Supporting your mental health during scary world events

There is a lot happening all over the world and often traumatic global events may cause uncertainty and anxiety that can affect our mental health. Although these events may not always directly involve or impact us, seeing these events unfold can have a negative impact on our emotional wellbeing. Watching world news and seeing war, disturbing imagery and other kinds of inequality can inevitably cause a sense of worry and powerlessness for many people. For some who have experienced similar trauma in their life, seeing these events may also bring up triggering negative emotions or upset.

If you feel that your mental health is affected by these frightening world events, it is important to understand that these feelings are valid and you are not alone. Here is some advice for you during unprecedented times:

• Check a trusted news source. Focus on the factual content, rather than opinions.
• Turn off notifications on your phone. Take a break from the news and remove the option to be informed regularly, allowing yourself time to switch off from it. Take longer breaks if you need to.
• Limit the ways you have access to the news (phone, computer, IPad, TV etc).
• Avoid spending a long time scrolling through news or ‘doomscrolling’. Set boundaries and limit yourself to one check a day for a limited time, or less if you need it.
• Try to avoid watching/reading the news in the evening if it impacts your sleep.
• Challenge negative thoughts. If you find yourself spiraling thinking about worst-case scenarios, try to counter those thoughts with more balanced perspectives.
• Identify particular triggers by being aware of what situations or specific news topics that can increase your anxiety and try to minimize exposure to them, e.g. by filtering your social media feed.
• Seek out more positive or uplifting news stories such as ‘The Happy Newspaper’ that only focus on more heartening news events to promote happiness and joy.
• Be patient and kind with yourself as you navigate difficult feelings.

Much of how you feel may be based on a lack of control, so remember that as hard as it can be to accept it, we cannot change or help many of these factors. Try to shift your focus towards what you can control. Empathy is important and understandable at such catastrophic events but not at the detriment of your own mental health. Look after yourself and ask, ‘Do these headlines directly impact my daily life?’.

Managing anxiety can be in the form of focusing on the here and now and when you feel worry taking over, try staying grounded in the present moment and allocating more time for activities that are much more beneficial for your mental health.

Most importantly, do not bottle up your feelings and struggle alone. If you feel overwhelmed, or you are struggling to cope, ensure to reach out:

• to a friend or family member you trust
• call a helpline: call Samaritans on 116 123 (UK)
• join Mind’s online community: join Side by Side