Walk on by

and a recipe for shiitake mushroom and pork congee

I think I may be in a doomscrolling vortex.

In the early days of the pandemic, I became obsessed with Worldometers, the website that had real-time tracking of global cases, deaths, and recoveries. Every shift of numbers, ever ticking upwards, deepened my sense of impending doom. With nowhere to go, and nothing to fill my days, the yawning pit of endless news threatened to swallow me whole.

Fast forward to today and it’s beginning to feel like 2020 all over again.

I read the news today, oh boy

It starts with one troubling headline. I read it, process it, and before I’ve had a chance to step away, another piece of bad news appears. The cycle repeats—each new update reinforcing my sense of unease, keeping me scrolling, searching for more.

The world feels like it’s on fire—wars, climate disasters, political upheaval, economic instability. Our newsfeeds refresh endlessly, each new catastrophe replacing the last before we’ve even processed it. Doomscrolling is my way of trying to regain control in a world that feels increasingly unsteady.

But here’s the problem: Instead of feeling more informed, I feel more helpless.

The endless flood of distressing news doesn’t just weigh on our minds—it can ignite the body’s stress response, making it harder to disengage. Psychologists say doomscrolling only increases anxiety and stress, and can trigger physical symptoms like headaches, muscle tension, and poor sleep. “We’re not getting any messages about hope—it’s all negativity,” says Dr. Richard Mollica, a professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School.

Boy, I can attest to that.

Be where your feet are

If you are in a bad mood, go for a walk. If you are still in a bad mood, go for another walk.

—attributed to Hippocrates, Greek physician and philosopher

I don’t know if Hippocrates actually said it, but whoever did understood something essential: motion shifts emotion. Walking untangles thoughts, smooths out rough edges, and reminds us—gently but insistently—that nothing stays stuck forever.

There’s something about putting one foot in front of the other that resets the system. Maybe it’s the rhythm—the steady cadence of step after step, like a heartbeat outside of ourselves. Maybe it’s the fresh air, the way it sweeps through our lungs and takes some of the heaviness with it. Or maybe it’s the change in perspective—the simple fact that when we move, everything around us moves too.

It’s hard to stay trapped in your own head when the sky is stretching wide above you, the wind is tugging at your sleeves, a bird cuts across your path in an unbothered arc. The world keeps going, and something about that makes it easier for us to keep going too.

Next time you reach for your phone, try reaching for the door instead. It doesn’t have to be a grand hike, or some meditative pilgrimage. Just a few blocks, a loop around the park, a quiet moment outside your front door. Putting one foot in front of the other will shift something inside, while keeping us rooted right where we are.

That shift you feel? It may be your lizard brain retreating into its dark corner and letting the light of optimism shine in.

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Shiitake mushroom and pork congee

Made in Taiwan, Clarissa Wei and Ivy Chen

serves 4 to 6

Note: If you are in a rush, you can soak the dried mushrooms in boiling water for 30 minutes, but they will not be nearly as flavourful.

Ingredients

6 medium dried shiitake mushrooms

1 tablespoon small dried shrimp

1 cup (200 g) short-grain rice, also known as sushi rice

6 cups (1.4 L) bone broth or low-sodium chicken stock

¾ pound (340 g) pork tenderloin, cut into thin matchsticks

2 tablespoons soy sauce

1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil, plus more to taste

2 teaspoons Taiwanese rice wine (michiu) or cooking sake

2 tablespoons canola or soybean oil

2 teaspoons fine sea salt

½ teaspoon ground white pepper

½ cup (80 g) minced celery, for garnish

½ cup (100 g) fried shallots (store-bought or homemade) for garnish

1. Put the dried shiitake mushrooms in a medium bowl, cover with water, and soak until soft, about 1 hour (see Note). Remove the shiitake mushrooms from the bowl and squeeze out any excess water. Trim the stems and discard. Thinly slice the caps and set aside.

2. While the mushrooms are soaking, submerge the dried shrimp in water for 10 minutes. Drain the dried shrimp in a fine-mesh sieve and set aside.

3. In a large stockpot over high heat, combine the rice and the bone broth, cover, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer with the lid slightly ajar. Stir occasionally to prevent the grains from sticking to the bottom. Simmer until the congee is thick and creamy and the rice grains swell. Check the rice after 20 minutes. For a thicker consistency, simmer for an additional 20 minutes.

4. While the rice is cooking, in a small bowl, combine the pork tenderloin, soy sauce, sesame oil, and rice wine, and marinate for 15 minutes.

5. In a wok, heat the canola or soybean oil over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot and shimmering, toss in the sliced shiitakes and shrimp, and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 40 seconds. Add in the marinated pork tenderloin, and cook, stirring, until no longer pink, about 2 minutes. Turn off the heat and set the wok aside.

6. When the congee is sufficiently thick, transfer the cooked shiitakes, shrimp, and pork tenderloin into the congee pot, and give it one big stir. Set the pot over low heat and simmer everything together for an additional 5 minutes.

7. Turn off the heat, and mix in the salt and white pepper, adding more if needed. To serve, ladle some congee into a bowl, garnish with a pinch of minced celery and fried shallots, and finish with a light drizzle of sesame oil.