‘It’s okay to take a break’

When the Russian invasion of Ukraine began in 2022, I remember feeling hopeless for days after the news broke.

Warning: This article discusses self-harm. Readers are advised to exercise caution.

I spent hours scrolling through the news and social media, trying to analyze every detail, every political speech, every rubble-filled Ukrainian street. Some of the videos and photos are harrowing and I don’t think I’ll forget them for a while.

Looking back, I still don’t know why I did that to myself. Perhaps I am trying to find some kind of solution to my inner concerns, but nothing is that simple.

It’s frightening how quickly a momentous political event like Donald Trump’s victory in the US election can engulf the world. His disdain for anyone who doesn’t fit his vision of a blue-blooded American patriot can make days like this feel scary, and rightly so because it’s scary.

Those of us who are less radical, less bigoted, less obsessed with MAGA, both inside and outside of the United States, feel as if that’s not real and that we’re missing something. It definitely feels like we’re experiencing collective trauma, as if there’s no difference. . surely, surely They didn’t re-elect him.

And here I am again, endlessly scrolling through Twitter, swiping through news article after news article, trying to justify what’s going on. I’m tired, and so are we. I’m just as tired as I was in 2016.

While this behavior may seem ubiquitous, there is a line where it becomes harmful. Doomscrolling (the act of spending too much time wandering around social media to consume negative or controversial content) is a form of digital self-harm.

Political awareness is important, make no mistake about it. Now, more than ever, we need to be aware of what our political representatives believe and what we can do to hold them accountable, but there are limits. Political activity should not come at the expense of mental health.

among them guide Regarding digital self-harm, the LGBT Foundation highlights issues such as seeking conflict and searching for homophobic content as types of psychological self-harm. The section on symptoms to look out for includes ‘time blindness’. It’s the failure to realize how much time we spend online, how often or consistently we access spaces that are repetitive or harmful, prompting the need to: Check the spaces that you know cause distress.

I found myself closing Twitter many times today, only to open a new tab on my phone or computer and search again. I sat there waiting for my social media feed to update. Then I’ll find new posts about Trump that will push me further into the depths of despair. It’s not an activity, it’s self-harm.

Rather, we should channel this despair and anger into living our best lives in defiance of those who would look down on us. If that’s the happiness they want to take away from us, then that’s the happiness we should fight back against.

Activism doesn’t have to mean participating in counter-protests or expressing disapproval of President Trump on unstable social media platforms. Some people aren’t ready to deal with that, and that’s okay. Activism may simply mean caring for yourself and others.

If you’re in a crisis because of the election, reach out and talk to someone. If you’re having trouble finding someone, contact the NAMI Helpline in the U.S. at 1-800-950-NAMI, text “HelpLine” to 62640, or email . [email protected].

Please share your thoughts! Let us know in the comments section below. Please keep the conversation respectful.