Navigating World Events: Ukraine Crisis

Some tips that I have been using over the past few days….

1. It is ok to take breaks from the war. Have time away from the news and social media and conversations with others about the war.
2. Try and “lean in” to what you are feeling. Notice and name your thoughts, feelings, and any bodily sensations you observe. What can you manage even with these showing up? E.g. to attend a lecture, to carry on with your course work, to pop to the gym.
3. Try some simple self-soothing exercises or grounding exercises. Sit on a chair, push your feet into the floor and take an in-breath. Look around and name 3 things you can see and hear.
4. Try and stick to your daily routine where you can.
5. Try and take some time for valued activities. These can be a combination of things you enjoy for yourself or with others. Again, we may notice that ‘guilt’ shows up around doing this when there are people struggling in Ukraine.
6. Remember to keep up your self care baseline – eat a nourishing diet, hydrate well and move your body/exercise regularly, maintaining a regular sleep routine where possible. Take a simple short walk each day in nature, if possible, as this is great for helping you process thoughts and emotions.
7. Put in boundaries around talking about the war, being asked to help with collections or social media support. Only do things if you feel you are emotionally and physically able to right now.
8. Be aware of the urge to compare yourself with others in respect to what they may be doing to help those affected. We are not all the same and what works for one person does not mean it works for someone else. Some people find that helping others helps them manage their wellbeing, while for others they benefit more from targeted time out and self-care.
9. Another way of managing uncertainty and anxiety is to revisit boundaries in terms of your relationships, study, work, and leisure time. You may want to think about what you can and can’t manage right now and where there may be ‘tweaks’ needed in your daily schedule.
10. Taking some ‘targeted time out’ which is time away from study, work and socialising and focusing on yourselfcan help uncertainty and anxiety. This can be as little as 20 minutes where you read a book, watch a valued TV series, draw, write or have a relaxing bath.
11. Limiting media consumption and social media use can beneficial if it is a source of overwhelm or distress. Think about just watching new bulletins rather than using apps and 24-hour news channels.
12. Connecting and talking with others about how you feel is also important. It helps to normalising the myriad of feelings that people are experiencing right now.
13. Things that have helped me cope include downloading a playlist of songs I really connect with. Listening to them with headphones while mouthing/singing the words will help you to connect with the present moment. Reconnect with a lost hobby/interest. I bought a calligraphy set this week, which is something I used to love doing. It is quite calming when feeling the ink flow on the page.