After a night under shelling, the body needs time to return to a calm state. Trembling, insomnia, anxiety, tearfulness, or exhaustion can be a natural reaction to experienced danger. Psychologist Maria Tsanko told UNN journalists what to do in the morning after a difficult night, how to restore sleep, and when to seek professional help.
The nervous system does not switch instantaneously from danger mode to a normal state. Therefore, in the morning a person may feel physical exhaustion, confusion, or strong tension. According to the expert, the first step to recovery is to help the body understand that the immediate threat has passed.
First of all, understand what's happening to your body at all. Trembling, heart pounding, thoughts getting confused, limbs feeling like cotton wool. This is how a body reacts that has just experienced danger – this is its job, not your fault. Your nervous system kept you on alert all night so you would survive. And it did
According to the psychologist, after such a night, one should not immediately demand the usual level of productivity from oneself. The morning is better to start with ordinary household activities that restore a sense of safety, and not to overload yourself with news and physical activity.
To help – this is to give your nervous system a signal that danger is behind. Look around, tell yourself: I'm home, it's morning, it's quiet. Drink some water, eat something warm, go to the light at the window. Give yourself some movement – not sports, just a walk, stretch a bit. Don't grab your phone right away: the first half hour without news feeds – this is a way not to wind yourself up from the morning
Should you sleep during the day after a difficult night
If a person barely slept after shelling, daytime sleep can help them recover. At the same time, it is important not to turn a short rest into a long sleep until evening – this will complicate falling asleep the next night. Restoring the schedule requires several days, not just one night.
If there's an opportunity to nap during the day – yes, it's worth it. Just briefly: twenty minutes, and it's better to set an alarm right away. In twenty minutes you don't have time to fall into deep sleep, and it's the sharp awakening from deep sleep that gives you that broken feeling when after sleep things are worse than before
The psychologist advises not to disrupt your sleep schedule for long and to get enough daylight in the morning. In the evening, on the contrary, you should reduce the amount of screens, news, and coffee.
With schedule, the main thing is not to try to fix everything in one night. In the morning catch daylight – the strongest signal for your internal clock. Several difficult nights in a row – this is not "sleep is broken," this is an exhausted system that needs some time
What helps reduce anxiety
Simple things can be helpful – movement, warm food, communication, and breathing exercises. The psychologist separately recommends having a grounding technique through breathing ready at hand.
Breathing – it's the fastest, it's always with you. The most effective is a long exhale. Stanford researchers called this option "cyclic sighing": two breaths through the nose in a row and a slow long exhale through the mouth
Communication with loved ones is also part of recovery. There's no need to talk a lot – it's enough to simply be near a person you trust.
Nervous systems calm each other: next to a calm loved one, your body reads their state and aligns itself. Calling, being nearby, being silent together – this is recovery
How to process emotions after shelling
The reaction to experienced danger can be different: some cry or tremble, others freeze and don't immediately understand their own state. The psychologist emphasizes – don't compare your reaction to someone else's.
Bodies don't work according to a single template, so don't measure yourself by how someone next to you is coping
You should not suppress emotions experienced. They can be named with words, you can allow yourself to cry or physically release tension in a safe way. Alcohol, endless reading of news, or self-blame only intensify the state.
Once you label the state with a word ("I'm scared now", "I'm angry"), the fear center in the brain kind of quiets down, and it really does get easier
When to see a psychologist
An acute reaction after shelling in itself does not mean something is wrong with a person. It is important to monitor the dynamics: if symptoms do not weaken, intensify, or interfere with sleep, work, and normal life, you should seek professional help.
What's concerning is not that you're having a hard time now, but that time passes and it doesn't get easier or it gets worse. Asking for help – this is not "I didn't cope". In Ukraine, you can get support for free and anonymously: the "How Are You?" platform (howareu.com) and the 24-hour Lifeline Ukraine hotline – 7333
Special attention should be paid to prolonged sleep problems, repeated memories of the experience, constant tension, avoidance of anything that reminds of the shelling, or inability to perform usual tasks. Immediate help is needed for a person who develops thoughts of not wanting to live.
How many more nights will Ukrainians count not by the calendar, but by whether it got easier after the previous one?
