Mass Shootings are Traumatic to All of Us
Many of you are experiencing your own range of strong emotions. Mass shootings are traumatic to our entire civilization. There are those who are impacted directly – their lives forever altered or destroyed. But additionally there are millions of us who are secondary victims, left feeling disturbed, sad, angry, anxious and afraid. Below you will find 5 simple things that you can do to help yourself cope.Five Simple Things You Can Do:
- Find a safe space to process what’s you’re learning about the events and what you’re feeling. The more proactive you are about processing the shooting, the more likely you are to cope better.
- Do things that soothe you: Trauma and violence overstimulates your nervous system. Take a hike in the mountains, play with your kids, meditate, or listen to soothing music.
- Manage your news and social media consumption carefully. Log off when it’s too much. Don’t post or reply if you can’t be civil to those with opposing views. And take breaks from the news and social media when it becomes too negative or overwhelming.
- Be mindful of your own triggers. Those of you who were already feeling raw due to stressors in your own life or who’ve been through disturbing events in the past may find that you have less bandwidth to devote to this event. Practicing good self-care and stepping away from the topic for a while does not make you a bad citizen.
- Spread love and peace to all of those you encounter. At this moment in time, our nation is an exposed nerve. Acts of compassion and understanding are always the highest and best way to respond to one another.