When the World Hurts, How Do We Keep Showing Up?

It feels impossible some days to write something “business-related,” to hit publish on a post, to care about marketing metrics while the world reels.

When the headlines carry actions and decisions that ripple across borders, it’s more than a passing discomfort - it can feel like grief. Like helplessness. Like something heavy landing right in the middle of your Monday morning to-do list.

How do we stay grounded in business when everything around us feels anything but?

The Myth of Compartmentalization

For a long time, we were taught to draw a line between our professional and personal selves.
But that line doesn’t hold anymore, not when the pain is this global, this human, this heavy.

We feel what’s happening to our neighbors, to our friends overseas, to communities we may never meet but deeply care about.

The truth is:
We are not separate from the world we’re trying to do business in.
And pretending we are doesn’t make us more professional. It just makes us more numb.

Why This Feels So Hard (And Why That’s OK)

If you're struggling to post, to promote, to push through right now — it’s not because you’re unproductive.
It’s because you’re paying attention.

This moment is asking a lot of us. To lead, to listen, to stay informed, to speak up and still somehow meet deadlines, manage clients, run teams, and grow businesses.

No wonder it feels overwhelming.
No wonder the urge to disconnect completely is real.

But this isn’t about choosing between your work or your values. It’s about learning to hold both with integrity and care.

What Showing Up Can Look Like (Even Now)

There’s no perfect playbook. But here’s what I’m practicing, and what I’ve seen work with the people and brands I trust most:

1. Take intentional pauses.
You don’t owe the internet constant visibility. You owe yourself space to process, think, and reset. Pausing is not the same as disengaging. It’s creating room for discernment.

2. Lead with clarity and conscience.
If you’re going to speak, be clear on why and for whom. Performative statements do more harm than silence. But silence out of fear can breed disconnection. Lead from your values, not your reaction.

3. Let your humanity guide your voice.
You’re not a content robot. You’re a person navigating a painful moment. If your tone shifts, let it. If your message softens, let it. That’s not weakness, it’s resonance.

4. Remember that service is still a form of solidarity.
Sometimes helping your clients move forward is a meaningful way to contribute, especially if you're doing it with care, clarity, and compassion.

It’s Not Business As Usual — It’s Business In the World

We don’t get to control the headlines.
But we do get to control how we respond and how we show up for the people who trust us.

Maybe that means rewriting the post.
Maybe it means shelving the campaign.
Maybe it means asking, "Is this helpful? Or just loud?"

But maybe it also means choosing to keep going imperfectly, intentionally, and with your heart intact.

If you’re feeling the weight of this moment, you’re not alone.
You can lead with both purpose and presence.
You can do meaningful work without ignoring the world around you.
You can keep showing up — even when it’s hard.

And that, in itself, is a form of courage.