Regional Updates

This guide is here to help you steady yourself. You don’t need to do everything. Pick one or two things that feel doable today.

What you might notice

1. In your mind

Worry loops, “what if” thoughts, replaying headlines

Slower concentration, more mistakes, forgetting small things

Feeling stuck on one thought even when you want to move on

2. In your emotions

Anxiety, irritability, anger, frustration

Sadness, heaviness, feeling teary for no clear reason

Numbness or feeling disconnected

3. In your body

Tight chest, tense shoulders or jaw, headaches

Stomach changes, fatigue, restlessness

Sleep disruption or waking up feeling “wired”

Why this happens 

Your brain has a built-in threat system. When uncertainty rises, it starts scanning for danger.

That system can drown out the “thinking part” of the brain for a while, so planning and patience feel harder.

Checking news repeatedly can feel like control, but it often keeps the body in a stressed state.

Two-minute resets you can use anytime

Grounding (5-4-3-2-1)

Name 5 things you can see

4 things you can feel (feet on the floor helps)

3 things you can hear

2 things you can smell

1 thing you can taste, or take a sip of water

Breathing with a longer exhale

Inhale gently for 4 seconds

Exhale slowly for 6 seconds

Repeat 5 times

If you feel lightheaded, return to normal breathing

Quick tension release

Drop your shoulders on the out-breath 5 times

Unclench your jaw, soften your hands

If your mind keeps going back to it

Say to yourself: “This is a stress response.”

Do 30 seconds of grounding, then choose one next step only.

If worry keeps returning, set a small container: “I’ll write this down at 6 pm for 10 minutes,” then return to the present task.

Media boundaries that actually help

Pick two check-in times a day, keep it short.

Turn off autoplay and push alerts if you can.

Avoid distressing content in the last hour before bed.

If you catch yourself doomscrolling, stop and do one two-minute reset above.

Staying steady at work

Start the day with 3 priorities, not a long list.

Between calls or tasks: 3 breaths, shoulders down, name your next step.

If you feel overloaded, ask for clarity: “What is the priority today?”

If you are customer-facing: keep it calm and structured, “Here is what I can do for you today.”

Family wellbeing: Keep it Simple

Stick to routines: meals, school, bedtime, prayer, movement.

Avoid running distressing news in shared spaces, especially around children.

If kids ask questions, keep it short: “Something scary happened, adults are handling it, we are safe right now.”

When to reach out for extra support

Please get support sooner if:

Sleep disruption continues and affects daily functioning

Panic, distress, or avoidance keeps increasing

You are relying more on alcohol or substances to cope

You feel unsafe, or you’re concerned about someone else’s safety

For more infomation, please contact Gertrud Mackenzie at [email protected] / +971 58 570 1699 or visit https://www.nabtahealth.com/