Crisis Fatigue

It’s hard to count the number of major crises that we’ve been immersed in over the past few months. They just seem to compound on each other at this point.

While the crises themselves are bad enough, what has amplified them to an even greater extent is the degree of connectivity in which we live. We are inundated with 24 hour news images, opinions and outrage.

A local incident instantly goes viral and becomes international and now FEELS local in every part of the world. You then find yourself emotionally reacting to incident after incident as if they were happening in your home.

This can understandably lead to an unnatural amplification of your own emotional response. Responses that may be natural and therapeutic on a smaller scale become chronically activated leading to fatigue and stress.

Sound familiar?

What’s the solution?

Step back a minute. Take stock of the things you can control and focus on them. Turn off social media, Turn off the news for a few days (except maybe the weather and to see if there’s a curfew). It will all be there when you come back. Most of it is so filtered by the emotion of its creators that it is impossible to interpret.

Set your priorities. Plan. Exercise. Reset. Pray. Fight crisis fatigue in the way that works for you.