Social Distancing: Dealing With The Stress

Tips From An Expert For When The Bad News Weighs You Down

We’ve been trying to navigate through a pandemic. Now we have worldwide protests addressing centuries of mistreatment of black people in America after the death of George Floyd.
Some of those have led to violent clashes with law enforcement.

Social Media amplifies a lot of the strife. It can feel like you’re mainlining misery, and a lot of times you can’t tell what’s the truth and what’s not.
Counselor Denise Hellekson from The Village Family Service Center joined us yesterday with some self-care tips during this stressful time.
After our on-air interview, I asked her how to handle social media during times like this, and she offered an answer that might make you think.

She says, “Start looking for the good news through all of this. I was just saying to a friend of mine the other day, and I very much love outdoor so this is one of the worst things I can think of. Think of when a forest burns down and it’s devastating and it’s charred and it looks overwhelming, but then you look at the green sprouts that are starting to develop, the lushness. So look for the green sprouts. Look for the good news. What’s happening where the change makers are positive. Find things that fill you up, make you laugh. Find the goodness that’s still there.”

If you’re feeling down by everything that’s going on, maybe that advice can help a little.

How are you managing during this time? People have different ways of coping with stress. Let me know on Facebook and Twitter.