Managing vicarious trauma

From Sojourners, July 2017

Tips for Digital Self-Care

WITH NEARLY 7 in 10 Americans using some form of social media, journalists aren’t the only ones wrestling with the images and videos that flood their newsfeeds without warning. Here’s what to do next time you find yourself confronted with traumatic content online.

Hit “pause.” Don’t view traumatic material without a procedure in mind. Take a moment to stare out a window or at an indoor plant. This disrupts the tendency to cruise-ahead on autopilot.

Ask: Do I need to see this? If you know this material is old or is of no real relevance to your objectives, it is best not to engage.

Ask: Do I need to see this now? It is best not to view violent material when you are tired. If you decide to continue viewing ...

Make the viewing window on your computer smaller. This disrupts the narrative flow of the material and builds in distance.

Steel yourself. Put on imaginary protective clothing of some kind, such as a raincoat, or visualize that bulletproof glass exists between oneself and the screen—techniques used by forensic investigators.

Lower the sound, or turn it off altogether. Sound is often the most affecting part of a video. You can always turn it back on later if you need to.

Scrub through. Drag your cursor through the timeline to locate aversive sections. If you don’t need to look at those parts in detail, don’t.

Adapted from the Dart Center for Journalism and Trauma

Catherine Woodiwiss

Study suggests drinking tea, black or green made from tea leaves, can reduce the risk for Alzheirmer's in people over 55.

Drinking tea is linked to a dramatic reduction in the risk of cognitive impairment in older people, new research suggests.

A single daily cup of tea reduces cognitive decline in those over 55 by 50%, the Chinese study found.

For more click here.

Buying from Amazon using the MBH widget helps support the blog with no additional cost to the buyer.

Check your schadenfreude

Schadenfeude is taking pleasure in other people's misfortune.

 

Remarrieds have less sex than those who stay in first marriage

From Science Daily 02/16/15:

The study also found that people who remain in their first marriages have sex more frequently than those who remarry. 

......

As to why "remarrieds" have less frequent sex than those in first marriages, "it may be that those who have been married in the past may not have as strong of a sense of permanence or lasting investment," Stroope said.

For more click here

Music can be good therapy

What can be done with music to enhance healthy growth in elementary school children after school

Roots & Rhythms, an after-school drumming program, teaches students to collaborate, create, and have some fun while learning the basics of percussion and embracing their own cultures,