The news about Canada/US relations as well as current economic uncertainty can play a significant role in people’s mental health and quality of life. The unknown, uncertainty and lack of control can lead to high levels of anxiety and preoccupation with what the future will look like for Canadians. Economical hardships are resulting in more need for mental health services for those experiencing depression, trauma, discrimination, loss, anxiety disorders and psychosocial stressors (eg. family conflict and strain). These are traumatizing times.
What you can do:
1) Limit “news watching time” to 15 minutes max a day
2) Limit screen time in general and try to engage in activities outside of the house that activate you in a healthy way and create a sense of purpose
3) Limit conversations about politics if you feel that it is impacting your mood and anxiety level
4) Do something within your control to help you to regulate your emotions and prevent you from being glued to the news
5) Make a budget and find helpful tools to manage finances and budget/plan for the future to have some sense of control with the economic uncertainty
Bettina