Like a lot of you, I have been rather glued to the events of the past number of weeks – consumed by natural and man-made disasters. On occasion, I have shed tears. I have experienced feelings of frustration, anger, sadness, grief, bewilderment, confusion – to name a few. As a consumer of local, national and international news, I am unfortunately aware that there is no shortage of bad news circulating. There just doesn’t seem to be any kind of break from the 24/7 news cycle, and with social media and cable news outlets streaming into our devices with horrific story after horrific story, it seems impossible to get away from it.
These feelings can lead us to our go-to coping strategies, if at all. Some people cope by using substances (drugs or alcohol) or engaging in a variety of addictive behaviors (shopping, gambling, gaming, etc.) that provide a brief period of pleasure and distraction from these difficult emotions but ultimately make us feel worse. Some people try to carry on with their regular day-to-day activities and put those stories to the side. These strategies may work for now but what happens when the next event happens or the one after that or the one after that? One of the sure things in life is that we will all experience times of stress and adversity.
If bad news happens all the time, then why do I need to worry about “coping”?
The answer is going to be unique for each of us. Stress and anxiety have proven impacts on a person’s mental, emotional and physical health.
Some of these impacts include, but aren’t limited to, the following: headache, chest pain, fatigue, sleep problems, stomach upset, muscle pain, restlessness, lack of motivation/focus, feeling overwhelmed, irritability/anger, sadness/depression, changes in eating, drug/alcohol abuse, social withdrawal, exercising less.
So, yes, watching bad news on your news feed or your television can have an impact. Watching bad news can increase the stress hormones in the body just as if you are right there in the middle of it. There is nothing inherently “bad” about stress but if you are inundated with these stories as you sit glued to your device, there is no opportunity for the body to “recover”.
Some of the ways to take care of yourself include the following:
- Take a social media/news break. Find ways to reduce your exposure to the 24/7 news cycle. The ideal would be to turn off the devices for a period of time – a few hours to a few days. Since I am a realist, I can acknowledge that this will be quite difficult for a lot of folks. This is another blog topic! I am just as guilty of mindlessly reaching for my phone to check my social media so I attempt to interrupt that process by moving my phone out of reach or limiting screen time. This then leads me to the next strategy.
- Meditate. If the news is especially horrific, I will engage in a Metta (or lovingkindness) meditation. There are some different versions of this found on the Insight Timer app (or any other app of your choice) or YouTube. This usually leaves me in tears but my heart remains open for compassion for myself and others. Sometimes our instinct is to shut ourselves off and remove ourselves from being with other people. This, in turn, leads me to another strategy.
- Connect with family, loved ones and/or friends. I have a group of people in my life who I can call if I want to “vent”. We hug each other, go for walks, go for coffee, just hang out. This keeps me connected to the world and humanity but in a positive, prosocial context.
- Physical activity. As I noted above, I like to go for walks – sometimes alone and sometimes with a friend. This is also part of my mindfulness/meditation routine. I am lucky enough to live close to several large parks and outdoor spaces so I take full advantage of this free stress reliever. If you don’t have a park close by, try some walking in your neighborhood or heading to your local gym. The physical activity activates the release of hormones that can help elevate our mood and provide some calm in the storm.
- Engage in a hobby. This can be anything that brings you some enjoyment: gardening, listening to music, watching comedies (laughter truly is healing), dancing, tinkering with your car, photography, etc.
Self-care is an important part of our daily regimen and, in a lot of ways, the one thing we put on the bottom of the list. It is time to put yourself at the top of the list so that you can be your best and most authentic self when someone needs to lean on you for support.
For more information on how I can support you to find ways to manage stress and anxiety in your life on a long-term basis, contact me for a free 30-minute telephone consultation.