How To Cope With The Stress Of War Starting

Posted on Feb 28, 2022 | 0 comments

It is with such a heavy heart that I write this post. Yesterday Russia invaded the Ukraine. I can’t imagine waking up and hearing my president say we are under attack, stay inside and let the military handle it. Likewise, I cant imagine waking up and hearing my president tell us we are attacking another country. Telling us that this is a long-planned attack…

It is frightening for many. And not being there, watching it from over here, can induce so much stress and trauma in one, the not knowing is frightening.

As we discuss in our Free Masterclass, the brain does not know if the threat is real or perceived, it just reacts. So I wanted to share my top tips for coping with the stress of war starting. Because being conscious of having these reactions and feelings means we can control them.

How To Cope With The Stress Of War Starting

Accept your feelings – be ok with how you react, your body is just trying to protect you after all. So accept how you are feeling with understanding.
Talk about it, with many people. Do not keep it in, your body will store that anxiety and it will begin to deteriorate you from the inside.
Monitor your food, sleep and exercise. During times of stress we eat less (and bad foods), we sleep less and find excuses not to exercise because the anxiety has exhausted us. So be conscious of this and make sure you are getting enough sleep, eating right and exercising regularly.
Limit your exposure to the photos on media. We know there is a lot of fake news, causing us so much more stress. So try to stay away from these images.
Do something positive for yourself – challenge your sense of helplessness. Things like volunteering, helping a neighbor, completely a project, planning a spa afternoon, organizing and cleaning, a hot bath, your favorite exercise… all will help you feel more present and in control.
Ask for help – if the anxiety and stress get so terrifying ask for help, don’t go it alone and know you are not alone. A lot of people feel this way and seek therapy for this.
Be conscious of your breathing. In times of stress our breathing is very shallow, not providing enough oxygen for our brains to think straight. So when you get super stressed, stop and do one of the breathing techniques right away for instant relief. Try it, it works!