ST. LOUIS — Coping with the stress and mental trauma of the many shootings in today's news cycle can be a challenge for many.
But Dr. Tim Bono, a psychologist at Washington University in St. Louis, said feeling this anxiety or stress is natural.
"Mental health is the foundation of what we do every day,” Bono said. “Our ability to produce good outcomes at work (and) be good relationship partners all rest in our own ability to manage our emotions.
"A large part of anxiety stems from situations or circumstances that we feel are out of our control. One way to cope with anxiety is to focus on the things in our control and to take appropriate and reasonable precautions."
Bono said that while it’s important to stay vigilant, people shouldn't let anxiety take over.
Here are a few things he recommends that should help, starting with a good night's sleep.
"If you look at the brain science of sleep, there's a lot of neurotransmitters that are released, and parts of the brain are activated that position us to regulate our emotions during the day," Bono said.
Burning calories can help free you of stress.
"A brisk walk for 15 minutes has shown to be very effective for boosting our mental health," Bono said.
And having strong social support is key for verbally and emotionally overcoming the mental angst.
While it’s defiantly easier to focus on the negative, Bono reminds people to try to have a positive outlook and think of good things that are going on.