Over recent months there has been a turn of events stirred by the media, and such experience will remain with us. The common reaction to gruesome events, news, or images of war is called war anxiety or nuclear anxiety.
Developments about the conflict in Ukraine coming at the back of the COVID-19 pandemic have struck hard, and this might be linked to a fragile control sense, worries, and elevated fatigue levels. According to the American Psychological Association survey, 80% of the participants indicated feeling more stressed by the Russian assault in Ukraine.
Symptoms of war anxiety
The impact of worries linked to mass violence is currently being studied. According to a Finnish study, adolescents who were concerned about nuclear war were more likely to experience mental health issues five years later.
War anxiety can gradually sneak on an individual or suddenly be present in reaction to a trigger. The symptoms manifest in your body, mind, or both. Physical symptoms may include butterflies in the stomach, dizziness, nausea, and a racing heart. Sometimes individuals develop panic attacks. In addition, war anxiety can present as worries spiraling out of control, restlessness, trouble sleeping, or nightmares in some individuals.
Coping strategies against war anxiety
If you are preoccupied with war anxiety, you can follow the following coping strategies.
Limit media exposure. Emotionally gripping news can affect you negatively and can be addictive. You should break the habit of checking the news always as a way to combat war anxiety.
Reach to others: You can channel your anxiety to other connections that may lower the sense of helplessness. If you have an acquaintance or friend in Ukraine, consider checking on them.#
Build compassion: War anxiety triggers anger and is also attributed to loss of control. Anger is easily directed at colleagues, family, or ethnic groups. You can manage it by cultivating compassion through interventions like physical activity, breathing exercises, and mindfulness.
Change routine: you should try and limit exposure to media, political discussions, and news updates. Instead, you can engage in activities like talking a walk, practicing mindfulness and deep breathing, and increasing the intensity of physical activity.
