The world is undoubtedly a crazy place right now. All we hear is war, death, a refugee crisis, rising costs, poverty and much more connected to these themes. The broader situation will seem even worse though if you’re constantly watching television news and reading newspapers. I appreciate that this may be an unpopular view though I firmly believe it’s true. Even at times like these, the media still have an agenda, perhaps more so than usual, and please don’t forget that it benefits the huge media organisations to have people constantly living in fear and anxious states. During times like these, we’ll watch more TV news and shows, buy more newspapers, listen to more radio, and access their websites more frequently.

Clearly there is a need for all of us to understand what is going on in the UK and the world right now, though we don’t need to watch the news for hours on end to better understand this. Please do think about finding what you believe to be a reputable news source, whether that’s a certain TV channel, newspaper, website or social media account, and check in for around 10-15 minutes each day. That should be all you need to bring you up-to-speed with what’s going on right now. Once you’ve done that, find something reassuring and relaxing to do that works for you, whether that’s reading, exercising, listening to music, taking in a boxset, or walking the dog – whatever it is, do something each day that calms you and takes your mind off everything else that is going on.

Some might say I’m being naïve and dismissive here, though I’m not. I’m continually seeing people almost paralysed by fear, much of it fuelled by what they’re seeing, hearing and reading in the media. It is desperately hard to remain positive in times such as these but wars and times of deep financial struggle do not last for a lifetime. They are difficult to deal with, especially the current financial situation in the UK, though they will be even more difficult to get through if we have a nation of people experiencing mental health issues as a result of everything they see on their TV screens.

As always, thanks for reading, stay safe and be kind to yourself and others. But especially yourself.

Best wishes.

Mick