How do you handle the emotional toll of difficult stories?

Working with a professional mental health counselor - therapist, coach, social worker or pastor for instance - is helpful. I also recommend frequent short-term breaks during the day and longer ones in the form of vacations. Taking time away from the difficulty or trauma is important. Soothe yourself. Walks in nature and meditation are two science-backed methods to help us manage feeling overwhelmed. Both calm the nervous system and replenish energy.

We are used to being judges, of what we do, of what others do, of the external reality and so on, but we forget to be observers first. Let's start with our inner self. We have thoughts and emotions we cannot control, so let's observe them first. We can notice how they feel, if they are new or familiar, if they can be located somewhere in our body. Once we do that, their hold on us will loosen up.

As a journalist, we are trained, or at least told with stress, to keep our emotions away when we report or write. It is like a surgeon or a physician examining their patients. But honestly, that is not always possible because we don't have a switch-on or switch-off button for emotions. Emotions do overflow at times and it is a struggle that more often than not clashes with professional ethics and our attempts to be objective. I don't know any technique or formula that we can employ to help us deal with the emotional toll of storytelling. I tend to create an imaginary wall where I don't jump into the shoes of my characters (or the real life people) I am writing about. It is like watching them or observing them from a distance. (1/)

There's a vital piece missing. Yes, acknowledging and expressing the distress of exposure to others' troubles is important. And negativity bias will pull us in that direction. However the power of strengthening existing assets that are protective is missing. We can exercise and increase strengths as well as additional skills that reduce (not eliminate) the impact. Being around at least as many positive folks and filling up the counterweight is important. Then use it as leverage in the sturdiness and resilience it builds. It is indeed stepping from judge to observer.

Be bold and brave. Always. I know, easier said than done. The best storytellers don’t spend time thinking about what people want or how they might react. We will never know what others might think, so don’t waste time on this. Instead, dig as deep as you can – this is the art of great storytelling. You will find it healing. To express the heavy burdens that you may have encountered will free you, and possibly others. One personal experience comes to mind. Someone close to me enabled a lie to cloud a grim reality. As this was a bit close to home, I did not delude what I wanted to express but did fictionalize all that was around the real person/event. This gave me enough “emotional cover” to explore the truth.

"This is enough": how often do you use this phrase? Not necessarily to others, but also to yourself. We are exposed to many things that we don't want or like, including our own thoughts and feelings. We may not always be able to select the situation we are in, but we can decide how we want to react to it. Saying "This is enough" can help us draw a line between where we are and where we want to be. If it doesn't feel comfortable saying it, turn it into a question: "Is this enough for now?"

It's essential to set boundaries while handling difficult stories. While you may not have the privilege of refusing a story, you may be able to protect yourself from it. If you're tasked with writing/covering a difficult story, you must consciously choose to leave it where it is once you're done. Compartmentalise your mind to not carry that difficult story home. It's tough, quite impossible but the best way to narrate difficult stories is to not allow it to play on your mind. If the thought should come, acknowledge it, and then move on from it. It's a too for self-preservation.

Some skills that so many of us need to learn: -how much to tell who when -why not telling your story first is critical -who has the right to hear it -why are you telling it Look at Kelly's "7 Levels of Intimacy" and think about the challenge of feelings that may be foreign... Telling ones story may relieve the pressure of those feelings--and it may disrupt the relationship.

We evolved through million of years because of our ability to cooperate and rely on others. Our modern world has affected our natural tendency because seeking support can label us "weak" or "too sensitive" or "unable" to solve something ourselves. Even if these are true, it is totally fine. No one is supposed to go through life alone. Find a person or people who will not judge you and tell them how you feel. You will automatically feel lighter.

You must know when it's too much to handle. When compartmentalising isn't working, when gently acknowledging feelings and moving away is not working, when you find yourself unable to extricate yourself from the incessant thoughts about that tough story --- then it's time to seek help. Talking to a therapist can help tackle the repercussions caused by a difficult story on your mental health. Don't repress your feelings that may later create depressive cycles, unwarranted fears, despondency. Speak to a counsellor, devote time to positive activities such as exercise, mediation, yoga, deep breathing, and sports.

The only things we bring into this life and we still own at the end are our mind and our body. Taking care of both is critical for our health and emotional wellbeing. Start with our basic needs: a better diet, enough sleep, being active, and spending time with your loved ones. These alone can be sufficient, and if you have more time, add anything you feel passionate about.

Add another level to your self care by considering it through the lens of Ginsberg's 7Cs of resilience." How does the action align with your character? What connections are involved? Competencies? What contribution does the act make and to whom? Check it out. We've been seeing amplification of the benefits of self care using that schema.

Being self-aware is the best tool to cope with ramifications of handling a tough story. Strengthen your mind and body, practice yoga and meditation, work out, play a sport, at least for for a walk! While dealing with challenging stories that break the heart, it's important to self-preserve and keep one's faith in the gifts and positivities of life. There is much that's wrong around us, but there is also love, beauty, and happiness. Our greatest practice of self-care would be to note and rejoice in the joys of life.

Some people may think that acknowledging our successes is arrogant or selfish. But there is a difference between healthy self-recognition and excessive bragging. Sharing our achievements can inspire others to pursue their own dreams. In a world where negativity often dominates and fills our feeds, we need to spread more positivity and joy.

Be curious. Ask yourself more "how" questions; for example "How is it that they think this?", "How can I do this?", "How would it feel if I did that"? It's key to not rush the answers. Ponder these questions, and experience them. The purpose is not really to answer them (outcome), but to explore how you think (process).

As a consultant and mentor, I often share my father’s lesson on overreaction with leaders and mentees. I advise them to think about angry emails. We all know we shouldn’t write while angry, so instead, we should write the email, save it as a draft, and wait a day. If the anger persists and nothing has changed, then perhaps the email is warranted. However, if we realize upon waking up that the situation isn’t the end of the world, we can delete our vicious diatribe.

Whenever anyone asks me how to start a podcast, write a book, or make a film, I always respond the same way: The first step to starting ANY creative project is starting the project. All creative people have different methods to their madness, but they have one thing in common — they just made a thing. The dusty bucket lists we all carry around don’t complete themselves. The only way to get through that list is to start crossing items off one by one. If you have a dream or goal, the hardest part is taking that first step. But once you do, momentum kicks in and carries you the rest of the way.

I have check-up questions that I ask myself when I work with difficult stories. One of the examples below. What is the purpose of my work? - I was working with an investigative podcast, when we found out about a horrific system of extortion of money from labor migrants by falsification diagnoses (syfilisis) and following forced heavy treatment. There was a lot of pain and injustice. I kept in mind the reason why I'm doing this and focused on that. Storytelling could be a therapy for the victims, a bridge between different people, and an impulse for the furthest changes. That belief helps me a lot.

Well, for me, it's about experience. In the past, those kind of stories used to bother me, sometimes I even used to have nightmares. But with maturity and with time, I started taking them as a part of everyone's life since everyone have their own stories, the good and the bad ones. Time does teach you how to handle difficult situations, to not take things personally and so much so. When someone's really sharing their stories, it's your responsibility to listen to them without judgement and most importantly show empathy rather than sympathy. Also, standing on others' shoes is always a humble gesture as you never know what life would throw at you personally.

Our ability to handle the emotional toll of difficult stories is a profound and essential aspect of our humanity, whether we encounter these stories individually or collectively. Here are some insightful ways to navigate the emotional impact of difficult stories: Empathy as a Strength, not a Weakness Turn Emotion into Action Practice Self-Care Normalise Conversations Using Your Platform to important issues can lead to greater awareness and change. These challenging narratives often provide us with our most profound opportunities for growth and meaningful change.

In my experience, I get my emotions out the first time I see the footage. Then I get busy editing and producing with journalistic integrity, making sure that I have as much accurate documentation as possible to showcase the stories.