By Maurice Carroll
Many of us wake up and check the news or social media before we even take a moment to check in with ourselves. We do this almost automatically, often without realizing it at the moment. It’s one of those habits many of us share but rarely talk about. We reach for updates without thinking about what we are taking in or how it may affect us. It quietly shapes how we think, feel and respond throughout the day.
In the current political climate, the U.S. president has taken actions that many Americans believe push past the guardrails designed to ensure order, process and accountability. Those decisions have now engaged the United States in a war that, according to a recent Reuters/Ipsos national poll, is supported by only 27 percent of Americans. This means that the majority of the country either disapproves (43 percent) or is unsure (29 percent) about the actions of the military under his direction. When a crisis becomes the daily headline, we absorb more stress than we realize.
When we consume war news headlines before taking a moment within ourselves first–whether it’s through social media or even in an in-person conversation–that stress takes effect. The stress isn’t just the mental flow chart that webs out so far that we don’t even remember how we got “there.”
Chronic stress can change the brain’s emotional circuits and increase cardiovascular risk. When people live under ongoing stress, the nervous system shifts into a constant alert state releasing hormones that affect both the brain and the heart. Yes, even though you may not be in the physical war zone you can still feel the effects of the war. All is not lost though. There are ways to be informed without allowing it to consume you psychologically.
You can’t control the war. You can control your intake.
Using the Serenity Prayer as a grounding mantra may change your perspective before you allow your emotions to take control. If we take a real look at ourselves, we often allow our emotions to be the control instead of using them as tools for expression. Lots of times, it is our emotions fueled by ego that blinds us into becoming unrealistically attached to what we consume. Will getting upset or internalizing the events change the event itself? Are you using your tools, emotions to express yourself to be heard and understood or are you venting? Both can be true at the same time, however, having a gauge on how much you are internalizing will have a direct effect on you physically and psychologically. One idea is to do a quick and honest analysis of yourself. If you know that war coverage or even if political coverage is triggering for you, make choices that will reduce your exposure to it. Reallocate that time and space with something that actually supports your mental and physical health.
The opinions expressed in this commentary are those of the writer and not necessarily those of the AFRO.