We are seeing more and more distressing events and human rights crises occurring across the globe and in our own backyards. It can be hard to know how to respond to bad world news, and you may find the impacts of what you see stay with you for longer than you expect.
We asked guest psychologists Rashida and Nasalifya to answer your questions about how distressing world news and events impact mental health and wellbeing.
Question: Does constant exposure to distressing news affect my mental health?
Constant exposure to global distress impacts us all differently, depending on our own lived experiences, past traumas and history. But regardless of your past experiences, being tuned in to a constant distressing news cycle can have a negative impact on your wellbeing.
If you’re only viewing disturbing or upsetting content, then you may start to see the world as unsafe. That can impact how you move through the world, and how you treat yourself and others.
It’s important to be kind to yourself as you process distressing events. It’s okay to tune out for a day or so, and just focus on your own wellbeing.
Hear Nasalifa speak more about this topic.
Question: What’s the difference between being healthily aware and obsessed with distressing world events?
It’s important to be informed about what’s going on in the world, but there needs to be a balance between engaging and caring for your own wellbeing. If you’re finding that your mood, physical health or general wellbeing is being impacted by your engagement with world events, then you might not be striking the right balance.
Nasalifya suggests that one way to find a balance is to ‘engage with intent’. Get her tips on how to do this here.
Question: What is vicarious trauma? Is it different from experiencing trauma first hand?
Anyone can experience distress in response to observing traumatic experiences, but not everyone may develop symptoms of vicarious traumatisation or secondary trauma.
You may have heard the term vicarious trauma being used to describe when someone feels traumatised by someone else’s lived experience. While this is somewhat true, it actually has a more specific definition:
Vicarious traumatisation is experienced by those who work in industries that are in direct contact with victims of trauma such as medical professionals, law enforcement, and victim survivor services.
So, if you’re feeling distressed and upset by someone else’s experience, it’s unlikely to be vicarious trauma unless it fits within a professional context. This doesn’t mean your feelings aren’t valid or worthy of seeking professional support.
Instead, you might be experiencing secondary trauma, community trauma or collective distress.
Hear Nasalifya speak more about the different types of trauma.
Question: I’m feeling defeated by all of the things going on in the world. How do I stay motivated to advocate for others?
It’s not realistic to know everything about the world and be able to support every issue that matters to you. But finding a balance can be really tough, because pulling back on advocacy work can lead to feelings of guilt. Our advocacy needs to be adjusted to suit the headspace we find ourselves in.
Not all advocacy work requires significant effort to have a positive outcome. Rashida suggests:
- reading, purchasing or listening to stories and art from affected communities
- supporting local on the ground organisations connected to the cause
- joining community support or online advocacy groups
- ensuring that everything you share is true and from a credible source.
At the end of the day, your advocacy work can be as simple as embodying the values you hope to see in the world, and holding compassion towards yourself and others.
You may find over time that you start to develop advocacy fatigue. When overwhelmed with continued distressing events and the access to information about these events - it is ok to spend time offline engaging in activities and with people that nourish and nurture you.
Watch Nasalifya talk about advocacy fatigue here.
Question: Are there coping strategies or self care practices that I can use to look after myself during times of collective distress?
It’s important to be kind to yourself as you process distressing events. It’s also okay to tune out for a day or so, to just focus on your own wellbeing.
While social media is an incredible tool, it also can work to keep you locked into a distressing news cycle. If you want to stay connected, Rashida suggests changing how you are exposed to news and information. If you are typically receiving information that has a visual element, try switching to talk back or verbal information outlets. This way you are not turning away from learning completely.
Get some more tips on coping with collective distress from Nasalifya on the ReachOut site.
Final thoughts
Social media has made it very easy to witness distressing and traumatic events from all over the globe. It’s important to advocate, push forward and contribute to change, but you need to find ways to support that are sustainable for your own wellbeing.
If you’re feeling overwhelmed or impacted by collective distress, consider how you can take a step back from the news or your advocacy work. You can also speak with a professional, like a counsellor, psychologist or peer worker. They can help you manage your emotions and set goals and boundaries that may help during times of collective distress.
For immediate support, you can give one of these helplines a call or use their online chat:
- Kids Helpline – 1800 55 1800 or online chat
- Lifeline – 13 11 14 or online chat
- 13Yarn – 13 92 76 or visit the website
- Witness to War – 1800 845 198 or visit the website.
