Empathy is the capacity to comprehend the thoughts and feelings of another person cognitively and emotionally, to see things from their point of view, or to share their emotional experiences. Empathy is essential for the development and maintenance of relationships because it allows you to relate to people on a deeper level. It is also linked to high levels of self-esteem and a sense of greater significance in life.
In general, there are two types of empathy: cognitive and emotional. The emotional type involves sharing emotions to the extent that you experience pain or distress when witnessing another person's pain or distress . Many people experience this when they watch depressing news on television, especially when it concerns the lives of people they care about.
But this type is not just about sharing unpleasant feelings; empathetic people may experience an overwhelming sense of joy when they see other people experiencing happiness, excitement, or psychological comfort; they may also take greater pleasure in music and other simple pleasures than other people.
Even though this emotional contagion is appropriate in positive situations; however, the exaggerated feelings one gets when observing people's suffering can be extremely upsetting and lead to mental health problems. Excessive empathy with others, mainly when we prioritize their feelings over our own, can lead to feelings of anxiety and depression, which explains why most of us feel resentment when we hear about wars taking place in other parts of the world.
Compassion Fatigue
Cognitive empathy refers to seeing the world from the perspective of others and putting yourself in their place without necessarily experiencing the accompanying emotions. For instance, watching the news and understanding on a cognitive level why people feel helpless, distressed, or resentful can result in emotional or even physical empathy because empathy has a physiological impact.
The physical and psychological effects of empathy have been well-documented; for instance , parents with a high level of compassion for their children experience chronic low-degree inflammation, which lowers immunity, and your heart beats at the same rhythm when you sympathize with others. As a result, empathy when watching the news can sometimes result in "compassion fatigue".
Compassion fatigue is the weariness brought on by excessive empathy. But according to recent research from neuroscientists, MRI studies are inaccurate, compassion does not lead to fatigue. This essential distinction is significant. People need a little empathy and more compassion because it turns out that compassion is an antidote to the pain you experience when you sympathize with people who are suffering.
In the brain, empathy and compassion are two separate mental states. When you feel another person's pain, your brain may be stimulated in areas related to negative emotions. If you do not establish clear boundaries or have poor self-control, this can cause the line between you and others to blur, which can lead to emotional infection.
This is how you get involved in distress and find it difficult to relieve your pain, and you want to be stripped of your personality and numb and ignore it. In contrast, compassion is accompanied by activity in the areas of the brain associated with emotions and positive behaviors.
The compassion aspect of work helps us separate our emotional system from others and see ourselves as independent individuals. You do not have to feel their pain when you experience it; But you have a desire to help instead , and you have the satisfying and positive emotional experience when you feel compassion for the other.
4 Ways to Practice Compassion while Watching the News
1. Practice Love and Kindness Meditation
Practice love and kindness when you are upset by the news. Concentrate on showing love to yourself, the people you know, and those who suffer from things you are unaware of. If you can erect a wall of compassion, you will be better able to think clearly and act calmly under pressure.
Practicing compassion is a barrier against negative emotions, and this motivates you to help, and avoids you being dragged behind painful feelings, and the practice of the love and kindness meditation does not reduce negative emotions; it increases the activity of brain areas associated with positive emotions such as love, hope, giving and participation.
2. Practice self-compassion
If you feel guilty for having a good life when people are suffering or blame yourself for not being able to help, try to be kind to yourself and keep in mind that while we all experience suffering, it is something that we all share. We all experience some level of suffering, so try not to overthink it when you become aware of how much you are suffering. Self-compassion improves your safety and well-being while easing the distress that comes with empathy fatigue.
3. Take necessary action
While pity produces positive feelings of love toward the other person, motivates us to take the necessary actions, and especially helps to stimulate social communication, the distress brought on by empathy causes us to withdraw and socially isolate ourselves. One way to deal with this distress is to engage in activities like giving, volunteering, and organizing.
4. Limit browsing sad news on social media
Naturally, during times of crisis, we search for information. This aids in our preparation, but it is counterproductive to keep browsing depressing or upsetting news articles or social media posts, especially on the phone.
Research on social media interaction during the Covid-19 pandemic has demonstrated that we need to be aware of the dangers of excessively following the news to prevent escalating tension and unfavorable emotions. Avoiding the information is an unrealistic solution, but limiting its impact is helpful. We can strike a balance in how we use the media by looking for stories highlighting doing good, which can lift our spirits.
Add comment