Save yourself by drowning in helping others

Today, many Belarusians talk about guilt and collective responsibility for what is happening in Ukraine. To somehow remedy the situation, people plunge headlong into the problems of refugees, help as much as they can, push all their affairs and worries into the background, leave work, and volunteer.

It is not for us to judge this, especially since many of the Foundation's team slept little, worked hard, helped and hosted people from Ukraine, etc.

But we can say from our own experience that such actions lead to rapid burnout. And when a person is emotionally devastated, he finds himself under even greater oppression. After all, now he is not able to help.

Then what to do? We suggest remembering the rule of survival in a plane crash - first put on an oxygen mask yourself, and only then help your child or neighbor. To think so is not selfishness.  It is essential to maintain oneself in a resourceful state. Then, it will be possible to share energy and goodness.

 So:

• take time for yourself - drink coffee, go for a massage or a movie
• be sure to go in for sports - whether it's yoga, jogging, or just an hour walk in the park
• limit the flow of information.  Most sources of information duplicate each other, so select 1-2 channels and delete the rest.  Don't worry, you won't miss anything important
• continue to help, but not 24/7, but only on certain days or hours

Take care of yourself. We still have a lot to go through together!