How do you keep from spiraling when the news feels unreal?

I try to separate what can be checked from what is being inferred. An image may be real as an image, for example, without proving the story someone attaches to it. For a bigger claim, look for specific evidence and independent confirmation. If all the pieces depend on each other being true, that is a reason to slow down, not a reason to assume they form a pattern.

Sometimes the most useful step is to get out of the stream of updates for a while. Pick a couple of times to check the news, then do something offline. Constant exposure can leave anyone keyed up, and feeling overwhelmed is not evidence that there is a coordinated plan behind the headlines.

There are real reasons to criticize government decisions, media coverage, and the way new technology is used. But a claim that all of it is deliberately meant to make people lose touch with reality needs evidence of its own. I would keep the criticism specific, ask what would change my mind, and avoid treating a string of unsettling events as proof of one hidden cause.

If the worry starts interfering with sleep or daily life, it may help to talk it through with someone grounded and trustworthy, or with a mental health professional.