How to cope with hard global events
Right now, the world can feel a bit dark, dreary and hopeless. If you’ve been feeling more out of sorts than usual, you’re not alone. With the 24/7 news cycle and real-time streaming of horrific global events, we are regularly impacted by vicarious trauma. So how do we cope when the world feels like it’s going to hell in a hand-basket?
1. Know that it’s normal to currently feel not OK.
You might currently be feeling overwhelmed, depressed, sad, angry, enraged or numb. It is OK to be feeling this way, and also can show you’ve got empathy for other people’s circumstances. It’s important to make sure you validate your feelings and actually feel them, despite the discomfort. While these feelings are normal, and are uncomfortable, it’s more important what you do with them.
2. Balance being informed with being mentally OK:
You do not need to spend 24/7 on the news cycle, and doing so can have some disastrous impacts for your mental health, including creating depression and vicarious trauma. If you get so depressed you’re unable to do anything, you can’t be of service either to yourself or to the world around you. It’s OK to pick and choose your times to check in and get informed, while also taking care of yourself and your own life or responsibilities.
3. Self-care is not selfish:
It’s not selfish to take care of yourself when the world gets dark. Living in a very privileged western world, you can often feel like you shouldn’t be complaining or feeling so terribly because someone, somewhere else has it much worse. But recognising someone else’s struggle doesn’t mean you should dismiss your own. Furthermore, it’s hard to make a difference in the world if you can’t get out of bed in the morning. Make sure you take time out to care for you. When you do, you’ll feel refreshed and able to come back with more capacity to support others and get involved in the world in a way that feels meaningful.
4. Practice gratitude:
While the world feels a little dark and ugly right now, it doesn’t mean that all the beauty in the world has disappeared. Keep in mind that focusing on the wonderful things doesn’t automatically discount or ignore all the terrible things happening. Both can exist at the same time, and checking in to smell the roses can provide hope and ideas for the future while re-filling your own cup.
5. Take action:
Actively engaging and trying to make the world a better place, one small step at a time can do wonders for our communities and for your mental health. Taking action, whether by having a conversation with someone, donating to a cause, or actively getting involved in grass-roots activities can help you feel more in control and can provide hope or a sense of community. Just make sure you’re giving from a cup that’s got something in it. If your only “take action” step today can be self-care, that’s totally OK.
6. Recognise when it’s time to get help:
Vicarious trauma is on the rise due to the never-ending and real-time witnessing of 24/7 world news and events. If you’re noticing that your sleep, mood or ability to engage in normal everyday tasks is slipping, it might be time to reach out for some support. You might benefit from speaking to a counsellor (like myself), or a trusted friend or family member about how you’ve been feeling.
Remember that solving some of our biggest national and international issues is going to be a marathon, not a sprint. If you’re not regularly filling up your own cup, you will likely not be able to help others in the way that you want, or be any good to yourself either. Being informed can be balanced with being mentally healthy, but it does mean usually setting some boundaries and practicing with self-care tools.
