How can journalists maintain their mental health while covering traumatic events?

1 Know the signs

The first step to protecting your mental health is to recognize the signs of distress and trauma. Some of the common symptoms include nightmares, flashbacks, intrusive thoughts, emotional numbness, irritability, anger, guilt, shame, avoidance, isolation, or substance abuse. If you notice any of these signs in yourself or your colleagues, do not ignore them or dismiss them as normal. They may indicate that you need professional help or support.

2 Seek help

If you're struggling with your mental health, there is no shame in seeking help. You are not alone, and there are many resources available for journalists who cover traumatic events, such as the Dart Center for Journalism and Trauma, the International News Safety Institute, the Committee to Protect Journalists, the International Federation of Journalists, the International Center for Journalists, and the News Media Guild. Furthermore, you can reach out to your employer, union, peers, friends, or family for assistance. Don't hesitate to ask for counseling, therapy, or medication if you need them; they are a sign of strength and resilience.

4 Set boundaries

Finally, setting boundaries between your work and personal life is essential for journalists covering traumatic events. Limiting exposure to traumatic images, sounds, or stories by choosing necessary and relevant content for your story and using filters, headphones, or other tools can be helpful. Additionally, managing workload and time by not taking on more assignments than you can handle and planning time wisely is important. Moreover, respecting sources and subjects by following ethical standards and codes of conduct and maintaining a professional distance is crucial. Lastly, detaching from work when finished by disconnecting from phone, email, or social media can help maintain mental health while continuing to do important and valuable work.