Staying Sane in an Insane World
We're not meant to be heads down in the worst content (and viewpoints) that man has to offer dozens of hours per week year after year. Our brains can't take it and if that's your job you have to acknowledge that. The sooner you do the better you'll be able to handle it.
Nada Bakos retweeted a thread by former CIA analyst Cindy Otis that is increasingly relevant, not only to analysts, but to anyone deeply engaged in the news cycle - mental health.
We're not meant to be heads down in the worst content (and viewpoints) that man has to offer dozens of hours per week year after year. Our brains can't take it and if that's your job then you have to acknowledge that. The sooner you do, the better you'll be able to handle it.
I frequently tell analysts and collectors on my teams that they have to actively manage their mental health and that they should start that process before they reach a breaking point. It's critically important that those of us in senior or leadership positions acknowledge the challenge, admit that it impacts us as well, and help those around us develop beneficial strategies before the world breaks them.
It's important to remember that you don't have to be an intelligence professional, cop, content moderator, doctor, social worker, or journalist to struggle with this sort of overload. It can impact anyone who is repeatedly faced with the uncomfortable reality of the world. If any of this hits close to home Cindy's advice should help you regain some balance:
There are several risks to being overloaded with disturbing/negative content:
Complacency - becoming so used to the deluge that it all starts to seem normal.
Paralysis - that is, being so overwhelmed, you can't figure out what to do/how to move forward.
There are also serious physical consequences to living a negative content overloaded life. I had a colleague who didn't know he had stage 4 brain cancer because the symptoms were the same as our very stressful careers--exhaustion, random fevers, stress, and dizziness.
TAKE ACTION. Volunteer for a food pantry, canvass for a political candidate, donate to a NGO, visit a sick friend. Seriously. Service of some kind in your community lets you be part of SOLUTIONS. You will see RESULTS when otherwise you'd feel helpless.
GET UP & MOVE. Put the phone away, turn off the TV, log out of Twitter. Go for a walk, sit outside, get some coffee, call a friend. CIA is full of ppl walking the building with a colleague/friend. There's a reason. Our brains & bodies need breaks from stressful content.
AVOID DARK HOLES. (I'm sure there's a joke to be made about that.) It's easy to get sucked into the swirl of bad news. You watch a gruesome YouTube video and the next one is all queued up to play right after it. Focus on one issue at a time. Deal w/ it before moving on.
TALK TO SOMEONE. Often, we curl inward socially when overwhelmed w/ negative content. It's a means of protection. One of the great things at CIA was that everyone else knew what you were going through. Whether it's therapy or talking to your person, talking helps.
If you feel like this advice is insufficient, or comes too late, and you need more substantial assistance then please take the steps to make that happen - immediately. There is no shame in calling a time out and seeking professional help.