Summary

The website content discusses the phenomenon of compassion fatigue, a state of emotional and physical exhaustion caused by an overexposure to negative news and global suffering, and offers strategies for coping with it.

Abstract

The article "Are Current Affairs Harming Your Mental Health?" addresses the impact of constant exposure to distressing world events on individuals' mental health, leading to a condition known as compassion fatigue. It describes how the relentless barrage of bad news, from war and famine to pandemics, can leave people feeling overwhelmed and hopeless, eventually leading to emotional detachment or a complete breakdown. The piece highlights that while access to information is beneficial, it also exposes individuals to an unprecedented level of global issues, which can stretch their emotional capacity to the breaking point. Symptoms of compassion fatigue include detachment, depression, insomnia, and poor self-care. The article suggests that to combat this, individuals should limit news consumption, curate positive social media feeds, practice gratitude, engage in self-compassion, and focus on taking constructive actions. It emphasizes the importance of self-care and maintaining one's ability to show compassion without succumbing to burnout.

Opinions

The author believes that the constant stream of negative news can lead to compassion fatigue, which is detrimental to mental health.
It is implied that while empathy is crucial, the modern ability to be constantly informed can overload our natural capacity for empathy.
The article suggests that society's overall empathy levels have declined, and there is a need for more compassion in the world.
The author advocates for self-care as a means to prevent compassion fatigue and to maintain the ability to show compassion effectively.
There is an opinion that ruminating on global issues without taking action is unproductive and harmful, and that channeling emotions into positive actions can lead to meaningful change.

Are Current Affairs Harming Your Mental Health?

Compassion Fatigue: Holding the world on your shoulders only breaks you.

Does checking the news nowadays leave you feeling overwhelmed and hopeless?

From radicalism to war; from famine to the coronavirus.

The problems are relentless, and we feel we have no choice but to consume them.

So much so, that many of us eventually hit an emotional wall, where we feel we have no more energy for all the negativity; no more empathy to give— so we either block it all out or simply break under the pressure.

If you feel like you’ve spent so much energy worrying about the world’s problems that you are beginning to detach yourself from it all, then you aren’t alone. As information is more accessible than ever — as useful as this is — our immersion in global affairs can also really take a toll.

Arguably, for the first time in history, it has become near impossible not to be aware of the world’s problems — no matter whether or not you are ever likely to meet those affected in real life.

As a result, we have become worn down and flattened by the never-ending stream of anxiety-inducing bad news, to the point that we can choose to either have a nervous breakdown as we try to carry the weight of the world on our shoulders, or become desensitized entirely in order to protect ourselves from the grief of it all.

Does this mean that we should stop caring about others’ suffering or reports of impending doom? Of course not. But the burnt-out apathy which results from holding the world on your shoulders for too long serves as no relief for anyone.

What is compassion fatigue?

Compassion fatigue used to be a problem most commonly seen among healthcare professionals, whose work exposes them to unspeakable suffering on a daily basis. However, now that every depressing headline — no matter how far afield the tragedy — is instantly available via our devices, compassion fatigue is no longer unique to certain professions.

These days, we are inundated with graphic images and headlines of conflict, terror, and mass misery. And although our empathy can safely expand to a limited number of those around us, when that number jumps to millions or billions, our emotional capacity is stretched beyond its natural bounds and as such, it breaks us — eventually leaving us numb.

Compassion Fatigue: The Symptoms

Detachment from others and their problems
Isolating yourself
Depression
Difficulty concentrating
Insomnia and nightmares
Physical and mental fatigue
Bottling up your emotions
Feelings of hopelessness or powerlessness
Frequent complaining about your work or your life
Dependence on food, drugs or alcohol to self-soothe
Poor self-care

Like burnout or any other stress or anxiety-related condition, compassion fatigue can bubble away in the background until you reach a breaking point.

Through awareness and healthy self-care, those who experience compassion fatigue can start to understand the complexity of the emotions they’ve been suppressing, thus learning how to better cope with them.

How to cope with Compassion Fatigue

Limit the amount of news you watch or read.
If you must use social media, work on making your feeds less negative.
Be grateful for what is good in your life and in the world; consider using a gratitude journal.
Show compassion to yourself by being kind, soothing, and comforting to yourself.
Come to terms with the fact that your rumination will not improve the pain and suffering of others, and think of positive actions you can realistically take which will help somebody somewhere.

Compassion Fatigue: Some Final Thoughts

Overall, empathy has declined in recent decades. We live in a world that desperately needs more compassion. As such, the last thing we need is for those who are most adept at giving and showing compassion to lose that gift to something completely avoidable.

By practicing self-care in the midst of negative news, and being aware of the warning signs of compassion fatigue, you can channel this empathy into a more productive and less damaging outlet.

Instead of senselessly ruminating over the evils in the world, grasp that emotion and turn it into determination to change lives for the better — one act of kindness at a time.

Roxanna is a British-Iranian content writer specialised in human rights, health, and welfare. With a languages degree from King’s College London, a Masters in European Studies from LSE, and an EU communications background, she strives to increase the visibility and encourage debate around ethical and sociocultural issues around the world. http://roxannaazimy.com @roxannayasmin