When the Past Resurfaces: Managing Triggers from the Past in the Present Moment

By Melody Wright, LMFT

As most of us do our morning scroll through our news and social media apps, we can see there is a substantial amount of events that we are constantly being exposed to. Whether these events are on an international level, such as war or tension between nations, a national level, such as politically charged or party-driven bills that are controversial in nature, or at a local level, such as riots as a result of police brutality, all of these events can trigger negative feelings or reactions. This is especially true if your past involves a traumatic event that is similar in nature to that of current events. 

Of course, while the media may be responsible for sharing and keeping us updated on current events, it’s us that has the responsibility to process the information that is delivered to us. Sometimes, this means that we need to process any negative feelings that may have been brought up in the course of receiving updates on current events. For an individual who has been targeted by law enforcement as a result of their race, watching a news segment on police brutality can be an extremely stressful experience that can trigger their past trauma. If you’re finding yourself struggling with current events triggering past trauma, below are some coping skills you can practice:

• Practice Mindfulness: Using mindfulness practices when you are feeling a rise in your stress or anxiety levels can be a great way to interrupt your negative thoughts and bring you back to the present. Breathing techniques or guided imagery are great options that can be easily used no matter where you are. 

• Set News or Social Media Boundaries: If you’re finding yourself feeling overwhelmed after scrolling through news and social media apps every morning, you may want to set boundaries around how you are using your time. Reducing your social media usage, changing the time of day in which you scroll through apps, or removing certain apps can help you limit the impact that these apps have on your overall mood. 

• Attend a Workshop or Support Group: There is great value in finding a community of people who share similar concerns, backgrounds, or experiences to you and are dedicated to providing support. Participating in a workshop or Support Group that focuses on the reason for your past trauma or current experiences can help you learn of what others with similar backgrounds are doing to process their trauma. 

• Consider Professional Help: If you’ve implemented any of the strategies above, or other strategies you’ve learned in the past, and are still having a hard time coping with current events, it may be time to consider professional help. 

Feeling constantly triggered by current events can leave us in a state of high stress and emotional fatigue. While we always encourage that you integrate self-care practices to help provide a sense of peace and balance, we acknowledge that it may not be enough. If you’ve considered talking to a therapist to help you process your current emotional state, now may be a good time to connect with someone at Life By Design. Click here for more information on scheduling a consultation.

Depression in the Digital Age: Understanding How Social Media Impacts Mental Health

by Melody Wright, LMFT

Have you ever found yourself feeling particularly sad, frustrated, upset, or just overall drained after browsing through Instagram or Facebook? There’s a reason for that. Recent studies have shown a correlation between social media use and depression. While Social Media apps themselves may not be causing depression, the amount of media that we consume may leave us feeling more insecure, exhausted, and socially isolated due to a lack of direct social interaction with others. All of these factors can directly contribute to feelings of sadness and depression. 

Spending an increased amount of time on Social Media apps can affect us in more ways than one. Depending on the accounts that you usually follow, seeing an influx of seemingly “perfect” individuals can affect how we perceive ourselves and our overall self-esteem. Constantly checking social media apps may also be creating disruptions in our day, which in turn creates an inability to focus on our tasks. This may lead to less free time to focus on things that bring us joy, such as connecting with others or spending quality time with loved ones. Increased screen time close to our bedtime may also create disruptions to our sleep, including less overall sleep time. Lack of sleep can at times be a contributing factor to depression.  

Now that you know how social media may be impacting your overall health and ability to connect with others, what can you do about it? If you want to work on decreasing your social media use, or being more intentional about the accounts you follow, try some of the following tips:

1. Set aside a specific time of the day to check your apps. This will help you limit your overall social media consumption and still give you time to check-in on your apps. If you can choose a specific day of the week where you don’t check social media at all, even better!

2. Spend time on a screen-free hobby. Whether it’s 30 minutes or an hour, set aside time every week to “unplug” and practice a hobby. 

3. Put your phone outside of your bedroom at night. Leaving your phone outside of your bedroom will minimize screen time use right before bed, helping you fall asleep faster and minimizing disruptions to your overall sleep.

4. Follow accounts or friends that add value. One of the positive things about social media is that you can choose who to follow and what content to see. If you find yourself feeling upset or overwhelmed by following certain accounts, try muting or unfollowing them altogether. 

5. As best as possible, try not to share everything going on in your life. Limiting what you post may help you be more present during important moments in your life where you would usually spend time trying to capture the “perfect photo” to post,  

Changing your social media habits and overall screen time can be really difficult, especially when you’ve made it part of your daily routine. If you’ve tried some of the strategies listed above and still find yourself taking in more screen time than you would like, you may benefit from some additional support. The therapists at Life By Design can help you create strategies to reduce your social media intake, and support any feelings of frustration or sadness that you may currently be experiencing. Schedule a phone consultation today for more information.