The government’s ‘Be Ready’ campaign asks households to prepare for three days of disruption. Sensible advice, but for some people a vague ‘what if’ can switch a background worry up to something very loud. A counsellor’s look at emergency preparedness anxiety: why unspecific warnings feel bigger, how to tell preparing from living on edge, what research says about feeling capable, and who finds this hardest.

Conversations about wellbeing are changing. What once centred on resilience, productivity, and “pushing through” is giving way to something slower, more reflective, and (possibly) more human. As we enter 2026, many people are sensing that old approaches to wellbeing are no longer enough — not because they failed, but because the context has changed. Rising levels of stress, digital overload, overwhelming world events, economic uncertainty, and emotional fatigue have left many