If it feels to you as if all the news is overwhelmingly bad, it may hurt to wake up in the morning. What can you do; how can you stay optimistic? How to drown out the mean and nasty? What can you do about your feelings grief when so many people are hurting?
The way each of us manages unsettling and painful news depends on our level of sensitivity and caring. How much empathy do you have? For those who are empaths, empathy goes much deeper and is harder to manage. Let’s unpack the empath’s reality.
What is an empath anyway? An empath is a person highly attuned to the feelings and emotions of those around them. Empaths feel what another person is feeling at a deep emotional level.
People throw the word “empath” around a lot lately, so let me clarify what it means to be one. I have empathic qualities and skills. This isn’t a guess – I’ve had my personality tested for jobs and I’ve been professionally diagnosed by mental health professionals.
Among other things, I have empathic listening skills. This translates to an ability to be aware of, sensitive to, and sometimes experience the feelings of others too deeply. When there are times of extreme conflict in the world, like right now in Ukraine and the Middle East, it’s very hard for me to watch or even read the news. I don’t just experience the pain of the victims, I experience all of it. Add floods and hurricanes and slides and fires like we have in California, or an election that brings up hostility. Every day can become a minefield of emotional disturbance. Here are five tips that help.
Yes, turn it off. While part of me feels irresponsible not watching the news and reading every article that crosses my feed, right now it’s self-inflicted torture. I know enough about what’s happening. If you are empathic and find you are triggered by election images, war images, catastrophic nature images do not look at them. Take a break. Make a concerted effort to skip the news pages and scroll quickly past anything that comes on your feed. There are settings on all apps if you want to avoid it altogether. Here’s an opportunity to make connections with positive videos, podcasts, and music.
The need to help is strong in people like us. Put your caring to good use. I’m starting a program that will help teens with mental health struggles, I volunteer my time with a variety of causes. I’m also a member of two global organizations that are working towards peace on earth. I do what I can because if I don’t I feel rotten. Look for places you can be of service whether it’s in recovery rooms, religious organizations or joining groups that help the community. If you love animals, the shelters always need help. Feed the hungry. There’s lots to do.
Two ways to naturally boost the healthy hormones your body naturally creates, serotonin and dopamine. If you have a dog, even better. You get to kill two birds with one stone. Just get outside and into the fresh air. Bring a friend if you want company or go online and find an outdoor meetup. This is serious business in taking care of yourself. People joke that walking and hiking is no real cure for anything. Well, I happen to disagree. No, it won’t cure clinical depression, but I’ve seen incredible results for people who struggle with depression and anxiety when they truly get up and go outside every single day to exercise as a part of their recovery routine. It isn’t a cure-all, but it is part of a healthy lifestyle.
A new tool that’s getting traction is the awe challenge. This is finding little things that bring that state of wonder to your life. It can be anything, but going out in nature can make it happen. An empathic mind needs to stay and find joy, and it takes practice. Bring a sense of awe to your life and your mood will improve. And try meditation.
Mediation is one of the best natural defenses we have against obsessive thinking and for healing the brain. Meditating or chanting every morning is part of the way I combat anxiety and fear. It’s also an outlet for wanting to do something but feeling powerless. Prayer and meditation go a long way in situations like these.
Banish the news by connecting to other humans. Sharing your feelings will make you feel better and not so alone. Find other empathic people who understand how you feel and allow you to talk about your feelings in a safe way. Being grateful and giving thanks also bring joy. Remember that this too will pass.
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