Navigating the news, conflict and crisis; a wellbeing guide at University
At times, events happening outside the university can affect how we feel, think, and study. Even if you’re not directly involved, seeing or hearing about the news can have a real impact. For some of you, these events can affect your family, your community or your country directly.
Even if what is happening may be far away or doesn’t directly involve you, it’s completely normal to feel unsettled, angry, sad, confused, or anxious. It may also remind you of events in your past and trigger difficult emotions.
You might notice:
- Difficulty concentrating
- Trouble sleeping
- A drop in motivation
- Feeling powerless or overwhelmed
These reactions are human. Be gentle with yourself.
Understanding social media and your feed
Social media algorithms are designed to show you content similar to what you’ve already interacted with. This means:
- You might be seeing a lot of one side of a story.
- Intense or emotional content may be promoted more often.
- Your feed may make the world seem more chaotic than it is.
What can help with social media and news channels:
- Take breaks from scrolling.
- Some news apps and channels have notifications and promote regular ‘breaking news’ stories to keep engagement on their news platform. Follow trusted sources with balanced reporting rather than doomscrolling through multiple feeds.
- Remember: what’s trending isn’t the whole story.
- Limit check-ins to once or twice a day rather than scrolling constantly.
- Turn off push notifications from news and social apps.
- Talk to others about what you’re seeing and feeling.
Feeling powerless from a distance
It can feel frustrating or painful to witness suffering or conflict and not know how to help. That sense of helplessness can also affect your studies, motivation, and mood.
What you can do:
- Focus on what is within your control; your routine, health, and studies.
- Consider helping in small ways — donating, raising awareness, or attending peaceful events or support groups of others who may be feeling similar.
- Remind yourself that it’s ok not to have all the answers or solutions.
- Writing down your thoughts helps reduce mental clutter and can be a really effective way of clearing your mind.
- Chatting with someone, a friend, mentor, someone at the University or in the community can put things in perspective and make you feel less isolated. A familiar voice of a friend or family member might be just what you needed to hear.
Managing studies during difficult times
If you’re finding it hard to study or focus, you’re not alone. Distress from external events can affect concentration, memory, and motivation.
What you can do:
- Break tasks into smaller chunks.
- Set gentle, realistic goals for each day.
- Speak to your academic personal tutor or school if you’re struggling — they’re here to support you.
- Use campus wellbeing services such as the Student Information Service, your school support staff or LUU help and support to find out other options you might not have considered.
You don’t have to carry the weight of the world on your own. Talking things through can make a big difference.
Create a daily routine that is grounding and kind to you
It may feel wrong that you’re planning in positive activities when you know others are experiencing difficult times. Always remember, taking care of yourself isn’t selfish; it’s essential.
What you can do:
- Stick to regular meals, sleep, and activity even when your motivation dips.
- Break your day into small, manageable tasks.
- Include things you enjoy; music, a hobby, or time with a pet or friend.
- Try grounding exercises like the 5–4–3–2–1 technique to reconnect with the present moment.
- Practice deep breathing, stretching, or even a short meditation (apps like Headspace or Calm can help).
- Go for a walk, even briefly — fresh air and movement help regulate your nervous system.
- Watch a film, draw, cook, play a game. Doing something non-news related is not avoidance, it’s self-care.
- Allow yourself mental rest. It’s okay not to thinking about things all the time.
Be kind to yourself
Throughout your life, you will experience challenging times, and there’s no ‘right’ way to feel. Whether you’re deeply affected or just feel a bit upset now and again, your feelings are valid.
Take things one step at a time. Reach out if you need support.
