Stress, trauma, and burnout are hot topics in humanitarian mental health. Humanitarians are at risk for all three.

Understanding the difference between them can help you use appropriate prevention strategies, spot early warning signs, and recognize when you need extra support.

For most of us, it is difficult to make a request from someone, or to say no to a request. We might feel uncomfortable to say no to an unreasonable request while feeling anxious to make even a perfectly reasonable one ourselves. We might end up not getting what we want and doing things we don’t want to..

Here is a simple step by step technique to help you getting what you want.

When things go wrong some of us become super stressed, ready to blow their fuse or panicky. Others might respond to a crisis becoming shut down, numb or frozen. A few others, when faced with disaster, might keep their calm and be grounded and have a calming effect on everybody around them.

Have you ever wondered why? And how to change it?

The concept of work-life balance is popular but ultimately flawed. It implies that work and life are opposites.

But work is part of our lives, and for many of us, an affirming part of our lives that brings meaning and helps us express our values.

That said, being able to disconnect from work is an important life skill.

There is a lot of research showing the benefits of a regular gratitude practice.

There’s also a lot of research showing the benefits of self-compassion.

What happens when you combine the two?

You know those moments when your emotions take over and you can’t think straight?

You can get so overwhelmed you end up feeling disconnected.

That’s the perfect time to do a grounding exercise.

If you’re one of the many humanitarians who has experienced bullying or harassment at work, you know all too well how damaging that can be. It might feel hopeless to you.

But there are strategies that can help you cope and protect your emotional and mental health.

We all have times when we feel fed up, tired and unmotivated.

When we need something to uplift our mood and boost our energy.

A quick but effective pick me up.

I’m not a fan of cold water. If it’s below 25 degrees, it’s not for me.

But I’ll make an exception when it comes to putting my face into cold water. And you should too.

That’s because of something called the mammalian dive reflex.

As a humanitarian, you’re faced with all kinds of stress: traumatic stress, chronic stress, and organizational stress.

Day in and day out, these stressors can take a toll, wearing down your resilience and making it harder and harder to cope.

You know those moments when your emotions take over and you can’t think straight?

You can get so overwhelmed you end up feeling disconnected.

That’s the perfect time to do a grounding exercise.