Advice if you're upset by the news

If you are reading about what's happened in Manchester and it's making you feel anxious or sad, it's important to know that you are not the only one and it's OK to have those feelings.

You can rely on Newsround to tell you the important facts about a story - but some things you hear might be a scary or make you feel worried.

This section gives you some tips about what to do if you are feeling sad about what you've seen, heard or read.

What to do if you're upset by the news

Sometimes things that happen in the world can make us sad, anxious or confused. It's important to remember that upsetting stories are in the news because they are rare - they don't happen very often. But what can we do when the news makes us feel this way?

Share your worries

If the news has upset you, talk to an adult you trust about it. It's important to share what is troubling you. You might want to talk to someone at home, or you could speak to a teacher at school. It could be something that your classmates are thinking about too, so your teacher might decide to have a discussion in class about it so you can all understand things better.

It's normal to feel upset

It's important to remember that being sad, worried or angry about awful things that happen in the world around you is okay and perfectly normal. You won't be the only one who feels that way. Adults get sad and confused too, so there is nothing wrong with feeling like this.

Do things that make you happy

Doing things that make you happy can help you to feel better. Watch your favourite film, take your dog for a walk, play football with your friends or read some of your favourite book. Try to balance the news you read. If you read a sad story then try and read a happy one before you go to bed

If being worried is making it more difficult to sleep or if you are having nightmares, it's really important to speak to an adult about this too.

Here are some things you can do if you are having worried thoughts when you go to bed:

 

Remember, it's rare

Don't forget - terrible things are on the news because they are rare and do not happen very often. Although people are spending a lot of time talking about it, it is still very unlikely that events like this will affect you or your family. The most important thing is that if you are feeling upset, don't keep what's troubling you about the news to yourself. Talking to an adult about what in the news is worrying you can help you to understand what is upsetting you, and help those feelings of sadness, anger or confusion to go away.

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