According to the sociological company Gradus Research, at the end of the winter of 2024, 77% of Ukrainians feel stressed and nervous, and another 52% – anxiety and tension. For comparison: in April 2021, during the COVID-19 epidemic, less than 30% of Ukrainians felt stress, and less than 10% felt fear.
In addition, 47% of respondents observe that they increasingly have a bad mood and sleep problems, and 42% – usually feel angry and irritated.
Ukrainians also have a constant feeling of fatigue (39% of respondents), are emotionally unstable (32%), have apathy and obsessive thoughts (29%), and another 27% of respondents observe a lack of motivation and decreased productivity.
One of the strongest stimuli that has led to such results is war, which causes a constant feeling of stress in the population. 28% of Ukrainians are afraid of loud sounds, 18% lost their appetite, and 14% of people constantly want to cry.
The interviewees noted that stress is caused by:
- worries about the safety of relatives (70%) and separation from them (29%);
- risk of losing life (51%) and property (35%) or being injured (28%);
- the risk of losing a job and being without income (34%);
- lack of opportunity to leave the country (17%) or, on the contrary, fear of what awaits abroad (5%).
Before the start of a full-scale war, Ukrainians were most concerned about financial issues, work and family relationships.
To overcome stress, respondents now spend a lot of time on the Internet, in particular on social networks, watch movies, TV series, and also communicate with friends and spend time with family. Only 3% of surveyed Ukrainians regularly visit a psychologist or psychotherapist, although 40% of people admitted to needing sessions.
To overcome stress, respondents now spend a lot of time on the Internet, in particular on social networks, watch movies, TV series, and also communicate with friends and spend time with family. Only 3% of surveyed Ukrainians regularly visit a psychologist or psychotherapist, although 40% of people admitted to needing sessions.
Almost a third do not consider their problems important enough to turn to specialists, and a quarter are convinced that they can handle it on their own.
“It is important to contact qualified specialists. A psychologist can help understand the causes of stress and show effective strategies for overcoming it. In addition, a timely appeal can help to avoid the aggravation of the problem and the development of mental disorders”, – explains Iryna Bedryk, a psychologist at the foundation.
Iryna emphasizes that a psychologist can provide an objective view of the situation and this will help to understand one’s own emotions and actions. In general, professional support is an important step towards mental health and self-development.
If for some reason you are not ready or cannot contact a qualified psychologist or psychotherapist, Iryna Bedryk has prepared some tips on how to cope with stress and negative emotions on your own:
1. Art therapy:
- Try different types of art: painting, clay, carving, music, etc.
- Allow yourself to freely express your emotions through art without judgment or restriction.
- Use art therapy as a way to focus and relax.
2. Meditation:
- Practice regularly. Even short meditation sessions can be helpful for stress relief.
- Try different meditation techniques such as mindfulness, visualization, breathing meditation and others to find the one that works best for you.
- Use meditation to focus on the present moment and reduce tension in the body and mind.
Breathing exercises will also help to relieve tension and focus:
- Deep breathing:
Focus on your breathing, try to inhale deeply through your nose, hold your breath for a few seconds, and then exhale slowly through your mouth. Repeat these steps several times.
- 4-7-8 breathing:
Breathe in through your nose for 4 seconds, hold your breath for 7 seconds, then slowly exhale for 8 seconds through your mouth. Repeat several times.
- Breathing with counting:
Inhale for a count of 4, hold your breath for a count of 4, then slowly exhale for a count of 8. Repeat several times.