Currently, we are downright battered by the many media impressions of the global crises. But what can we do when these impressions leave us with difficult feelings?
One thing is the conscious management and dosage of news consumption. Certainly, it is a value of our interconnected society to get a differentiated picture of what is happening. However, this information is of little use to us if it renders us either incapable of acting in the face of the emotions flooding us or completely numb to avoid being exposed to that very overload. It can be advisable to consume content or to conduct discourses about it mindfully, e.g. by monitoring myself every few minutes:
What is this doing to me right now? What feelings are coming up? What purpose does it serve that I am seeking this information right now? What specifically am I doing with this information gain? How does this benefit me or those directly affected?
The pandemic of the last two years, as well as the climate crisis and many other conflicts, may have fueled feelings of helplessness, which can now be reinforced in light of the war in Europe. These are issues that simply overwhelm us because of their magnitude. The feeling of powerlessness can paralyze us and render us incapable of action, or it can turn into the opposite and lead us into blind actionism. Both reactions can be damaging in the long run, which is why it is important to become aware of the underlying feelings and motives behind our actions.
So, when I notice difficult feelings arising within me while consuming the news or talking with others about these big issues, I can ask myself for a moment the above questions.
When I find that conversation or media consumption is not helping me in any way right now, it's time for me to pause those very things and reduce my stress level first. The easiest way to do this is to take a few deep breaths that suggest to the body, "I am alive, I have time and space to breathe in calm. It's safe."
From this relaxed state, I can now ask myself once again:
What do I need right now? How can I meet this need? What resources do I have at my fingertips to do this? If I find that I have even more resources than I personally need, I can return to the original issue and ask myself: What of these can I contribute to possibly change something for the better?
On the other hand, if I find that I lack the resources to respond adequately to my own needs, I can look to see who might be able to help me in this situation. In my practice, I often come across voices that say something like, "But considering what others are suffering, I'm doing fine... I shouldn't be complaining at all." These sentiments of guilt do not help anyone. In order to be able to help others, we must first make sure that we ourselves have the means to do so.
With that in mind, take good care of yourself and see what you can contribute moving forward from there.