CRISIS FATIGUE

On and on it goes. For those of us with anxiety 2020 has been a pretty bad year so far and with a U.S. presidential election looming it doesn’t look like it’s going to get better anytime soon. I’ve taken to not watching the news and closing down screens as often as I can. Family and friends are consumed by all that is going on as well and these crises weave their way into mundane conversations. Maybe this is part of the “new normal” people keep telling me about, I don’t know.

What I do know is constant crisis mode or the notion of society and others being in crisis can grate on you. If you have anxiety? Forget it. I found a good article here on crisis fatigue.

From the article: “With social media and cable news, we’re constantly bombarded with doom and gloom—and have been for at least a generation. In the 20 years since the terrorist attacks of 9/11, the United States and the UK have seen an almost constant stream of troubles that have emotionally exhausted their citizens: the 2008 economic collapse, wildfires ravaging the American West, ever-stronger hurricanes pounding the East Coast, and Brexit, just to name a few. “So I think there is a big issue out there around almost the layering, or sedimentation, of crises upon crises upon crises, that risks eroding our sense of social achievement, actually, and resilience,” Flinders said.”

“Just to name a few” isn’t that the truth? Russia annex Crimea, unrest in Hong Kong, Japan Tsunami… on and on and on and on.

Sometimes it feels like the world is burning

The article does a pretty good job of giving you a picture of what the last two decades have been like in terms of crisis fatigue. None of this really speaks to you personally though. Maybe on top of all of this you lost a job, your pet died, a relative has had a trauma. Now more than ever it’s imperative to take care of yourself.

As individuals with anxiety we simply have to make our mental health a priority and yes that means helping yourself first, your loved ones second. Remember you are better able to help the people you love when you yourself are healthy. Take care of your mental health and remove yourself as best you can from the crisis fatigue that has been plaguing us for years.