Lucky for us, we’re in beautiful Central Oregon without a care in the world, right? Well, not quite…seems that the constant fire hose of news happening around the world can beat us down even here. In our plugged-in world, it’s hard not to be affected. Proper self-care needs to be practiced especially during these tough times, for our own survival.

There are several risks to being overloaded with disturbing and negative content. If you are feeling any of the following, it might be a warning sign that you are a little too plugged-in:

• Complacency – becoming so used to the negative messages and problems that it all starts to seem normal.
  
• Paralysis – overwhelmed to the point that you can’t figure out what to do/how to move forward.
  
• Crisis perspective – you get trapped in the “Breaking News” cycle and everything seems like a potentially world-ending crisis to you. You may notice your heart rate is feeling perpetually spiked!
• Depression/PTSD – too much disturbing content can be a trigger for feelings of depression and sadness.

If you can’t shake the sense of dread, helplessness, or feel yourself emotionally reacting to current events? Or maybe you are feeling some physical reactions such as exhaustion, random fevers, stress, and dizziness? It’s time to make some changes.

While it may be tempting to simply ignore the news, denial will not make our problems go away. Like we mentioned in our first anti-anxiety post of this series, it’s important to address the things that are causing you anxiety head-on.

Self-care can actually look very practical in this instance. By working through these problems, you are allowing yourself to come up with lasting solutions, and find peace in the process.

Here are some practical self-care tips for when times are tough:

1. Take action: Volunteer for a food pantry, canvass for a political candidate, donate to a non-profit organization, visit a sick friend. Service of some kind in your community lets you be part of the solution and there are lots of ways to get involved in Central Oregon. Plus the feeling of accomplishment you’ll get when you start to see tangible results will also help you combat feelings of helplessness.

    

2. Do you research before you start panicking: Easier said than done, but everything will seem like crisis/earth-ending if you don’t know what has/hasn’t happened before. Put everything in a historical context. People have faced greater challenges than society in 2018.

    

3. Get up and move! Put the phone away, turn off the TV, log out of social media. Go for a walk, sit outside, get some coffee, call a friend. Our brains & bodies need breaks from stressful content.

    

4. Include fun and relaxation. When there is suffering, war, despair, etc. around you, it’s easy to feel guilty when you have fun, feel happy, have a good meal with friends. You NEED these things. You will be better able to do good in the world if you let yourself have these things. Best mood lift? We may be biased, but we think a visit to Anjou Spa is a great way to relax and have fun!

    

5. Set up some rules. Establish boundaries so that you have a self-care sanctuary with expectations. For example, here’s a rule: only read fiction at home. Let yourself recharge so you can keep fighting later. Or, schedule a spa day or a hike at least twice a month and write it down on your calendar. Don’t cancel it, and show up on time –  like any other appointment you would make.

    

6. Accept your limits. If you tend to do too much, know that you alone can’t save the world. Like we said in our last self-care post: do what you can for today and be done. Perhaps end the day with rest and a quiet bath at home? 

    

7. Reach out. Often, we curl inward socially when overwhelmed w/ negative content. While this a normal reaction – it is a means of protection. It’s not always helpful when we are feeling depressed and overwhelmed. Whether it’s therapy or talking to your person, talking helps.

In the next post in this anti-anxiety series, we will share how to create room for self-care through the holidays and re-cap all our anti-anxiety tips. Want to catch up in the series? Read all about anxiety and self-care tips here.

Use Anjou Spa as your daytime escape! Call us at (541) 241-8454 or book online to schedule your next self-care treatment. Read more about Anjou Bend Spa Membership and sign up to receive exclusive member specials and samples.