The war in Ukraine has left many across the world feeling stressed and anxious. Coming on the back of a global pandemic, news of the war has only compounded feelings of fear and uncertainty.

A reason watching news from the Ukraine may be affecting health is because witnessing the suffering of others can actually cause us to feel pain: Here are some ways you can manage your relevant health.

Acknowledge your feelings: Many people try and dismiss their feelings by saying things like, “I’m being silly – there are people who are really struggling in the world.” While undoubtedly there are others suffering, this doesn’t invalidate the feelings you have.

Acknowledging and accepting our feelings, without judgement can lead to improved mental health by reducing the burden of denying negative feelings. The reasons any person experiences each of these emotions, will be different. For example, being unable to see their loved ones during the pandemic. It might be helpful to write down feelings, or talk to a friend. Speaking about struggling thoughts has been shown to disrupt the stress cycle.

Being selective: when you view the news; avoiding it just before bed and first thing in the morning because it increases stress levels and make it difficult to relax. Ultimately, we can’t control the outcome of the conflict. But, we can have control over the things we can change, by responding to our own needs, helping one-another to retain our sense of wellbeing, when the world feels out of control.

Best wishes, David