A
female
age
41-50,
anonymous
writes:I live on my own and my anxiety is through the roof. I can’t concentrate at work and this situation is taking over my life. I’m really scared about what is happening in regards to Russia and Ukraine. I’m watching everything on the news and social media. I know there is nothing I can do but it’s overtaking my life. I’m not meeting friends as I can’t stop worrying about it. What can I do to reduce my anxiety please?
View related questions:
at work Reply to this Question
Share |
Fancy yourself as an agony aunt? Add your answer to this question! A
female
reader, anonymous, writes (23 February 2022): I totally understand where you’re coming from. I’m receiving acupuncture treatments and therapy for my anxiety. I live in the US, and I’ve been feeling uneasy again these last few days. Our former president even praised Putin’s strategy for the Ukraine last night. So disgusting! And to the best of my knowledge, he’s still planning on running again in 2024, and still has a lot of supporters. That makes me feel quite uneasy as well. I find that taking breaks from the news (a few days to a week) does help quite a bit. I get that you want to feel informed. However, if your anxiety to the point where it interferes with your ability to perform daily tasks or interact with others, it’s time to change your news and social media habits.
A
female
reader, anonymous, writes (21 February 2022): I would suggest you keep your news watching and social media checks to a minimum. If you check the news once per day you will already be infinitely more informed than half the population. Nothing much is going to change in 24 hours and, in the incredibly unlikely event that World War 3 breaks out, you will quickly be informed by friends, neighbours or the tv. The media do hype up absolutely everything. Find some hobbies that will prevent you turning on the news or social media constantly
...............................
A
reader, anonymous, writes (21 February 2022): I'm so sorry, my dear! You may have a severe case of news and social media fatigue!
If you believe in God and practice any form of faith and worship, you should pray and worship. God gives peace and comfort, all you have to do is ask.
You have to shut-off the TV and put-down your devices and meditate on pleasant things. There is nothing new under the sun. You're at least 36, so you've been around when there have been wars and rumors of wars. News never stops! You've been around during a few changes in your parliamentary administrations, you've survived the controversies over Brexit, and you've endured a pandemic thus far.
Hang in there! The world goes-on as it always has. We just hear more bad-news in more detail than ever before. Bad-news sells, and gets viewership. The media gets more money from sponsors the larger the viewing audience. Good-news is considered boring.
Take a deep deep breath, and sloooooooowly exhale. Swooooooooooooo!!!
I have been praying for the people in the Ukraine; but worry and anxiety won't change anything. That will only stress you out, and overwhelm your thoughts.
You, me, and everyone else has been saturated with news and sound bites about the impending Russian invasion of the Ukraine, on top of all the other bad events of the world. Many reading our posts may be there, or have relatives over there; but the Ukrainian people have always been threatened by Russia since the dissolution of the Soviet Union back in 1991. They struggle to keep a vibrant democracy and have a robust economy. They want to join NATO. Things just got worse when Putin came into power in 2000. He has been a dark cloud over Europe ever since, but worry changes nothing. The whole world is watching; so give yourself a break!
Those people are tough, and Russian invasion has been an inevitable threat for a very long time. Your angst and anxiety about it is only going to adversely affect your health. It's already affecting your concentration on the job; because you're not taking a break from the news!
You can't listen to bad news all day! We now have social media and news broadcasting or streaming 24/7; that bombardment of information is too much! You aren't burying your head in the sand for taking a break from it; it'll be there when you get back! Your human mind was not created to absorb and process so much information all at once; and it's only a natural reaction to the overload to feel anxiety and fear. If you leave an engine running too long, or push it too far, it overheats. You're not a machine! If you push your mind and overload it with information, it will have a meltdown or a breakdown.
Put on soft music, light some scented candles, and just force yourself to put your devices down. Do not turn-on the news.
You have to allow your mind to rest. You have to focus or distract your thoughts towards other things. There are things in this world we have no control over; so worrying and fretting about them serves absolutely no purpose. Social media and the news overwhelms us with pessimism, and too much editorializing; until your brain goes numb. You're listening to a blitz of perpetual opinion and ominous predictions all day long; so you can't sleep or rest, because you're also addicted to your devices.
Put your phone in a drawer. Turn to a channel about cooking or DIY; anything pleasant, and less stressful. No social media anything! No videos!
If you are not in the habit of praying, add it to your daily routines. Go to your bedroom, close the door, lie down in silence at 15 minute intervals when you're home. Say a little prayer. When at work, regardless of the weather, go outside and get some air. Look up at the sky, listen to the birds, get a cup of tea; and look at the pictures of the people you love on your phone. DO NOT CHECK MESSAGES OR VIEW SOCIAL MEDIA!!! Just scroll through pictures from past vacations, celebrations, and happy-times. Write silly happy thoughts, quotes, and reminders on sticky-notes; and put them on your computer screen. Get to work, and do your 300%!
You are not paid to worry, or drift-off into your personal head-space! You're on the clock!
Put all your worries on God's shoulders, and thank Him for everything good He has done for you; and stop letting the world kill you with fear, gloom, and doom. It was here before you were ever born, and it will always be here long after you're gone.
Please make a doctor's appointment to make sure you don't make yourself sick with worry. Take bubble baths, with candles, and have the Calgon experience. Let Calgon take you away! (Google Calgon, and watch their old commercials!)
...............................
A
female
reader, anonymous, writes (21 February 2022): This is entirely normal. After living through so much anxiety it is only natural to have a heightened response to any perceived threat such as you mentioned.Sometimes it takes a bit of medical help to prevent your anxiety systems to shut down enough for you to get even a decent sleep.So see your doctor for meds.
...............................
A
male
reader, Truth_forever +, writes (21 February 2022):
Stop watching the tv and listening to the radio and it will all go away ! Just smoke and mirrors my friend and the same with the so called pandemic I am yet to see any evidence of a pandemic ? Nonsense all of it
...............................
A
male
reader, anonymous, writes (21 February 2022): Stop watching the tv and listening to the radio and you will find it will all go away , same goes for this tripe about a pandemic ? I am yet to see this so called pandemic in real life !
...............................
|
