Dealing with ‘state of the world’ stress

Dealing with state of the world stress is something I have been struggling with over the last month or so. With elections, riots and the rise of the far right, it can be hard to stay grounded and unaffected by it all. Today I wanted to talk about this and hopefully help if you are also struggling, so grab that cup of tea let’s get into it.

Dealing with stress is hard

The news seems to be a place to find out about what is happening in the world; however, it is often reported through a lens. Journalists often have a version of the story they want to tell depending on their political leanings and culture.

I have found that people who watch a lot of news tend to start to have the opinions that those stories lead them to. The problem with this is news is nowadays generally shown like an entertainment show and people’s pain, wars and death I feel should never be viewed like this.

As a child I grew to hold a lot of anxiety around dealing with state of the world stress, and even now find that the news gives me anxiety attacks. In my teens I decided not to watch the news, and I often get shocked looks from people who think there is no way to keep up with the world unless you do.

I am not out of step with what is happening in the world, but I have found that I draw my own thoughts and conclusions about what is happening in the world. Naturally, I am a centralist, seeing both sides of most arguments, though I am more left leaning than right.

Take the recent riots in England, I understand where this rise in the far right has come from, people are angry with austerity. People are struggling with paying bills and keeping their businesses going and then hear misinformation about asylum seekers getting everything. It makes it easy for far-right groups to pull people in, and that is thanks to the Conservatives, it happened in the 1980s too.

But people who are being killed or running from warzones do not deserve to come to a ‘safe’ country and find so much hate and violence towards them. They did not choose the benefits and help the government has given to them.

The problem with being in the middle is feeling overwhelmed and anxious that both sides have a point. But at the same time, knowing that the people who lit the fire…. news services and politicians, will never face those people most hurt by their decisions.

Dealing with state of the world stress healthily

• Turn it off – It can be tempting to watch the news or follow it on social media like live feeds on TikTok or listen to podcasts. But if you struggle with anxiety and dealing with state of the world stress in a healthy way, turn it off. Things happening in the world still come into your life, friends and family or statuses and stuff lead you to doing more research. But to cope in this world day to day, I have found stepping back from daily connection to ‘news’ has been a game changer.
• Mindfulness – of course, this is how I connect with both my witchcraft practice and the world at large every day. But mindfulness when it comes to this, for me, is all about noticing my personal reality and realising that I am lucky not to be affected by these things right here in this moment. It helps me to see I am lucky and to be grateful and appreciate my life and my reality.
• Get involved – Now as this blog is focused on disability, I am not suggesting you go and riot! But there are many ways to get involved with politics without getting into dangerous situations. I spread the word on Twitter or X (does anyone call it that?) about disability news by reposting some wonderful groups I follow. I sign petitions and try to advocate when I hear any problematic rhetoric around me, and also, I try to help others through this blog. So, find groups to join and follow people who align with your passions and views, and this will ease that feeling of helplessness.
• Routine – I try very hard to maintain a routine and use an app called Finch where you can use routines and self-care as a way to look after a bird. This is not sponsored; it is merely my genuine way to keep myself doing things every day to help my mental and physical health. Things like exercise, reading a chapter of a book, ten minutes of cleaning, drinking water etc are important to bring into your day.
• Acknowledge and reach out – Being honest about how you feel and talking about it to a friend, or a therapist is so important. Trying to ignore the world events is not healthy, and neither is pretending that you are happy, and life is great. This world is hard to live in and pretending otherwise helps nothing, be honest with your emotions and reaching out if you need help is so important.

Dealing with state of the world stress is so hard, it can be overwhelming and leave you feeling like there is nothing you can do. But I hope these tips will help you cope and that you will find your own healthy ways to deal with it, if you have any please share them in the comments.

Thank you xx

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