With so many tragic and horrific events taking place recently, many of us have felt a sense of overwhelm, disappointment and even dread. When experiencing reactions to this type of chaos, whether emotionally or physically, it’s important to be able to find stability. Doing so is critical for mental well-being, and clarity.
When engulfed in distress, your nervous system can stay in a constant state of alert. There are some things that you can do to help calm it, though, including grounding techniques. You can use the 5-4-3-2-1 method. Name 5 things you can see, 4 things you can touch, 3 you can hear, 2 you can smell, and 1 you can taste. It’s also useful to walk barefoot on natural surfaces or hold a grounding object like a piece of wood.
Additionally, you can focus on your breathwork whether that’s simple deep breathing or box breathing. It’s also advantageous to create micro-routines because predictable actions, even in chaos, give your brain a sense of control. This could be anything from having tea, to fitness, to journaling.
Limiting stimulation is also key. Go find a dim, quiet space. There, you can use calming music or noise-cancelling headphones to still your mind. Movement is also a good grounding technique. Any type of physical activity can diminish stress hormones. You can participate in activities like walking and stretching.
Now, particularly, it might be wise to limit access to news and stressful content. When we have constant exposure to media, particularly when it’s negative or emotionally charged, it puts our brain in hypervigilance mode. When we limit it, it helps reduce anxiety loops where we focus on worst-case scenarios. Limitation also protects our mental bandwidth. We can only handle so much disturbing information and must protect ourselves accordingly. This practice also prevents us from taking on the panic, anger, or despair of others.
When we check out for a while, it gives us deeper focus and less background noise which helps us process things better. It can be effective to assign yourself a specific time to check the news, or to just follow one or two sources that you trust. If you find some content overwhelming or unhelpful, try to mute or block it. You can also fast from social media or news outright for a whole week or even a day.
If our sense of normalcy is disrupted by loss or uncertainty, we need grounded and trustworthy guidance. Turning to your inner compass is valuable and can be done through journaling or meditation. Try to focus on what is most important to you right now or what is best for yourself in the moment.
Turn to trusted individuals who can help you. These are people who are able to listen and can calm you down like friends, mentors, spiritual leaders, and therapists. It is also relaxing to get out into nature, which is an easy and effective way to balance the nervous system and destress. You might also rely on spiritual or philosophical anchors that remind you of your beliefs or provide wisdom. If you’re really suffering, you can always get professional support.
At the end of the day, the best thing that you can do for yourself is to not pretend that everything is okay. Choose your path forward and lean into best practices that help calm you, restore your faith, and balance the chaos and inner turmoil that you are experiencing.