When the Russian invasion of Ukraine began in 2022, I remember feeling desperate despair for days after the news broke.

Warning: this article discusses self-harm, reader discretion is advised.

I spent hours scrolling through the news and social media, trying to analyze every detail, every political speech, every rubble-infested Ukrainian street. Some of the videos and photos were heartbreaking and I don’t think I’ll forget them for a while.

Looking back, I still don’t know why I did this to myself. Maybe to try and find some sort of solution so that my inner concerns can be put to rest, but nothing is ever that simple.

It is frightening how quickly major political events, such as the election of Donald Trump in the United States, earncan consume your world. His disdain for anyone who doesn’t fit his vision of a blue-blooded American patriot can make days like this terrifying, and it’s legitimate to feel that way because they are. creepy.

It probably feels like the least radical, least fanatical, least MAGA-obsessed among us, both inside and outside the United States, are going through a mass traumatic episode, as if it wasn’t real and there must be something we were missing. . Certainly, certainly they did not re-elect him.

And here I am again, endlessly scrolling through Twitter, sliding through article after article, trying to justify what’s happening right now. I’m tired, we’re all tired, it’s no less tiring than in 2016.

There is a limit where behavior like this, as pervasive as it may seem, becomes harmful. Doom-scrolling – spending too much time scrolling through social media consuming negative or controversial content – ​​is a form of digital self-harm.

Political awareness is important, make no mistake. Now more than ever, we need to be aware of what our political representatives believe and what we can do to hold them accountable, but there is a limit: political activism must not come at the expense of your mental health.

In his guide Regarding digital self-harm, the LGBT Foundation highlights issues such as seeking conflict or seeking homophobic content as forms of psychological self-abuse. His section on symptoms to watch out for includes “time blindness,” which is a lack of awareness of how much time you spend online, repeats, or how often or consistently you access harmful spaces, and insists: to check spaces that you know will cause you distress.

I’ve caught myself countless times today closing Twitter, only to open a new tab on my phone or computer and search again. I sat there, waiting for my social media feed to refresh so I could find a new post about Trump that would push me further into the pit of despair. That’s not activism, that’s self-harm.

Instead, we should transform this despair and outrage into living our best lives, in defiance of those who wish to see us down. If it’s happiness they want to take away from us, it’s happiness we should fight back with.

Activism does not necessarily mean joining counter-protests or expressing our condemnation of Trump on a volatile social media platform. Some people aren’t ready to deal with that and that’s okay. Activism can simply be about taking care of yourself and others.

If you are in a crisis because of the election, reach out to someone and talk it out. If you’re having trouble finding someone, try the NAMI US Helpline at 1-800-950-NAMI, text “HelpLine” to 62640, or send an email (email protected ).

Share your thoughts! Let us know in the comments below and remember to keep the conversation respectful.