Episode 686: Living in the Light — How to Stop Doom Scrolling and Find Peace in Anxious Times

Episode 686: Living in the Light — How to Stop Doom Scrolling and Find Peace in Anxious Times

Curious about how others manage their sanity in noisy, anxious times? This episode of Busy Living Sober follows Elizabeth “Bizzy” Chance as she talks frankly about choosing light over doom and gloom, especially for those in recovery or trying to protect their peace. She starts with a story from a stormy Florida day and a sunrise the next morning: dark, ominous clouds to the north and glowing pink and purple skies to the south.

That simple contrast becomes her reminder that, as her friend Father Dan Reehil says, "we are all beings that live in the light"—yet so often drift towards the dark. Bizzy connects this to constant political ads, scary headlines, social media feeds and endless notifications that leave many feeling heavy, fearful and wired with anxiety.

Drawing on her own experiences as a mum, a woman in recovery and a person of faith, she looks back to Y2K panic to show how often the worst-case scenarios never actually happen. Instead of obsessing over what might go wrong, she leans into trusting God, daily routines like sunrise beach walks, reading the Psalms and finding quiet away from screens.

You’ll hear her chat about practical self-care: turning off notifications, limiting doom scrolling, playing silly games instead of getting lost in feeds, wearing brighter colours to lift your mood, and filling your day with things that spark genuine joy—whether that’s Christmas music in November, a mahjong group, or learning something new like a real estate course. Bizzy keeps it light, funny and very human, while still speaking directly to anyone feeling overwhelmed, sober or not.

Her message is simple: you might not control the headlines, but you can choose what you feed your mind and heart. So, what small step towards the light are you taking today?