Tips + Reminders for Caring for Yourself During Troubling Times
With the heavy current events occurring throughout our world, it is important to keep in mind that it’s possible to stay informed while still caring for your mental health. We wanted to share a few tips and reminders to care for yourself during these troubling times. It's always important to stay informed and connect with the people in our lives, but there are ways to take care of your mental health in the process.
Things you don't have to do when scrolling the internet:
You don’t have to expose yourself to hateful and dehumanizing comments. It is tempting to read and consume what everyone has to say, but when your loved ones are being subjected to cyberbullying, it is not informative or productive.
You don’t have to consume graphic media. It is absolutely possible to read and know the details of a situation without having to visually take them in. This has impacts on your mental health whether you feel it immediately or not.
Things you can do to make your internet spaces safer:
Turn off autoplay on videos. This function is available in your settings on Facebook, Instagram, and X (Twitter) to stop videos from automatically playing.
Intentionally monitor your screen time. Make sure you have a balance of time spent consuming digital information and time spent with the physical world around you. Create space to go on walks, meditate, and spend time with others.
Temporarily remove social media from your phone. It’s okay to require a break from social media when the risk of graphic content is so high. If you’re a parent, know that for children spending time online, it is nearly impossible to completely filter the harmful information that they may see, hear, or come across while navigating the internet.
Mute certain words or accounts. If you find yourself still needing internet access but aren’t in a space to consume heavy news, it’s okay to use mute and block features to safely curate your online space.
It’s Okay to Process and Learn Away From Social Media
Take time to make a phone call to a trusted friend, family member, or counselor if you need to work through what you’re seeing and hearing. It’s human to need real connection to process the difficult realities and conversations offline.
Turn to digital sources other than social media. Read books, listen to podcasts, and engage in informal content that doesn’t exist just to form engagement.
Remember, it is possible to be safely informed. We hope these suggestions can assist you in finding ways to remain educated on current events while taking care of and prioritizing your mental health.
If you are in need of some professional help, visit our Resources page below:
