CANDY WASHINGTON

WRITER | PRODUCER | ACTOR | MANIFESTATION + SELF-LOVE MUSE

Dealing With Distressing Events: The Best Ways to Cope

Candy WashingtonComment

Hi lovelies,

Numerous historical, global events have happened in the past few years and they’ve not been nice things. From the pandemic to Brexit, markets crashing, the fuel crisis, now the war between Russia and Ukraine threatening to start World War Three- if you sit and think about it all too much it can become a huge source of anxiety. On top of this, we all have our own life issues to deal with as well. From pressures at work to relationships, our own financial hardships, death or illness in our family and other events each of us have to work through- if you’re feeling frazzled lately then it’s no wonder. At this point it feels like we’re all ‘used’ to having our lives disrupted, and things seeming to get progressively worse with no end in sight. But with so much out of our control, all we can do is focus on what we can change, and how we respond to things. Here are some ideas for coping through these distressing times.

Switch off the news
Keeping in the know about what’s happening across the world when so much is changing might seem sensible, but if you find it’s affecting you then the best thing you can do is switch it off. Constantly hearing bad news will only make you feel worse, if you feel like you have to find out the details then allocate yourself ten minutes a day to catch up on important highlights or read the latest news. From there, try and switch off. When there’s nothing you can do about a situation, sometimes the kindest thing you can do for yourself is remain as ignorant as possible towards it as a way to protect your mental health. 

Find healthy coping mechanisms
If you feel your stress levels rising, it’s important to know how to deal with this in a healthy and productive way. Don’t be tempted to reach for alcohol, drugs or cigarettes, coping mechanisms like shopping and gambling can also spiral into dangerous territory, Instead, find ways to relax your mind and body that will do you good. This could be anything from exercise to hot baths, journaling to meditation or taking cbd, you can find these products on an online cbd store. This is safe, effective and completely legal. Hobbies are another way you can mentally cope with difficult situations as they keep you distracted and can improve your state of mind, as well as enable you to learn or improve your skills.

Get professional help
If you’re really struggling and the steps you’re taking yourself dont seem to be working, dont be afraid to reach out for professional help. Depression and anxiety can easily arise in these sorts of times, and are best managed by a professional. Depending on your personal circumstances, therapy, medication or a combination of the two might be used.