How to cope with the violence of the news?

How to keep a peaceful mind in the middle of such chaos?

It's the question I've been wrestling with in the last 10 days. And to be honest, it hasn't been easy.

I even found myself stuck, not being able to share anything on social media because everything I talk about seemed so inconsequential.

But on Monday, I saw that several of my clients sent me very similar questions:

How to cope with the violence of the news in the world? How to stay calm in a world filled with cruelty and atrocities?

It pushed me to think about it properly, and to talk about it through the lens of yoga and self-care.

Here are some things to consider:

Find the right balance between staying informed and protecting your mental health

Nowadays, we are under a constant stream of unregulated information. You don't need to know everything that's going on at all times. And you don't need to see the extremely violent images that are going around.

Check the news daily, but make it intentional. Maybe just once per day. Don't allow it to overwhelm your feed in-between cute cat videos. Mute some accounts if you need to.

Understand that doing so doesn't mean that you are ignoring what is going on

You are not turning a blind eye, you are protecting yourself so you can act from a more stable and healthier place.

Focus on what you can do at your level

There isn't much you can do to bring peace to the Middle East... but you might want to support humanitarian aid or get involved politically, if you feel called to do so.

But what you can truly influence is the world around you. A lot of our suffering comes from feeling powerless in the face of tragedy.

So what can you do today to bring some good to the world? Caring about your loved ones, starting with yourself, is the best course of action for now.

Protect your sleep. Protect your energy. Become a force for good.

It doesn't take much, and in it, you will find healing for yourself and the world around you.

Om, peace 🧡

Clem