Disaster Anxiety

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In today's world of instant access听to digital information, news and听social media, it can be a challenge to keep our anxiety in check when facing global or national disasters.

In today's world of instant access听to digital information, news and听social media, it can be a challenge to keep our anxiety in check when facing global or national disasters.

Emergencies, disasters or health epidemics can provoke听heightened stress, anxiety or fear in all of us. In normal circumstances, these feelings can tell us we need to act. But we also experience them in situations that are uncertain or unfamiliar. Taking care of our emotional wellbeing is critical as it helps us to meet any challenges we face in the healthiest way possible. We can then support ourselves and each other as we move to more predictable times.

Strategies often suggested

  • Take time away from social media or mainstream news
  • Take time to exercise
  • Talk to friends or family
  • Get enough sleep
  • Practise relaxation techniques
  • Make time to unwind
  • Slow breathing
  • Cut back on coffee or foods/drinks that make you feel jittery
  • Plan 鈥溾
  • Learn from others through talking about your experiences or joining a support group
  • if you are feeling anxious rather than being harsh
  • Learn to plan instead of worrying

Blocks

Below you will find three common blocks (barriers and misconceptions) that can prevent us from responding calmly to natural disasters and epidemics.

  • I must keep up to date with the media

    Most people will feel the pressure to be up to date as it tells us we are responsible and value wellbeing. It is important to balance this against the impact of 鈥渘ewsreel fatigue鈥 and obtaining news from reputable sources. When we read distressing news, our amygdala lights up and we activate our response and flood our bodies with stress hormones. Our bodies can鈥檛 remain in these hyper-aroused states forever so we become fatigued, overwhelmed and burnt out. Unless specifically directed by your local emergency service, checking the news once or twice a day is enough to stay up to date with developments. This then gives us听the chance to refocus on things we can control as the situation unfolds.

  • Breathing isn鈥檛 going to change anything

    Breathing changes everything! Yes, it won鈥檛 change the situation but it gives us the strength and resolve to take sensible and reasonable actions听that help us through these times. We don鈥檛 need to go anywhere special or buy any special equipment to make use of our breath. Taking a few deep and controlled breaths is a great circuit breaker for anxiety and helps bring us back into the moment, a moment where we can choose to struggle or choose to roll with it.

  • I can鈥檛 stop worrying

    Worry is our minds way of trying to find a solution. In times of uncertainty, the big solutions are still to be uncovered but discoveries happen continuously. Whilst we wait, what are the little solutions in our lives we can put into action. Accessing information from reliable sources听is a great place to obtain the recommended actions during听a crisis (it might be hand washing, property preparation, or changing how we connect with each other). Taking action is a really positive way of addressing worry. Try it!

Boosters

Below are three things you can do to boost success.

  • Take control

    Ask yourself, 鈥渨hat can I have control over in this situation?鈥 and focus in on this list. There are many individual actions听which, when we all do them, impact on the outcome of disasters or epidemics. Worry doesn't disappear when we make a plan but it often reduces when we take action. We can also control how we manage our time or energy in ways that support rather than drain our wellbeing. For example, controlling time spent on social media or mainstream news, increasing creativity around how we engage in social or leisure activities and prioritising the fundamentals (eating, sleeping and hydrating).

  • Use reliable sources for information

    The world is awash with information and it鈥檚 available 24/7 at our fingertips. Make your 鈥渕edia time鈥 count and consult factual, unbiased sources that give you the information minus all the hype. Check out the resources list below for examples that may be relevant to today.

    • website
  • Boost your mood

    Human beings can be incredible resilient, kind and generous. Responding to ourselves, our neighbours, our friends and our families with kindness and compassion reminds us that we are a community, and we can support each other. Connecting with our , our sense of purpose and things we do for fun can really help to boost our moods. If we enjoy exercise then听do something to听get the blood pumping. If we are creative then听make something. Don鈥檛 underestimate the humble laugh. Connect听with friends or watch some comedy which can go a long way towards lifting our moods. Think creatively and utilise video calls, zoom chats, phone calls and听letter writing.听There are lots of inventive ways that people can connect to meet our social needs and care for our wellbeing in extraordinary times.

Need more info?

Explore other听information on our听website

Stress

Anxiety

Techniques

Coping with health epidemics

  • 听(最新糖心Vlogn Psychological Society)
  • (youtube video by Russ Harris)