10 Small Ways to Take Care Of Yourself During a Stressful News Cycle

Carve out quiet time for yourself

“I take extra time to spend in silence to get present with my feelings. Whether grief, anger or hopelessness is present, by spending time acknowledging my feelings, I feel more grounded."

Spread love to those around you

“The world can feel chaotic and unpredictable, and with so much going on that feels bad, it’s easy to get lost in negativity. The most rewarding way to take care of myself during times of uncertainty is to be a source of love for everyone you come in contact with. When sharing love, you receive love, and it’s is the best antidote for weary, worry, and anger. Share the love.”

Designate news cut-off hours

“With the barrage of global crises and local crises, it can be very easy to get sucked into this vortex of bad news and harrowing images that we are bombarded with on a daily basis. I feel very strongly about having a digital detox during certain hours of the day. I stay away from TV news, online news and social media for a few hours each day as this allows me to tune into my work with better focus and tune into my family with better presence and attention.

Make time for journaling

“When you verbalize your feelings by writing your thoughts down, you can put these emotions into words. According to scientists, there is a decreased response in the amygdalae when you write down your feelings. Scans using fMRI – functional magnetic resonance imaging – to study subjects’ brain activity showed that the amygdalae were less active. This means that you are less prone to triggering the threat response, and it occurs simply by making the time to write it all down and helping your brain calm down.”

Offer a hand to your neighbors

I accomplish this by only sharing fact-checked news reports, donating my book sales to legitimate sources, helping those at home relieve the burden of the pinch on our grocery prices by sharing with neighbors, and keeping my own mental well-being in check.

Try “tapping” to relieve stress

This self-acupuncture technique has helped me to release the enormous stress and anxiety I’ve been feeling.

Reach out to others

“I try connecting with trusted women and men in a network via phone, text and zoom. It is so imperative to know that with everything going on, we are all in this together and can face anything together that we could not do alone.”

Go on a “gratitude walk”

When we are scattered in our thoughts thinking of past, present, future, and all aspects of life, it’s like that funnel pouring out onto a flat surface. One way that’s been effective in helping me stay present is by moving my body with a gratitude walk. What we focus on expands, so when we move our body and offer gratitude for every beautiful thing we see and notice, we speak more of those things into existence.

Give yourself a smile

I take a moment to look at myself in the mirror and give myself a big smile. It’s funny how just seeing that reflection can bring some joy even for a short time

Remind yourself you’re doing what you can

All I can do is donate, join with our local group meditating and praying for peace, and keep abreast of what’s going on. There’s an impulse to energetically stand with those suffering and bear witness instead of closing down.

Source; https://thriveglobal.com/stories/how-to-take-care-of-yourself-stressful-news-tips/

From reading this article, I've gathered some amazing ways to take care of yourself after being stressed out about any type of news. How do you handle stress during a particular News cycle? What helps you cope?

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