Tips to know how to keep at bay the fear and worries associated with the war in Ukraine.
War has consequences that go beyond the material losses suffered by the countries involved in this type of conflict. In fact, it has a great capacity to harm the mental health of people who live far away from scenes of violence. And in the case of the war in Ukraine, this invasion is taking place in one of the most densely populated areas in the world, so it can affect many people.
In this sense, here we will see some tips to manage the anxiety caused by the invasion of Ukraine by Russia.
How does anxiety arise in the face of a large-scale war?
Anxiety is, above all, a psycho-physiological response generated by situations that we perceive as dangerous or associated with risk; in short, experiences to which it is crucial to react quickly, without stopping to think too much about what to do.
Therefore, we can consider anxiety as the result of a mechanism of adaptation to the environment that for hundreds of thousands of years has helped us to stay alive, to avoid situations that can cost us our lives, shorten them significantly, or make our chances worse. of having offspring decrease in general; that is why this ability is present in most animals with a complex nervous system.
Now, sometimes that tendency to feel anxious in certain situations can get us into trouble ; it all depends on how we manage anxiety and the degree of danger we are facing. In the case of wars between countries, this situation of uncertainty can sneak into our psychological vulnerabilities to make us settle in a state of almost constant anxiety; In some cases, this experience is so intense and harmful that it becomes what is known as Generalized Anxiety Disorder.
When this happens, our mind falls over and over again in the prediction of catastrophic events that will affect us sooner or later, or that will directly affect our loved ones (and, therefore, indirectly, us). And it is that in the face of an invasion or a war of any kind, we can fear the possibility of bombs falling in our neighborhood, of biological weapons being used, of being recruited for war, etc. They are all situations that are not very likely if our country is not at war, but they are serious enough that we fear them intensely and that, if we do not manage anxiety well, they generate intrusive thoughts .
As these fears present us with catastrophic predictions, once fear has gotten into our way of interpreting reality, we begin to actively seek information about that war, we look at the most alarming opinions, and we begin to give more credibility to everything which leads us to continue to be concerned, through what is known as confirmation bias.“
Tips for Psychologically Managing Ukraine War Anxiety
Although each case is unique and ultimately the most effective way to deal with the problem is to go to psychotherapy (so that, with the help of a professional, we can have personalized support adapted to our characteristics and experiences), these general tips can be of help to you to face and manage the anxiety generated by the war unleashed by the invasion of Ukraine by Russia.
- Limit your exposure to the news
It is important to get out of the vicious circle of looking for news about the war to try to find motorcycles to calm down (achieving the opposite effect). This happens by controlling the time dedicated to actively reading the news , making other activities occupy a greater percentage of our free time.
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- Related article: “Infoxication: how to combat information overload”
- Pay more attention to contrasting information
In addition to exposing yourself to less news about the war, it is important that when doing so you do not focus on the channels that tend to sensationalize or hypothesize about the most catastrophic predictions. In a situation of uncertainty, nobody has the exact information about what will happen, so we should not give all the credibility to one or two sources only (or with the same editorial line) .
- Practice relaxation techniques
Incorporating simple relaxation exercises into our daily routines can help us lower stress and anxiety levels in a matter of a few minutes . Some of the simplest are Jacobson’s progressive muscle relaxation , controlled diaphragmatic breathing, and meditation.
- You do not add that it is your responsibility to prepare for the worst
Some people feel very pressured by their family role, causing them to feel guilty for not preparing for an impending war, despite the fact that there are no clear signs that it will affect us directly. You must review those beliefs and not let them affect your mental health and, as a consequence, your personal relationships.
- Focus on those goals that are based on certainties
Once you have centaur yourself on project-based goals that really connect with what motivates you and with your interests and abilities , the tendency to worry about war will decrease, being displaced by those other topics.
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