For many in the UAE, recent days have felt unsettling, with a sense of uncertainty lingering even as life in Dubai continues. Constant news alerts, warning routines, and nearby conflicts can make your chest tighten and your mind race – this is a normal response to stressful times.
For some, this may be the first time global conflict has felt real enough to brush against daily life. For others – particularly those who have experienced instability or displacement before – the headlines, sounds, and after-effects can stir up old memories and emotions they thought were long behind them.
At the same time, the experience of watching events unfold publicly adds another layer of complexity. Social media is filled with opinions, commentary and reactions from around the world. Some voices express sympathy, others offer advice about how people in the region should feel, and more than occasionally there are comments that seem strangely satisfied at seeing a place like Dubai affected by regional tension.
Navigating those outside perspectives can be difficult. When devastation is happening across parts of the region, comparisons about whose fear is “valid enough” can feel confusing. Emotions don’t work that way. In moments like these, the healthiest approach is to allow yourself – and those around you – to feel what you feel without judgment.
Through all of those emotions and mental battles, there is also relief, even gratitude. The UAE has acted decisively to protect its people, and recent events have shown both residents and visitors just how much safety is prioritised. Feeling thankful for that protection does not cancel out anxiety. Both emotions can exist side by side, and that is completely normal.
According to Devika Mankani, resident psychologist at The Hundred Wellness Centre, anxiety often begins in the body before we even recognise it in our thoughts.
“Anxiety often begins subtly in the body before we fully recognize it in the mind,” she explains. “Early signs may include difficulty sleeping, waking up repeatedly to check the news, a tight feeling in the chest or stomach, irritability, or racing thoughts that keep looping through ‘what if’ scenarios.”
Physically, the body can shift into a mild fight-or-flight response. “People may notice shallow breathing, headaches, jaw tension, or digestive discomfort,” Mankani says.
Even small everyday routines can start to feel different when stress levels rise. You might notice yourself checking the news more often than usual, rereading messages, fixating on something that normally wouldn’t bother you, or feeling more irritable at small things during the day.
These reactions aren’t a weakness. They’re your mind and body responding to instability and heightened awareness.
When alerts trigger anxiety
One particularly unique experience for many residents has been the emergency alert systems on smartphones. The UAE’s alert system is widely praised for its efficiency and clarity, delivering immediate instructions when necessary. Knowing that these systems exist can be reassuring.
But the sound itself – sudden, loud and impossible to ignore – can still be startling.
When a phone erupts with that sharp alert tone, it naturally triggers the body’s threat detection system. Even if the message that follows provides reassurance, the first reaction can be a spike in adrenaline: a quickened heartbeat, a rush of thoughts, a moment of fear.
That response is completely natural. Our brains are wired to react quickly to unexpected signals that might indicate danger.
Regulating the nervous system
When anxiety starts to rise, Mankani says the most helpful first step is not to argue with the thoughts in your head, but to calm the body itself.
“The most helpful step at the earliest stage is to regulate the nervous system rather than trying to ‘think away’ the anxiety,” she explains.
One of the simplest techniques is controlled breathing.
“A simple intervention is slow breathing, especially extending the exhale. For example, inhale for four seconds and exhale for six. Longer exhalations activate the parasympathetic nervous system, which tells the body it is safe.”
Even a minute or two of focused breathing can begin to settle the physical stress response. Stepping outside, stretching, or simply sitting in sunlight can also help reset the nervous system.
“The nervous system settles faster when we shift attention from threat monitoring back into the physical world around us,” Mankani says.
Feeling your feet on the ground, noticing the sun on your skin, or taking a short walk can bring attention back to the present moment. Gratitude can also play a powerful role here. Even if that gratitude is linked to fear – such as feeling thankful for safety – it still helps shift the mind toward a calmer emotional state.
Organising anxious thoughts
When stress is high, the brain tends to mix facts, worries and imagined scenarios together. That mental clutter can make situations feel more overwhelming than they are.
To create clarity, Mankani recommends a simple exercise known as the three-column method.
“When the mind is under stress it tends to blur together worries, facts, and imagined scenarios. Structuring thoughts can reduce this cognitive overload,” she says.
Write down three headings:
- What I know for sure
- What I am worried might happen
- What I can actually do today
“This separates reality from speculation and restores a sense of agency,” she explains.
Even taking five minutes to write your thoughts down can help. “The brain perceives that the information has been safely stored,” Mankani says, which can reduce stress hormones and repetitive thinking.
Another helpful technique is what psychologists call “mental parking”.
“When a worry appears, acknowledge it and write it down for a ‘worry time’ later in the day,” she explains. “Research shows that scheduling worry actually reduces rumination because the brain no longer feels it must constantly rehearse the problem.”
Staying informed without being overwhelmed
In uncertain times, it’s natural to want to stay informed, staying aware of official updates is very important for safety. But constant news exposure can keep the brain locked in a state of alert.
“Our brains evolved to monitor threats, so continuous news exposure can keep the nervous system in a state of alert,” Mankani says.
A healthier approach is to structure when and how you consume information. “Time outdoors, conversations with friends, music, prayer or meditation all signal safety to the brain and prevent chronic stress activation,” she explains.
“Choose one or two trusted news sources and check updates at a specific time, for example once in the morning and once in the evening. Outside those windows, avoid scrolling headlines or social media speculation.” With that said the government alert on the phone is essential, so keep the phone with you as much as possible.
The role of routine
For men living alone especially, routine can become one of the strongest stabilisers during uncertain periods.
“Routine is one of the most powerful stabilisers for the nervous system,” Mankani says.
Small daily tasks or plans – stepping outside for sunlight in the morning, eating regular meals, taking a walk, dimming lights in the evening – all send a signal to the body that life remains manageable.
“These small rhythms tell the body that life remains predictable and manageable even during uncertainty.”
Even with routines and healthy habits in place, moments of fear can still appear unexpectedly. In those moments, grounding techniques can help bring the mind back to the present.
One method is the 5-4-3-2-1 grounding exercise:
Notice
- 5 things you can see
- 4 things you can feel
- 3 things you can hear
- 2 things you can smell
- 1 thing you can taste
“This pulls the brain out of imagined future threats and back into the present moment,” Mankani says.
Another powerful tool is something called the physiological sigh. “Take two short inhales through the nose followed by a slow exhale through the mouth. Repeating this for one minute quickly reduces stress signals in the brain.”
Allowing emotions to move through
Strong emotions such as fear, frustration or anger are common during these times. The goal isn’t to suppress those feelings, but to allow them to move through the body in healthy ways.
“Strong emotions are signals that something important is happening in our internal world,” Mankani explains. Healthy outlets might include journaling, exercise, speaking openly with a trusted friend, or creative expression.
“Research shows that naming emotions – simply saying ‘I feel scared’ or ‘I feel angry’ – reduces activity in the brain’s emotional centres and increases regulation.” Sometimes, constructive distraction can also help reset the nervous system. “Activities such as cooking, walking while listening to music or a podcast, organising a small area of your home, or even drawing can shift the brain away from constant threat monitoring,” she says.
The goal isn’t to ignore what’s happening in the world, but to create moments where the mind can recover.
Because even in times of the unknown, the most powerful thing we can do is bring our attention back to what is steady, present, and within our control.
