If You Can’t Stop Thinking About Haiti . . .

The news has been full of the extraordinary pain and suffering in Haiti brought on by this week’s earthquake and its aftermath. It can be almost unbearable to read the articles and look at the pictures of a place that already had more than its fair share of hurt.

For most people, it is very sad. They talk about it with their friends and family. They do what they can, perhaps donating to a reputable group that is sending aid like UNICEF. But what do you do if that doesn’t seem to be enough? If you can’t stop thinking about what happened? If thoughts of what is going on in that country is getting in the way paying attention in class, getting homework done, having fun with friends, or even sleeping?

The first step is to take a break from the news. Declare a moratorium on watching TV, reading newspapers, or checking out news sites on the internet. You may have to get a change of scenery to keep from falling back into old habits of checking Google News or flipping on the TV. So take the dog for a walk or hang out at a friend’s place. The type of constant bombardment that you can get when there is a natural disaster like this can be a big source of stress — but at least it is one you can avoid.

If turning off the news isn’t enough to get rid of the stress, consider doing something more about it right now. Get together with some friends and plan a fundraiser to take place within the next few weeks. Pick a reputable group to donate to, then get creative on what you will do to raise cash. You might try the old standbys of bake sales and car washes (in January?!) or you could come up with something more unusual, like having an all-city dance with fees/donations collected at the door. You’ll need to work out the logistics to keep it safe and profitable, but that will get your mind out of the rut it has been in and get you doing something to feel proud of.

Another way to get back to normal is to try tapping on what has been bothering you the most, whether that is a particular picture, or an interview with a survivor, or even a personal memory that you were reminded of by something you came across in the news. Sometimes our brains seem to get stuck on something like this, and the best way I’ve found to get unstuck is to use tapping on whatever comes up, no matter if it makes sense or not.

If you aren’t getting any relief from anything you try, consider two possibilities. One is that you might need to see a therapist to get through whatever it is that has you ruminating over Haiti (or some other disaster). The second possibility is that you have a calling to help those in need. If that rings true, then you can start looking into what you might do, like becoming a fundraiser for a non-profit, an engineer who builds water systems in drought-stricken areas, or a doctor with Doctors Without Borders (Medecins Sans Frontieres). And once you have an idea of what you truly want to do, you can start planning how to develop the skills and knowledge you will need to do that as a career.

If at least one person discovers a calling to help others, then something good will have come out of this disaster.