Are you feeling overwhelmed when you turn on the news? Are you paranoid that your sore throat might be Covid-19?

If you are, you’re not alone. Millions of people around the world are feeling these worries. As I write this, thousands of citizens are fleeing Ukraine and millions of people have Covid-19.

So, how do we deal with all the overwhelming events that are happening in the world, and the events right at our doorstep?

  1. Ask yourself what can I control and what can’t I control? Most of us can’t control the war in Ukraine despite desperately wanting to, but there are some things we can control. For example here are a few things we can do: we can give money to support Ukraine; we can post pictures of sunflowers (the national flower of Ukraine) all over the internet; we can support a Ukrainian friend, neighbour or community member; or we can simply light a candle for those who are suffering.

And with Covid-19, we can look after ourselves, nurture ourselves, take lots of rest and reach out for help if we need it.

  1. We can choose to notice difficult thoughts and worries whenever they occur and instead of getting locked into the thought or worry, we can explore where we’re feeling it in our bodies and do a meditation to help us manage it in a healthier way. Try using my meditation Ease, Nurture and Allow and see if it helps.
  1. Get outside and move your body. Whether it’s a five-minute walk, a 10-minute swim, or just walking to your letterbox, this will help.
  1. Ring a trusted friend or family member and be honest about your worries. Tell them that you’re finding things difficult. If there’s no friend or family member, call a local help-line such as 1737 (in New Zealand), listen to a trusted podcast or sign up with a therapist.
  1. Reduce your time on social media. It’s so easy to go on social media thinking you’ll look at something benign and happy, yet one hour later you realise you’ve gone down a rabbit-hole of sadness and despair. Be firm with yourself and maybe only check social media and news once or twice a day.

And remember, storms always pass.

Photo by Rowan Chestnut on Unsplash