We submerse ourselves in the energy of it.

We use it as a way of seeking support from each other, looking for sense and understanding when often there isn’t any.

We want to talk it ok.

We want to rationalise.

We want to commiserate.

Sometimes the chat makes us feel bonded to others, all sharing in the same stress.

Obviously if something tragic happens in the family, this takes on a different level but this is not what I am talking about here today.

Today I want to talk about taking on stress that really isn’t yours. Yes, we may be triggered by stuff happening, but the actual tragedy is not affecting you.

When things happen that trigger us, we have to acknowledge the feelings we feel. It’s completely normal to empathise with someone who is going through a difficult time. It’s completely normal to feel real emotions despite the thing that happened, not being yours.

HOWEVER…

These emotions and reactions can take on a life of their own, a life of their own way beyond what is healthy!

Despite it being a natural human response to share information, especially bad news, it’s not always helpful.

Everybody has their own limits as to how much negative news and what kind of stories affects them. Therefore, it is helpful to learn about yourself and how you react.

Keeping a healthy boundary is ideal for your self-care.

These are some tips to keep your self-care good at times of ‘community stress’;

1.Grounding; there are so many ways to keep yourself grounded so just use those that you like the most. If the concept is completely new to you, you can ground yourself by going for a walk, gardening or basically any outside time. There are other things but those are a great starting point.

2.Journal; you can journal gratitudes which trains your brain to notice positives despite an overall image of negativity, and/or, you can journal in a manner to express how you feel and therefore work through and release your challenging emotions.

3.Keep an eye on how much time you are spending chatting about it. Ask yourself how it actually makes you feel and does it help you?

We can easily get drawn into chat about tragic events, however it seldom helps us, and can even be damaging to the people involved if unknown facts are discussed.

4.Meditation/mindfulness routines.

5.Exercise; any exercise will burn those stress hormones so do whatever suits you.

Remember, setting your boundaries as to how much you take on, is not the same as not caring.

I’m sure you have enough going on in your own life without taking on other stress that won’t serve you and doesn’t help those at the centre of it.

In fact, the best thing you can do is shine your light as brightly as you can so that you help others around you in a positive way.