麻豆社事件

Well-meaning advice for people stressing out about current events often includes encouragement to be patient, stay calm, and keep the faith鈥攂ut how on Earth are you supposed to do that when the onslaught of troubling news seems never to stop?

As a practicing clinical psychologist and professor who studies how to , I offer 10 suggestions to make it through this highly stressful period.

1. Put the Phone Down!

While it is tempting to stay glued to your devices, never-ending doomscrolling and screen-refreshing can become overwhelming and keep you in a state of tension and constant vigilance. Excessive consumption of news and social media  during times of crisis.

Plan some breaks where you can engage in activities that take your mind off politics and the uncertainties we face, and allow things to feel a little more normal for a while.

2. Uncertainty Doesn鈥檛 Equal Catastrophe

It鈥檚 hard not to know things鈥攐utcomes of elections, for instance. But not knowing doesn鈥檛 mean you should assume the worst-case scenario has occurred. When anxious鈥攁s many in the U.S. are right now鈥攑eople tend to assign . But this tendency is neither reliably accurate nor helpful. Jumping to catastrophic conclusions is like setting off a series of false alarms that keep you on edge and exaggerate your sense of threat.

3. Don鈥檛 Retreat Into Bed

The feeling of deep disappointment about election results you don鈥檛 like, or apprehension about reducing greenhouse gas emissions, can trigger a desire to withdraw and hole up. While that response is natural, it tends to be counterproductive. Staying engaged in activities that  can make managing this time far less painful.

4. Remember, It Won鈥檛 Always Feel This Intense

It鈥檚 normal and understandable to feel overwhelmed by current events. Focus on what will help you manage this day without punishing yourself for being upset or feeling depleted. Attending to what鈥檚 happening in the moment while also recognizing it鈥檚 not permanent can help you stay both present and hopeful. While in many ways it is true that we鈥檙e living in a unique and unprecedented era, it鈥檚 also the case that , even in the face of tremendous stress and trauma.

5. Don鈥檛 Go Through This Time Alone

Feeling isolated, whether physically or emotionally, can make a hard time feel worse. When people experience acute stress, they cope much better .

So reach out and stay connected鈥攚hether that means texting about the latest vote count with a friend or purposefully taking a break from ruminating on current events. It鈥檚 a great time to deeply discuss what you think about Taylor Swift鈥檚 new album.

6. Stay Regular

No, I am not referring to your bowels鈥攎aintain regular and healthy eating, sleep, and exercise patterns. While self-care may seem unimportant, attending to those basic bodily needs can go a long way toward keeping your internal resources sufficiently replenished so you can meet the high demands of this time. There is increasing evidence that  to many mental and emotional health difficulties.

So stop refreshing your feed in the wee hours and try to sleep.

7. Help Others

It may feel odd to be asked to support others when you feel so depleted yourself, but .

麻豆社事件over, it provides a sense of control. There鈥檚 so much during this time that you cannot control鈥攖here is no magic wand that speeds up vote counting in critical contested races or makes climate resolutions between countries come sooner. But taking action to improve things now for the people around you will both help others and remind you that you can make a difference in meaningful ways.

So, bake cookies to drop off on the doorstep of the friend who caught the flu. Offer to take an item off a work colleague鈥檚 overwhelming to-do list. If you鈥檙e in a position to help, make a donation to a cause you care about. It鈥檚 a win-win.

8. Add to Your Toolbox

Each person is different in what helps them relax or feel more centered. Focusing on and slowing down your breathing, for instance, can help keep you grounded in the present moment and reduce the spiral of upsetting thoughts about what might come next. Others find it helpful to more directly practice taking a different perspective and re-evaluating their anxious thoughts.

For many people, online mindfulness or cognitive therapy exercises can make a big difference. Check out  and pick the resource that鈥檚 right for you.

9. Offer Compassion to Yourself

The combination of pandemic stresses, economic worries, social injustices, climate breakdown, and more means few of us will be at our best right now as we try to just make it through the day.

There鈥檚 a lot of room between performing at 100% of your usual capacity and climbing into bed and hiding under the covers for days on end. Personally, I鈥檓 trying to average 80%. People managing greater challenges at this time than I am may shoot for a lower percentage.

No one is making it through this time unscathed, so kindness to ourselves and others is desperately needed.

10. Reach Out if You Need Additional Help

If recommendations 1 through 9 aren鈥檛 cutting it, there are lots of resources to help people through this difficult period:

• National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 988
• Crisis Text Line: Text HOME to 741741
• Use my research team鈥檚 free intervention to reduce anxious thinking:  (part of an online study).

Be patient, stay calm, and keep the faith is a tall order. I鈥檒l be happy if I can get most of the way there.

This is an updated version of an article originally published on Nov. 6, 2020. This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the .