COVID-19. Floods. War. Personal and work stressors. The list continues of current affairs which consume our conversations and saturate our thoughts. Just listing them makes my blood pressure rise.
I was talking to a family member about the devastating events unfolding in Ukraine, when my four-year-old daughter in the room next door piped up asking, "What’s happening in Ukraine?" I was reminded again how much our children listen in on our conversations, and keep an eye on the news while playing in the background. It’s caused me to reflect again on how exposure to regular distressing information might impact them?
Research shows, and we clearly observe, that young people are more connected to media more than ever before. This means that they are more exposed to a range of potentially distressing information, often directing their thoughts to multiple sources of stress. A modality in psychology, cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), considers that how we feel is often impacted largely by our patterns of thought. The more we focus and attend to something, the more it will affect how we feel. Young people may internalize fearful messages, often causing anxiety and worry. They may at times struggle to separate what is happening elsewhere to their daily lives.
When exposed to regular distressing news or graphic visuals, young people may:Feel worried that they or their families might get hurt
Feel anxious, especially if they over-estimate the risk of current matters
Feel down or depressed about the world
Behave out of sorts, feel dysregulated, or withdraw
Have difficulty sleeping, concentrating and taking part at school
As we continue to grow our beautiful children, yes, we are unable to shield them from all distress, but sometimes we may need to build in a pause.A pause from current news and events.
A pause to engage in something that reduces stress and worry.
A pause to explore questions and big feelings our young people may have.
A pause for us and our children to laugh, play and be present in the moment.
A pause to focus our children’s attention on the daily blessings we find around us.
God built in a pause in the human story, when on the seventh day of creation he stopped, he rested. The purpose of this pause is for physical, spiritual and relational restoration and harmony. With this he gave us a rhythm, a pattern for life and wellness. A circuit-breaker in the stress of life, a refuelling to reenergise and reframe perspective.
So let us continue to build in a pause, both for our wellbeing and the wellbeing of our children.
Mrs Liz Hurlow
School Counsellor
Reference:
https://raisingchildren.net.au/teens/entertainment-technology/media/disaster-news-supporting-teens
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