JACKSON, Miss. (WLBT) – We are thousands of miles away from the war going on in Israel. However, the conflict can seem closer because you are exposed to all the images and stories from various platforms.
So we wanted to find out how to protect your mental health while keeping up with the latest developments.
Images, sounds and information about war are more accessible than ever.
“It definitely took a toll on me because I don’t think reality really set in how serious it was out there,” Wesley Grant said.
Social media platforms can result in information overload.
“It’s really disturbing to see some of the images and things that are happening,” Grant added. “Especially like on It’s Kinda Scary.”
But many of you feel the need to walk a fine line in order to stay informed.
“It’s definitely a lot to take in,” noted David Olszewski. “I feel like it’s very important to be able to see all the pictures and, you know, actually see what’s going on. I think that’s, you know, insurance that you don’t want to go too far down the rabbit hole, right? Because then you just start learning about too many things. I think it’s thrown out of perspective.”
We asked a licensed professional counselor how we can protect our mental health while seeing it all. Crossroads Counseling Center director Stephanie Smith Jefferson says to watch for signs that you’re overwhelmed, whether it’s feelings of anxiety, frenzy or changes in breathing.
“One of the things we have to think about is asking yourself, what do you want to know?” she noted. “How much do you want to know and why do you want to know? So when you look at it, you can determine that you know this is enough. From what I’ve just seen, even a little soundtrack is more than enough, and then you separate yourself from that.”
She suggests finding outlets to deal with that stress, like going for a walk, listening to music, or even finding ways to help out locally.
“Most of us are curious and want to know things,” she explained. “And sometimes we just have to remember that sometimes too much really is too much.”
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