No One Has Died — Yet the Fear Is There Every Day

There is a kind of fear that has no clear face.

No one has died.
Everyone close to you is alive.
And yet every morning you wake up with a heaviness in your chest. You go about your day, while somewhere inside there is a constant anxious hum:
What if? What if it happens again? What if tomorrow?

This is not panic.
It is an exhausting tension that lives deep inside.
The body stays alert, the heart reacts sharply to every piece of news, the soul is always listening.

This is a particular state that millions of people have found themselves in since the beginning of the full-scale war — under the weight of endless news about losses, shelling, injuries, orphans, the missing.
Even if tragedy has not touched you personally, you are still tired.
You empathize.
You feel.

Why does this happen?

Because you are a sensitive person.

And that is not a weakness.
It is the ability to notice pain when others turn away.

But sensitivity without boundaries is like an exposed nerve.
If it is not protected, it begins to wear you down from the inside.

How to preserve empathy — without burning out
1. Understand this: fear does not mean weakness

Fear is a natural response of the body, especially when you see, hear, and read so much. It does not mean you cannot cope. It means your system is signaling: support is needed.

2. Limit the flow of information

You do not need to know everything. You do not need to constantly follow the news or social media feeds. Once a day is enough. The more traumatic stories you absorb, the harder it is to stay resourced.

3. Create emotional hygiene

Just as we brush our teeth, we also need to “clean” the mind and the heart:

walks in nature

contact with living things: soil, water, plants

simple conversations with people who do not pull you down

a favorite activity that brings you back to yourself

4. Learn to set boundaries — even with other people’s pain

You can care without carrying everything.
It is okay to say: “I can’t listen to this right now, but I am with you in my heart.”

5. Build emotional resilience gradually

Resilience is not about shutting down.
It is about learning to:

breathe when the wave hits

stop consuming news when it becomes too heavy

step back from horror when your body says “enough”

It’s like training a muscle. Small steps build strength.
And that muscle is your psyche.

6. Create “points of return”

What helps you remember that you are alive?

Music?
The smell of bread?
A conversation with a friend?
A child’s drawing?

Find your points — and return to them every day.

7. Allow yourself small joys

This is not selfishness. It is fuel.

A good cup of coffee, a new book, smiling at the sun — this is not a betrayal of those who are suffering. It is a way of honoring life, the very life they are fighting for.

In conclusion

Being sensitive in a world that is screaming with pain is not easy.
It is easy to close off, to lose yourself, to burn out.

But you can choose another way.

You can take care of yourself — not instead of empathy, but for its sake.
You can remain compassionate and still be resilient.

Because strength is not in numbness.
Strength is in feeling — without burning out — and continuing to remain human.