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This episode is a little different. It’s basically a deep-dive episode, but it’s a little more off-the-cuff than usual. Given the multitude of troubling events in the US news today, I wanted to give some thoughts and advice about dealing with the news and the state of the world. It can be exceptionally hard for someone with mental health issues to know what to do when the state of the world becomes overwhelming. I hope the thoughts that I present here help.
Here are a few tips:
1. Realize that no matter WHEN you hear about news or how much you worry about the event… those have absolutely no bearing on the fact that the event happened. In other words, the events are happening whether or not you already know about them.
2. Regulate your flow of information. Consider waiting to “plug in” to the world until you’ve gotten ready for the day and consider unplugging for at least an hour before you go to sleep.
3. Fight back against the false sense of immediacy that anxiety gives you.
4. Remember that you are allowed to feel, but not taking care of yourself may limit your ability to help or make a difference.
5. Taking good care of yourself allows you to funnel energy into action, which can make you feel less helpless.
I’m going to be doing an episode with Duff the Wife next week on communication in a relationship when one partner has a mental illness. Have anything you want us to cover? Leave a comment and maybe we’ll try our best to answer!
Also, don’t forget about the giveaway I have going for the Kick Anxiety’s Ass online course, coming August 1st!
Thanks for listening!
Interested in having Duff answer a question on the podcast? Email Duff at robert@duffthepsych.com and maybe you’ll hear it on a future episode!
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This episode is incredibly helpful in a time when the news is super anxiety-inducing. I love that you note that people are allowed to feel good about things and give themselves what you called “sacred space” – it’s so important to take some time to really focus inwardly and feel the things your body is telling you. Resting your mind is difficult, but learning to take that time to relax and to learn to breathe helps those of us with anxiety immensely. Thanks for the reminder to pay attention to ourselves and really approach self-care with intention during this insanely difficult to digest time in our Nation.