"Bad news can leave us in a state of dread and despair. It seems like our whole world is falling apart, almost as if we're being driven into the ground. We fear the very worst and cannot get it out of our mind or gut. Often, there are other emotions mangled in, like anger, guilt, despair, betrayal, and love. Bad news: we've all had it, and the worst is yet to come. So, how best to cope?"
"Think about all the good things in your life, including those that have been and those that are yet to come. Remind yourself of all the strengths and resources-the friends, facilities, and faculties-that you can draw upon in your time of need. Imagine how things could be much, much worse-and how for some people they actually are. Your house may have been burgled. Yes, you lost some valuables and it's all such a huge hassle. But you still have your health, your job, your partner."
Three cognitive strategies—contextualization, negative visualization, and transformation—aim to generate perspective when facing bad news. Contextualization invites framing the setback, listing current and future goods, and identifying strengths, resources, and how events could be worse. Negative visualization involves projecting possible losses to reduce shock, solidify appreciation, and prepare emotionally. Transformation encourages sublimating pain into meaning, growth, or constructive action. Holding a specific recent bad event in mind helps test which strategies fit. The strategies work together to reduce dread, expand options for response, and convert acute emotional collapse into manageable, purposeful steps toward recovery.
Read at Psychology Today
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