Ukrainians live in a mode of exhaustion. Even if you are not fighting at the front, you are under information pressure 24/7 and can’t control your own life. And these factors are very draining for the human body. 

Valentin Kim, a social psychologist, explains how to help yourself in this difficult time so as not to fall into apathy.

This is the first war that we are watching almost in real time: information resources are working around the clock. In addition to the battlefield, there is also an information front where Ukrainians are fighting against russian fake campaigns. Our social media is oversaturated with information. So the best thing you can do for yourself is to limit your consumption. Keep one or two resources you trust. Don’t forget about information hygiene during the war.

Limit communication with toxic people. As much as possible. Unfortunately, today this category can include family members who evoke strong emotions in you. And it’s not necessarily about anger or fear. Even bursts of joy in others can affect you. Therefore, be selective and limit the “degree of penetration” of people into your life.

Limit the spontaneity of your life. During the war, plans and dreams are destroyed – people lose the feeling that they control their lives. If you want to help yourself, you have to get back to a routine, to a certain schedule. Plan even “small” tasks.

“Your life now needs to be balanced, organised and adjusted. If your schedule is full of turbulent events that you don’t control, that you didn’t plan, then this leads to the fact that you start losing extra energy, and this is not what you need,” explains Valentin Kim.