The Russian invasion of Ukraine is now entering its seventh day, and hundreds of people have already lost their lives in the conflict.
Ukrainian cities are being bombarded by Putin's forces, and it is estimated that 2,000 civilians have been killed so far. And because of social media, we are subject to an endless stream of images of bombs devastating cities and heartbreaking stories of Ukranian lives thrown into chaos.
The situation is scary, and this can prompt us to endlessly check our phones for updates on the war - but this can be damaging for our mental health. In light of this, psychotherapist and psychologist at the University of Bristol, Dr Nilufar Ahmed, shared some advice with the Mirror about how to protect your own wellbeing in this time of crisis.
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She suggests limiting your screen time and avoiding 'doomscrolling' through your social media newsfeed. "Try and minimise the content you are consuming. Limit your time scrolling to set times in the day - the news is relentless and you will catch up very quickly," she said.
And she asks people to pose themselves an important question. "Think about the last few days – what developments were happening that you had to know immediately? Could you have found out the developments by checking in once or twice a day? If the answer is yes, then you can consider cutting back on how frequently you are engaging with it."
She also urges people not to scroll through your phones just before you sleep or as you wake up, and to instead focus on your breathing. Dr Ahmed says: "To minimise doomscrolling – don’t scroll first thing in the morning and last thing at night.
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"Many people reach for the phone to scroll in bed. This will be a good habit to instil generally. Take a few minutes (or even 30 seconds) to close your eyes and take deep breaths in and out. This will immediately slow down and calm your system."
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Also read: Russian invaders take control of key Ukrainian city of Kherson, says mayor
