Is a constant stream of news headlines and notifications barraging your phone and infiltrating your email, reminding you of political, economic, and humanitarian unrest? It’s difficult not to emotionally respond and react, or let the most recent CNN or NYT update put you in a horrible mood.
Do you shudder when a notification from a news network pops up on your phone mid-day, while you’re trying to finish a report for work? Do news headlines that flood your Facebook feed make you angry, anxious, or irritable?
So how can you manage stress and anxiety? Each week I will offer one approach to help you stay grounded.
Tip #4 | Make plans for activities you love.
Especially when we aren’t feeling 100% physically or mentally, it’s important to remind ourselves of what matters. Bringing meaning to life can be as simple as engaging in an activity you enjoy, or removing yourself from the stream of notifications to reflect on what is important to you, perhaps what you find beautiful in the world, or if that’s too cheesy for you, what gets you out of bed in the morning.
Making plans that you are passionate about, both short and long term, keeps you motivated. People who have a life plan or goal they are working towards tend to fare better than those who don’t.
Stay grounded!
Konstantin Lukin, Ph.D., is a licensed clinical psychologist in Ridgewood and Hoboken, NJ. He has extensive clinical and research experience spanning individuals of all ages, in both inpatient and outpatient settings. He specializes in men’s issues, couple’s counseling, and relationship problems. His therapeutic approach focuses on providing support and practical feedback to help patients effectively address personal challenges. He integrates complementary modalities and techniques to offer a personalized approach tailored to each patient. He has been trained in cognitive-behavioral, dialectical behavior, schema-focused, and emotionally focused therapy, and has also been involved with research projects throughout his career, including two National Institute of Mental Health-funded studies. He is a member of the Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies, New Jersey Psychological Association, Northeast Counties Association of Psychologists, New York State Psychological Association, The International Centre for Excellence in Emotionally Focused Therapy, The New York Center for Emotionally Focused Therapy, the International OCD Foundation, the Association for Contextual Behavioral Science (ACSB) and a regular contributor to Psychology Today.