The Rinat Akhmetov Foundation continues its series of live broadcasts on psychological assistance to civilians from Donbass. Online broadcasts and webinars are held within the framework of the project the Museum of Civilian Voices of the Rinat Akhmetov Foundation on the Foundation’s digital platforms. Viewers can ask the experts questions that concern them most.

What is stress and how dangerous is it? What are the most common stresses today and how to deal with them? How civilians in Donbass can cope with the war trauma? In the second broadcast of the Rinat Akhmetov Foundation’s online project Overcome. Psychologist Helps, Iryna Vselyubska, the Foundation’s psychologist, answers questions from the audience.

In particular, the expert spoke about the post-traumatic syndrome faced by civilians from Donbass.

‘All people face stress one way or another. However, for those who live along the contact line and for IDPs, new stress goes on top of the old one, so it keeps accumulating and, accordingly, triggers a chain reaction. To avoid this, a person should know what to do and whom to call in case of need. Remember that you can always turn to the Foundation’s psychologists for help,’ emphasizes the guest of the live broadcast.

Iryna Vselyubska shared some simple life hacks that would help you calm down quickly and avoid stress.

‘One of them, on the one hand, is the simplest, and on the other, the most efficient of the methods for overcoming stress. It is breathing. This can be a yoga or meditation session, or one of the simplest methods called “square breathing”. When you are in a state of stress, you need to imagine a square. Then you need to look at the upper left corner of the imaginary square and exhale, while counting to four. Then look at the upper right corner of the square and hold your breath, counting to four again. The next step is the lower right corner, inhale the air again and count to four. Move your look to the lower left corner and exhale. Keep repeating this exercise during three minutes,’ advises Iryna Vselyubska. 

To find out if you need psychological assistance, you can take a test on the website of the Rinat Akhmetov Foundation: akhmetovfoundation.org/test/nuzhna-ly-vam-psyhologycheskaya-pomosch

You can also get the help of the Foundation’s psychologists by calling the hotline: 0800509001.

The Rinat Akhmetov Foundation’s unique project, the Museum of Civilian Voices, is a safe and trustworthy space where residents of Donbass can share challenging experiences they lived through for the sake of the future, for the sake of peace. You can learn the stories of people from Donetsk and Luhansk regions, as well as leave your own story here: https://civilvoicesmuseum.org/stories