Feeling Exhausterwhelmulated?

Drs. Caroline Gerin-Lajoie & Kerri Ritchie

Over the last few weeks, many people have been sharing a common experience:

• Feeling upset or angry about all the negativity happening in the world,

• Wishing to be able to turn off the news, but its everywhere,

• Feeling that the world is not moving in the "right" direction and the pendulum is swinging back,

• It can feel demoralizing and worrisome.

To recognize this experience, a word has been circulating "Exhauster-whelm-ulated: The feeling of being exhausted, overwhelmed and overstimulated all at once (posted on tinybuddha.com). Does this word resonate with you?

Another term that came about in the last few years was “VUCA”, an acronym to describe the state of the world as volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous.

When things in the world are unsettling, many individuals turn to the news to decrease their emotional distress. Information is often helpful. However,  it can also feel overwhelming. When we reach a point in which things are not changing, or it is unclear what will happen, then constantly checking for new information can start to feel like more of a continuous trigger, reminding us of just how bad things could become.

Physiologically, when we feel threated it can lead to the flight or fight system being activated, leaving us with a lot of stored up energy if we don’t have a healthy release for it. Or, it can lead to a prolonged freeze response where we can start to feel helpless and stuck.

In recent years, some psychologists have been reporting that media overload is hurting our mental health. Newer terms have been created like: “media saturation overload,” “doomscrolling,” “headline anxiety,” and “headline stress disorder.” They are not actual disorders, but are meant to reflect the intensity of the distress.

Signs that you might need a "news cleanse":

• You are starting to feel like the only information you can think about or talk about comes from the headlines.

• Thoughts about the headlines are making it hard for you to fall or stay asleep at night.

• You are having trouble staying connected to the people in your life, or your participating in the aspects of your life you typically enjoyed.

  
  

As Dr. Christine Purdon, Psychologist, mentioned on CBC this past week, "the world will unfold whether we want it to or not, and watching every second on your screen will not make a difference”

What can you do?

• Balance news/media consumption:  “news-free or tech-free” periods, only checking news at certain times (avoid bedtime).

• Be more active in issues you care about, rather than just a passive observer of the news.

• Ask yourself if there is a way you can become involved. It can be big or little. Either way by making a decision and tying it to an action, you have taken back some control.

• Despite what is happening, give yourself permission to enjoy the "little" things. We do better when we allow ourselves to be present in our lives.

•  Seek out activities, stories, or people that are uplifting, energizing, and kind.

  
  

Remember, the goals is not to minimize or deny the real or potential impact of what is happening around us. Its about making sure that we allow ourselves to connect, experience, and be present in the range of experiences, positive and negative, that are happening in our lives.