Mindfulness, putting boundaries around media consumption and taking small actions can help cope with stress caused by global events, according to a UAB expert.Staying informed about world events is important. But too much exposure can feel overwhelming, exhausting and paralyzing. Many people experience increased stress or anxiety when social media and media outlets flood them with conflicting headlines and violent images.
Clinical psychologist Christina Pierpaoli Parker, Ph.D., assistant professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurobiology and clinical director of the Integrated Behavioral Medicine Service at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, said, “It feels difficult because it is difficult.”
According to Parker, the human brain is not built to sustain continuous exposure to excessive violence. She advises people to practice mindful discernment and offers practical ways to cope with information overload and stress associated with disturbing world events.
“Moral disengagement can happen through repeated exposure to horrible things without adequate emotional metabolism,” Parker said. “So, aim for the middle ground between consuming too much information and too little information. Then ground yourself using your breath and senses to quiet your emotional brain and access your action brain.”
How information causes stress
Feeling that they have little control over world events can leave people feeling helpless, which can trigger a stress response. According to Parker, these are adaptive responses to overwhelming circumstances.
Images of violence, especially before bedtime, can disrupt the brain and lead to nightmares and issues in daytime impairment.
“Floods of information can create paralysis and exhaustion,” Parker said.
The geopolitical landscape generates a high volume of content about conflicts, often occurring far from the audiences consuming it. Parker says one of the best ways to reduce anxiety surrounding geopolitical topics is through selective, planned consumption.
“Use your limited psychological, emotional and cognitive resources to engage in small actions that work toward your values,” she said. “This may include digesting information in 10- to 15-minute sessions in the morning and early afternoon.”
Coping methods
To regain a sense of control and cope with geopolitically driven stress, Parker recommends identifying one to three issues most aligned with your personal values and then doing something, anything, to get started. The smaller, the better, she says.
“Action absorbs anxiety,” Parker offered. “You can start with anything, even a small act, to create an appreciable difference in your anxiety levels. Donate blood, donate food. Call out inaccurate reporting.”
Reframing self-care
“We can’t engage if we’re depleted or dysregulated,” Parker said. “But reframing self-care as political activism can encourage us to take it more seriously.”
Parker says moving the body, intentionally resting and eating a healthy meal can build up the reserves necessary to care for and serve others.
“If we want to change the world, we have to start with ourselves,” she continued. “The work of compassionate, earnest citizenship requires deep psychological and emotional reserves.”