Spiraling Out Of Control: How to Stay Calm When You Get Bad a News
In life, nobody is exempt from receiving disappointing news. Once in a while, bad things happen. It could be something as devastating as the loss of a loved one, or just a bad day with nothing going as planned
Things like this can make even the best of us spiral out of control. We become confused, and sometimes we even begin to act out.
Everyone reacts to stress in a different way, but there are ways to stay calm when you get a bad news. If you are able to stay calm, and control your emotions, you’ll be able to make better decisions and hopefully salvage some of the bad situations. If there’s nothing to salvage, at least, with a calmer head, you’ll be able to make better decisions on how to proceed or move forward.
What ever your motivation is to wanting to remain calm in the event of an unnerving situation, this article will break down things you can do in other to remain calm when you get a bad news.
Steps to help you stay calm when you get bad news
1. Acknowledge your bad feeling
A seemingly never-ending cycle of unfavorable emotions might start after hearing alarming news. And it may be pretty tempting to attempt to avoid admitting the bad feelings when facing them.
According to a research at the University of California, Berkeley, trying to suppress unpleasant feelings might make you more stressed than facing them head-on.
The researchers conducted three distinct studies online and in the lab and discovered that accepting darker moods rather than fighting them can make you feel better over time.
Contrary to individuals who avoided negative feelings, those who routinely embraced their destructive emotions reported having fewer negative emotions overall and, as a result, better psychological health.
According to experts, our attitude to emotional reactions is crucial for our well-being. Stress management skills are better for people who accept bad feelings without attempting to change them.
2. Change the way you think.
What should you do now that you've acknowledged your unpleasant reaction and reflected on the upsetting news? Changing how you approach terrible news might give you a fresh perspective and help you see things more clearly.
Even though you can't always control the things that happen to you in life, you can use cognitive reframing to change how you respond to the things that happen to you and how you perceive the events, which will ultimately affect how you experience them.
The goal of cognitive framing is to give an anticipated negative occurrence a more uplifting perspective. With cognitive reframing, you are challenged to see more than just the bad aspects of a difficult scenario and to find a brighter side to the experience.
For instance, if you just lost your job. Instead of concentrating on the errors you made in your position that resulted in your present unemployment, view the circumstance as a chance to try new things and creatively pursue various career possibilities that could be more rewarding.
According to the University of Notre Dame in Indiana, finding one's lowest point after losing a job might help people start a new chapter, forge a new, positive professional identity, and break away from negative feelings.
Your mind will be diverted from the unwanted emotions associated with that memory if you turn away from the unpleasant feelings and focus on the surrounding circumstances instead, such as a friend who was present, the weather at the time, or any other non-emotional part of the memory.
3. Repeat exposure to the news
Many people who get poor news go into “avoidance mode,” Avoidance mode entails making an effort to block out anything connected to the unpleasant news from your thoughts.
Avoiding the problem is usually counterproductive and, in the end, makes you worry about it more. Fighting the desire to ponder your bad news might result in tightness in your shoulders, chest, and stomach, among others.
Unfavorable news can affect your brain, but not as much as you think. You can let events go and move on only once you have processed and absorbed them.
According to a research from Tel Aviv University in Israel, repeated exposure to an unpleasant experience might counteract its negative impact on your thoughts and attitude.
One other study from the University of Arizona in Tucson supports the idea of repetitive exposure. The research team discovered that constantly meditating on emotionally trying events, such as a breakup or divorce, helped hasten emotional healing.
4. Develop the ability to overcome difficulties
Failure on a college test, being passed over for a job you wanted, or being treated poorly by a superior are just a few examples of scenarios that might leave you disappointed or defeated.
While practically everyone will encounter these obstacles at some point in their lives, some people are more capable of dealing with hardship than others. Some people give up on the first obstacle, while others have the fortitude to stay calm in stressful situations.
The good news is that developing resilience and getting through difficulty can be learned, and it requires focusing on your attitudes, actions, and behaviors.
One research, for instance, concentrated on students who suffered academic failure and would have limited labor market access due to their lack of qualifications.
The study revealed that by teaching the kids self-regulation techniques, such as goal-setting, they were better prepared to succeed in life and positively handle any challenging circumstances they experienced.
According to other studies, writing blogs about social distress can help people in dealing with overcoming obstacles.
Journaling and other expressive writing techniques are proven to help relieve emotional tension. Research by the American Psychological Association, teens who are experiencing distress may find blogging to be a helpful remedy.
Teenagers who blogged about their social issues had lower levels of emotional distress, social anxiety, and self-esteem than those who did nothing or kept personal journals.
5. Ask questions
If you receive terrible news, don't hesitate to ask as many questions as you need before assuming the worst. Taking notes is also beneficial. Taking notes can help you focus at the moment and give you something to refer to later because our adrenaline often prevents us from remembering the positive aspects of these difficult discussions.
6. Take a sip of water.
Even if it seems minor, drinking a sip of water might help you cope with upsetting news. The first benefit is that it gives you a mental break from the unpleasant talk. A drink of water allows you to break eye contact without coming across as weak, especially if you need a little moment to close your eyes and digest the information.
A sip of water also gives your hands something to do to stop them from shaking. You want to be calm and collected, especially if the conversation is with someone like a boss. A glass of water might serve as a prop to help you hide your anxiety.
7. Talk about it
Lee Chambers, a psychologist, and well-being expert suggests seeking assistance from friends and family or a professional.
It's simple to absorb things and give in to your bad coping strategies. . When you've received terrible news, acknowledge the worth of supportive relationships. Doing so helps us embrace our unpleasant feelings and starts the process of being more self-compassionate and nice to ourselves.
8. Show yourself some love.
Finally, treating yourself nicely and take care of your physical and emotional health while dealing with bad news of any type is essential. In the wake of tragedy, putting your health on the back burner is the worst thing you can do to yourself.
Healthy eating: Be sure to eat well. Be sure to emphasize eating three meals a day that is balanced and full of fruits and vegetables. Unhealthy eating habits significantly increase negative mood.
Try practicing mindfulness: Instead of diverting your attention or trying to remain upbeat when expecting bad news, consider practicing mindfulness meditation. You may reduce the anxiety of expecting news by practicing mindfulness meditation, which helps you stay in the moment.
Research has shown that even if you do not consider yourself a mindful person, meditation can help you control unpleasant feelings.
Get a massage: According to research published in the Journal of Clinical Nursing, having hand and foot massages for eight weeks after a loved one passed away might be a “valuable, early, grieving-process support option for bereaved family members.” It also showed that it could bring some solace.
Summary
Bad news can come in many forms, such as an argument with your girlfriend/boyfriend, a sexual assault, unemployment, or divorce. Whatever the bad news is, it may be disheartening and upsetting and can flip your world upside down.
No matter how traumatizing a piece of news might be, it's essential to keep calm, focus on the present, and remember to breathe when you receive terrible news.
