Sometimes things happen which we can’t do anything about. Even if they’re far away, they can still lead to feelings of anger, sadness, or worry. When you’re feeling this way, it becomes even more important to look after yourself.
Some things you can do when big things are happening that you can’t control:
- Acknowledge your feelings, even if they’re ‘bad’. Pushing them down won’t help you to find the root of the problem.
- Understand why you might be having those feelings. Maybe it’s because you’re worried about what might happen in the future, or you feel helpless to make a difference. Consider writing these down or talking to someone to understand what’s going on for you.
- Work out what you can and can’t control. It might help to write down a list of things that you can practically act on and things you can’t.
- Once you have this list, you can start to take action on what you can control. That might be as simple as disconnecting from the news for your own wellbeing, or as big as attending a protest or volunteering for a cause that’s important to you. What the best action is for you to take can change over time.
Remember: looking after yourself is the most important thing to help you through difficult times.
If you’re looking for some more information, here’s some articles from the ReachOut website:
🌏Frustrated by the news? Here's how to channel your anger
🌏A guide to dealing with constant change
🌏How to cope when things outside of your control happen overseas
We also had two psychologists weigh in on the community about coping with distressing news and world events.
If you feel like you need to talk things through with someone, consider connecting with:
⭐ReachOut PeerChat (if you’re over 16)
