{"id":6607,"date":"2018-02-19T13:10:53","date_gmt":"2018-02-19T18:10:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mlecharbinger.wordpress.com\/?p=6607"},"modified":"2018-02-19T13:10:53","modified_gmt":"2018-02-19T18:10:53","slug":"coping-with-a-recent-tragic-event","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.mlecharbinger.org\/?p=6607","title":{"rendered":"Coping With a Recent Tragic Event"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Diana Rodriguez<\/a><\/p>\n

Almost 40 minutes away from Miami Lakes Educational Center, 17 innocent people lost their lives to a mentally ill teen wielding an AR-15 rifle. As if reading \u201cSouth Florida shooting\u201d on national media wasn\u2019t surreal enough, we may be more familiar with the school than we realize.<\/span><\/p>\n

Our friends may have met some of the victims at regional events, we may have been with some of them at a concert, mall, or movie theater. Some of our teachers or relatives may even live near the school. <\/span><\/p>\n

While some of us will continue our daily routine as if the event had never occurred –understandably so, as such violence has become commonplace — some will be incredibly saddened for weeks to come. With this heavy weight on our shoulders as we witness such suffering, there are a few things we can do to lessen this dark, overhead shadow.<\/span><\/p>\n

Disconnect yourself.<\/b><\/p>\n

One thing that has been proven to make everyone feel better after a range of events is turning off your phone and putting it away. Not only will this decrease the chance of reading rumors or depressing posts on social media, but taking a break from texting and scrolling will generally decrease some stress. Use this newfound freetime to treat yourself with something you enjoy, whether that something is exercising, TV shows, or music. <\/span><\/p>\n

Be productive.<\/b><\/p>\n

This can mean many things. You can open up a novel, ask for a few more hours at work, or hang out with a close friend for an hour or two after school — anything to keep you preoccupied from getting anxious about the future: the future of you and your loved ones or the future of the American government.<\/span><\/p>\n

If possible, go to a vigil or reach out to someone that was affected. Prayers may or may not go a long way, but physically showing your support or standing in solidarity with the victims and their families may make us feel a bit better. <\/span><\/p>\n

Pause to understand your emotions.<\/b><\/p>\n

During this time, reflect on your feelings every once in a while and assure yourself that the distress you\u2019re feeling is natural and part of a process. Do not blame yourself for being \u201ctoo affected\u201d by the situation, as different people have different sensitivities and limits that affect how they are impacted by tragedy.<\/span><\/p>\n

Take your time.<\/b><\/p>\n

If you are being affected in a way that others are not, it is not a bad thing. If you need more time than you expected to gather your thoughts and adapt, then take your time. If someone you know is having a harder time than you, like a now-worried parent, give them time for the initial feelings of shock or empathetic grief. Sadness is a normal, human emotion, so take a passive approach and set your sights on a more hopeful tomorrow. Don\u2019t let your fear, or others\u2019 fear, of a similar experience keep you from living a fulfilling day.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Diana Rodriguez Almost 40 minutes away from Miami Lakes Educational Center, 17 innocent people lost their lives to a mentally ill teen wielding an AR-15 rifle. As if reading \u201cSouth Florida shooting\u201d on national media wasn\u2019t surreal enough, we may be more familiar with the school than we realize. Our friends may have met…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":6608,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"nf_dc_page":"","om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"ngg_post_thumbnail":0,"_kad_post_transparent":"","_kad_post_title":"","_kad_post_layout":"","_kad_post_sidebar_id":"","_kad_post_content_style":"","_kad_post_vertical_padding":"","_kad_post_feature":"","_kad_post_feature_position":"","_kad_post_header":false,"_kad_post_footer":false,"_kad_post_classname":"","_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[6,11],"tags":[36,969,1084,1087,1748,1757,2478,2480,2530,3267],"class_list":["post-6607","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-features","category-news","tag-florida","tag-coping","tag-deadly-mass-shooting","tag-death","tag-gun-control","tag-guns","tag-mass-shooting","tag-massacre","tag-mental-disorders","tag-public-school"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t