For many it’s been a difficult year since we last wrote about World Mental Health Day.
The feeling of overwhelm that many of us feel when confronted with the daily news is sometimes overbearing. From conversations about ongoing wars to protests and strikes, it feels as if we are in a constant cycle of violence, climate change and unpleasant headlines.
Where does that leave us? Many of us are guilty of doomscrolling through the news, often late at night. We pick up snippets of info here and there, filling our minds with a constant feed of opinions, ideas and thoughts.
This, however, often leads to rising levels of anxiety, and feelings of helplessness and guilt that perhaps we should be doing more, or something.
It’s no coincidence then that the theme of this year’s World Mental Health Day is overwhelm, when relentless bad news can become too much. So what can you do about it?
- Try and set some boundaries with the news. Turn off notifications or try and scroll only once or twice a day. Have phone-free time – turn your phone onto airplane mode for a few hours and see what difference it makes.
- Yes, rest. Look after yourself – have a nap, a brief walk, or a coffee, whatever it takes to slow down. Adding new habits can help, like a 3 minute freezing shower each morning. One study found that 30-second cold showers every morning for 60 days could decrease the number of sick days by 30%. (More on this in this BBC article)
- Talk with others. There are plenty of help lines that you can contact if things get a bit too much. We like to highlight the work that Law Care does for those in the legal industry. The mental health charity for the legal sector, Law Care can help you for free if you are struggling with overwork, addiction, anxiety or other issues, and are only a phone call away.
- Consider trying out meditation or mindfulness exercises. Mark Williams’ mindfulness resources and guided meditations and Paul Gilbert’s book on compassion focused therapy can offer some valuable tools for managing anxiety and developing self-compassion.
Try and take a break from the news and give yourself a rest. Take care.