When the news is overwhelming you

Pressing Pause ep 129 When the news is overwhelming you

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Welcome to Pressing Pause, I’m your host, Gabrielle Treanor, a coach, writer, introvert and sensitive soul with an inclination to ponder over the stuff of life. Join me as I explore how we can create, find and feel more calm, ease and joy in our daily lives.

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The episode is coming up but I wanted to remind you that the publication date of my book, The 1% Wellness Experiment, is edging ever closer and there are two bonuses available only to those who pre-order it before publication day. One of the bonuses is my 1 Minute Magic guide – 50 micro actions to calm and soothe, resource and regulate which, as it sounds, has 50 small but mighty actions that take just 60 seconds or less to de-stress your mind and body. And the other bonus is the chance to win one of three 45 minute one to one coaching sessions with me.

You just need to go to thewellnessexperiment.co.uk and send me confirmation of your book pre-order for you to receive 1 Minute Magic and to be entered into the prize draw to win a coaching session.

You can pre-order The 1% Wellness Experiment at your local bookstore or you can find a list of worldwide online stores at thewellnessexperiment.co.uk. Both of these bonuses are only available for pre-orders of the book before publication day. You can find out more about the bonuses and the book at thewellnessexperiment.co.uk.

Okay then, on with the episode!

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Welcome to episode 129. There is an enormous amount of pain and suffering happening in the world right now. There are many of us who are feeling overwhelmed by the enormity of the awfulness and feeling utterly helpless in the face of it. Thankful and guilt-ridden for our safety and comfort and aware of the incredibly privileged position we’re in by luck of birth. You might be finding yourself glued to the news and social media because to turn away would be to deny other people’s pain and the cruelty of the world, wouldn’t it?

We need to be aware of what is happening outside of our own little bubble, we need to be informed and educated, of course. If taking in news reports spurs you on to take action to donate funds, raise awareness, take part in a march, write to your MP or get involved in supporting those affected in your community that’s a positive reaction.

However, if you’re glued to the news cycle, reading, listening, watching the reports, feeling more and more anxious, more and more helpless, you become stuck in the anxiety and helplessness. It may not take long for it to impact your sleep, your work, your relationships with your family, friends, colleagues, and that’s not helpful to anyone. It’s nigh on impossible to take supportive action when you’re frozen in a tight ball of anxiety.

You can take care of yourself and at the same time care deeply about the suffering of other people. Doing what’s needed to soothe your nervous system, to feel calm and, yes, joyful, does not make you uncaring and selfish. You lying awake in the early hours or unable to concentrate on work or distracted from your loved ones doesn’t help anyone, it doesn’t ease the suffering of a single person.

The reality is that there has been pain and suffering which humans have inflicted on other humans for a long, long time, and it will continue for a long time to come. To connect with the people closest to you and those in your wider community, to be the advocate, the activist, the supporter you want to be, to fight for justice, to make the difference you want in the world, to live your one wild and precious life, you need to look after your own wellbeing. The clichés about filling your own cup and putting on your own oxygen mask first are clichés for good reason – they’re true.

So, if you’re feeling stuck in anxiety, upset or fear here are a few actions you can take:

Stop doom scrolling – News reports, opinions, accusations and rumours on social media can all mingle together on your timeline making it hard to differentiate between them. You don’t have control over who posts what but you do choose where you put your attention. You don’t have to post to prove you care. If scrolling through social media makes you feel stressed rather than informed, it’s time to step away for a while – hours or days, it’s up to you.

Take a few deep breaths – When we’re feeling anxious we tense up, often without realising it. Take a moment right now to check in with what your body is doing. Are you frowning? Are your shoulders lifted? Is your stomach tense? Put one hand on your belly and one on your chest to discover where you’re breathing from. If only the hand on your chest moves you’re breathing shallowly which tells your mind and body there’s a threat so to be on high alert, in survival mode. You can tell your mind you’re not in immediate danger so it can take the stress levels down a few pegs by taking a few deep breaths.

Picture your lungs as you breathe in through your nose, pushing out your stomach so that you can bring oxygen in to the bottom of your lungs. As you breathe out pull your stomach in so that you’re expelling all the air out through your mouth. Do this a couple of more times, letting your shoulders relax downwards with every exhale. Any time and anywhere you realise that you’re tensing up take a few deep breaths in and out.

Go for a walk – To get out of your head, and out of your worrying thoughts, get outside. If at all possible find a patch of nature to spend some time in. Research shows that being in nature reduces stress levels and the amount you ruminate. As you walk pay attention to what you can see, hear and smell. Notice what plants, flowers and trees are growing. Can you hear wind rustling in tree branches or birds chirping?

If the sun is shining look for the shadows it’s casting. If it’s raining notice the sound of the rain on your umbrella, watch it bounce in puddles and droplets land on foliage. What you’re experiencing right now, in this moment is your reality. You don’t know what’s going to happen next, you don’t have control over what’s happening elsewhere but what you do know is where you are right now, what you can see and hear.

Be thankful – It’s not unusual to have feelings of guilt for the luck of being born into a place, a life where you don’t have to face the kinds of difficulties, horrors even, that other people do. We feel bad for our life, where we live, what we have and it’s important to recognise our privilege and to appreciate all that we have. That doesn’t mean that we don’t also have challenges or that we’re not allowed to feel difficult feelings though. Instead of feeling ashamed of the good in your life, savour and be thankful for your family, friends, work, health, home. How might you put your position, your resources to use in your local community?

Spend time with others – In person if at all possible. When we’re feeling anxious it can be tempting to withdraw and hide away where we can protect ourselves from the frightening outside world. But this can contribute to our fearfulness, making us feel isolated. Instead, meet up with friends or interact with people in your neighbourhood. There are kind, friendly people all around us and you’ll find them in your local community. You don’t have to strike up conversations with strangers (unless you want to) but smiling at someone as you pass them on the street or exchanging a few pleasantries with the person on the supermarket checkout are little moments of human contact that benefit you and the other person.

You can take it a step further and commit an act of kindness. Research has shown that doing something for someone else (even a little thing) without expecting reward increases feelings of positivity and joy. Not only will you make them feel a little happier, you’ll help yourself to feel more positive too.

Distract yourself – If you’ve been through the actions I’ve already mentioned and still feel anxiety gripping you, do something to distract your mind. Find a complicated activity or task that needs your concentration. Play a game with your children that requires you to focus fully on them. Watch your favourite comedian, sing along to your most uplifting tunes, read a book – whatever will help you quiet your mind, breathe more deeply and relax your body. Then, try the actions again.

And don’t forget the basics – eat well and watch out for food and drink that will spike and crash your mood along with your blood sugar level, and get the sleep you need.

Above all, go easy on yourself. Telling yourself that other people have it much worse than you (that’s always been true, it’s pretty likely there will always be someone whose life is harder) and so you shouldn’t feel this way is just going to make you feel worse and keep you stuck in the anxiety. Recognise that you’re feeling overwhelmed and know that you’re allowed to feel like that. Imagine a good friend was feeling the same way and think what you’d say to her, how you’d treat her. Extend that same kindness and gentleness to yourself. When you’re in a more stable space you’ll be better able to on a march, campaign to your MP, raise funds and awareness and support the people who are in need in your local community.

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Thank you for listening to Pressing Pause, you can find the show notes at gabrielletreanor.com/podcast.

There are lots more resources such as free guides, blog posts, online courses and one to one coaching, to help you to create, find and feel more calm, ease and joy in your life, at gabrielletreanor.com. You’ll also find information on my book, The 1% Wellness Experiment, and the pre-order bonuses you can get there too.

I write on Substack and send my weeklyish emails from there so if you want to connect with me and say hi I would love that! You can search for my name on substack.com or click the link in the show notes.

And, lastly, if you enjoyed this podcast it would be incredibly helpful and lovely of you to leave a rating or review on iTunes. Reviews make a big difference to how podcasts are found and it would be wonderful if more people could find and listen to this podcast.

Any time you want to message me I’m always happy to hear from you. Email me at [email protected].

Thanks again for listening, until next time.