Government, and Big Tech hide the evidence.
Thinking you are weak in the mind.
But Jesus, you remind.
You remind my soul.
This is the goal.
The battle is real, and we must stay focused on the Living Word inspired.
This is the spiritual war waging, and You prepare us for the slithering liar.
The liar who taunts us through airwaves.
As we isolate in our caves.
We want to be socially connected but too anxious or depressed as we grieve what once was.
This is the age of apostasy.
We are falling into ecstasy.
I am hoping to become an influencer for You!
As I strap on the helmet of salvation while grabbing your pierced hand to lift me out of this matrix of insanity.
Let me focus on the trail that leads to everlasting instead of the pressures of this vanity.
The social dilemma of this great upheaval.
For the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil.
When I read those words again this week, I realized: nothing has changed — except maybe the fatigue is deeper.
And maybe you’ve felt it too.
As a therapist, I’ve been holding this heaviness with my clients. As a woman of faith, I’ve had to sit in prayer and stillness to keep my own heart steady. And as a human, I’ve grieved when I’ve seen people I once respected share things that reveal division instead of peace.
So the question is: what do we do with this fatigue? How do we respond with wisdom instead of react with anger? And how do we move toward healing when the world keeps pulling us into outrage?
The Trap of Social Media: Why Clickbait Hurts Our Brains
Everywhere you look, Charlie Kirk’s name is trending. Short clips of debates, ripped out of context, are flying across feeds. One pastor posts them as if they are the absolute truth, while another pastor posts the opposite clip to prove their side.
This is the algorithm at work.
The Neuroscience of Clickbait
When we scroll, our brains release dopamine with every new clip. That “hit” keeps us hooked.
Outrage and fear content is rewarded by algorithms because it generates more comments, likes, and shares.
Trauma researchers like Bessel van der Kolk (The Body Keeps the Score) show how repeated exposure to violence, conflict, and divisiveness can leave the body in a constant state of fight, flight, or freeze.
Our nervous systems weren’t built to process global crises, political wars, and church drama all before breakfast.
No wonder we’re fatigued.
And here’s the hard truth: clickbait isn’t just shaping our feeds — it’s shaping our minds.
Faith and Fragmentation: Why the American Church Feels So Divided
As someone who didn’t become a Christian until age 29, I’ve seen church life from the outside and the inside. And what I see today breaks my heart.
In some churches, Jesus is painted as a blond, blue-eyed American savior.
In others, He’s reimagined to match cultural ideals.
In too many places, Scripture is used as a weapon to win debates, not a mirror to examine the heart.
No wonder so many people are deconstructing their faith. They’re exhausted by hypocrisy, denominational fights, and political agendas preached from the pulpit.
But Ecclesiastes reminds us: “There is nothing new under the sun.” Division isn’t new. Ego isn’t new. Pharisees and Sadducees argued in the same way we see culture warriors argue now.
The difference? We’re watching it play out in real time with millions of witnesses and thousands of reposts.
The Therapist’s Lens: Holding Space for the Heavy
In my practice, Through the Valley Therapy, I work with adults across Florida who are tired of holding it all together but terrified to fall apart.
Lately, what I hear in sessions sounds a lot like what I feel scrolling my feed:
- Families divided over politics.
- Friends unfollowing each other after a single post.
- Christians accused of racism if they follow certain voices, and accused of betrayal if they don’t.
- Millennials and Gen Z clients grieving church hurt and trying to rebuild their faith from scratch.
- High-functioning professionals masking deep anxiety, depression, and fatigue.
This is not just cultural. This is deeply personal.
From Reacting in Emotion to Responding in Wisdom
So how do we step out of the outrage cycle? Here’s where therapy — and faith — come together.
1. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT): Challenge the Thought
When outrage rises, pause and ask: “Where’s the evidence?”- Thought: “Everyone who disagrees with me is against me.”- Reframe: “Some people disagree, but that doesn’t mean I’m unloved or unsafe.”
2. Internal Family Systems (IFS): Name the Part
When triggered, ask: “What part of me is activated right now?”- Is it the protector that wants to lash out?- Is it the wounded child who feels unseen?- How can I respond to that part with compassion instead of shame?
For those wanting to explore more, Dr. Richard Schwartz’s No Bad Parts and IFS Self-Therapy Workbook are excellent resources.
3. The Emotional Wheel: Get Specific
Instead of saying “I’m angry,” use the emotional wheel to name the deeper layer — maybe frustration, shame, grief, or loneliness. Naming brings clarity, and clarity brings power.
4. Practice the Pause
James 1:19 reminds us: “Be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to become angry.” This isn’t just spiritual advice — it’s a nervous system reset. Pausing gives your body a chance to downshift before words or posts do more damage.
Create, Don’t Just Consume
When I fasted from social media for a full year in 2019, my brain felt different. My creativity came back. My anxiety decreased.
Instead of scrolling, I:
Wrote poetry (which eventually became my book Anima Resuscitation).
Created digital art to process and release emotions.
Spent time in nature—gardening, walking, and grounding myself outdoors.
Read books that expanded my perspective and nourished my spirit.
Journaled prayers and reflections to find clarity and peace.
And here’s the truth: you can do it too.
- Journal your emotions daily.
- Try an app like Breathly, One Minute Pause, or Lectio Divina for grounding.
- Explore art for healing — even doodles or photography can help externalize pain.
- Volunteer, donate blood, or simply show up for a neighbor.
Healing doesn’t come from consuming more — it comes from creating, connecting, and contributing.
Resources for the Journey
Here are tools I recommend for anyone navigating social media fatigue, anxiety, and faith struggles:
Books
· The Body Keeps the Score — Bessel van der Kolk
· Man’s Search for Meaning — Viktor Frankl
· No Bad Parts — Richard Schwartz
· The Four Agreements — Don Miguel Ruiz
· The Bible (in context, with community)
Apps
· Breathly (breathing)
· One Minute Pause (grounding)
· Lectio Divina (Scripture meditation)
· Insight Timer (meditation/sleep)
Podcasts & Blogs
· The Holistic Counselor Podcast — faith, mental health, and holistic healing.
· Liberation Lunes — raw reflections and faith-psychology insights.
Therapy
· For Florida residents: Through the Valley Therapy — faith-informed, evidence-based online therapy for adults navigating anxiety, depression, burnout, and religious trauma.
Conclusion: Choosing Wisdom, Choosing Peace
We can’t stop the world from posting. We can’t silence algorithms or control politicians or guarantee unity in every church.
But we can choose.
To pause.
To challenge our thoughts.
To care for the parts of us that are triggered.
To fast from what drains us and create what heals us.
To curate our algorithms
To delete social media
To point our hearts toward peace.
As a licensed therapist, I rely on evidence-based practices like CBT and IFS to guide my work. But as a follower of Christ, I also hold to the truth that He is the Prince of Peace, the Wonderful Counselor, and the Great Physician. Jesus has shown me how to remain grounded in a chaotic world, and the Bible serves as a mirror to keep me accountable—not as a weapon to harm others. When Scripture is twisted into a tool of control, that’s religion.
But a relationship with Jesus leads to freedom, humility, and healing.
My faith doesn’t exclude anyone—it’s simply the well I draw from, the source of the hope I share.
And my prayer is this: that together, we learn to respond with wisdom, compassion, and love—not outrage. Because healing doesn’t come from being right. Healing comes from being whole.
A Closing Prayer
Lord, make us instruments of Your peace. Where there is hatred, let us sow love. Where there is injury, pardon. Where there is division, unity. Teach us to be quick to listen, slow to anger, and faithful in love. Help us to lay down our egos, our outrage, and our need to be right, and instead take up the cross of humility and compassion. May we remember that as Christians, we are called to be peacemakers. Strengthen us to reflect Christ’s love in a weary and divided world. Amen.
In Service, Faith, Hope and Love,
Diana
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