Beyond the breaking point: how Ukrainian journalists are battling wartime burnout and rebuilding resilience

The constant threat of drone attacks, the daily exposure to other people’s pain, working around the clock, and the lack of a truly safe space have turned journalism in Ukraine into an endurance marathon. As a result, the mental health of media professionals is no longer simply a personal matter — it has become a question of professional survival and psychological well-being. 

For an extended period, the National Union of Journalists of Ukraine (NUJU) network of Journalists’ Solidarity Centers has been providing systematic support to colleagues, demonstrating that self-care is not a sign of weakness but a necessary condition for continuing the fight on the information front. In particular, 13 psychological support activities were held during the summer of 2026, including initiatives supported by the Ukrainian Media Fund Nordic.

Mental health during wartime: why journalists face particular risks

Ukrainian journalists face a unique set of psychological challenges. On the one hand, they are civilians who experience air-raid alerts, shelling, and the loss of their homes just like other Ukrainians. On the other, their professional duty requires them to absorb vast amounts of distressing information, document war crimes, and speak with people who have suffered profound losses.

“I think about work even on weekends,” is something many media professionals say today. They also report becoming tired of being around people and finding it difficult to recover after work. The issue of professional burnout and restoring inner resources has therefore become more relevant than ever.

“The mental health of journalists is not about comfort — it is about professional survival and the resilience of our entire media sector during wartime. Journalists work every day in combat zones, report on war crimes, and absorb immense amounts of human suffering, putting them at constant risk of severe burnout and psychological trauma. We are extremely grateful to our international partners and donors, whose support makes systematic psychological programs, retreats, and self-regulation training possible for Ukrainian media professionals. International support must not be limited to technical or security assistance; it must also include psychological support, because preserving journalists’ mental resources directly means preserving our ability to inform Ukrainian society and the world about what is happening in Ukraine,”said NUJU President Sergiy Tomilenko.

NUJU First Secretary and coordinator of the Journalists’ Solidarity Centers network Lina Kushch emphasized that one of the Union’s strategies is not to wait until fear takes over.

“We prepare in advance for any scenario. We learn to respond calmly in a crisis because this gives us a sense of control. Of course, we cannot influence external circumstances, but we can influence ourselves and the people around us,” she explained.

The issue of journalists’ psychological recovery has also been discussed by the Union together with representatives of European media organizations.

During a meeting at NUJU with Mika Beuster, President of the German Journalists’ Association (DJV); Wolfgang Ressmann, a media expert and coordinator of the international “Media Dialogue” project supported by the German Federal Foreign Office; Jabir Dera, President of CIVIL – Center for Freedom in North Macedonia; and Crimean Tatar journalist Vilen Temeryanov, whose mentor is Jabir Dera, the guests traveled to Kyiv to discuss the real needs of their Ukrainian colleagues and identify areas for cooperation and joint action.

The psychological demands of journalism were among the issues discussed in detail. Mika Beuster proposed further discussion of psychological resilience and the ability of Ukrainian media professionals to cope with prolonged stress. He noted that journalists returning from assignments at the front should have access to psychological recovery support, as this is essential for protecting both their health and their ability to continue working professionally.

The insidious effects of chronic emotional exhaustion

In frontline regions, a new challenge has also emerged: a persistent and exhausting background fear of attacks from the air.

“NUJU draws attention to drone-related anxiety as a specific form of fear associated with the sounds and threat of unmanned aerial vehicles. For media professionals working in frontline Zaporizhzhia, this is particularly relevant. The constant presence of drones creates prolonged tension, while the body’s reactions to danger may continue even when there is no longer an immediate threat,” explains clinical psychologist Olha Lotsman.

Alongside direct physical danger, chronic psychological and emotional exhaustion — as well as what is often described as compassion fatigue — can be equally insidious. Deep involvement in human tragedies can lead to professional burnout, manifested in chronic fatigue, sleep disturbances, and the loss of a sense of recovery even after taking time off.

Natalia Nazarova, coordinator of the NUJU Journalists’ Solidarity Center in Dnipro, emphasizes:

“Mental health has long ceased to be a secondary issue. Psychological support for journalists is no longer an additional service; it is one of our key needs and one of the Center’s priority areas of work. That is why it is important for us not only to talk about professional challenges, but also to provide journalists with practical tools that help them protect themselves, restore their resources, and remain resilient.”

From practical training to art therapy

During the summer months of 2026, Journalists’ Solidarity Centers across Ukraine implemented a comprehensive mental-health support program for media professionals. The program brought together a variety of formats — from rapid self-help techniques to longer retreats.

1. Emergency self-help and coping with phobias

At the Zaporizhzhia Journalists’ Solidarity Center, journalists learned to recognize their own reactions to threats and use rapid stabilization techniques while carrying out professional assignments. The main focus was on the ability to quickly regain a sense of control over the nervous system after a loud sound or an air-raid alert.

2. Stress assessment and identifying inner resources

The Ivano-Frankivsk Journalists’ Solidarity Center organized a training session for the team of Veha TV and Radio, led by psychologist Tetiana Bieliavtseva, who has experience working in the media sector. Participants explored how chronic stress affects decision-making, learned to recognize bodily signals, practiced grounding techniques, and worked with metaphorical associative cards.

3. Systematic work at the “Professional Resilience Workshop”

In Zaporizhzhia, a new format was introduced: longer-term work focused on psychological stability and group interaction. Here, psychological resilience is viewed not as an innate quality, but as a resource that can — and should — be continually restored through community and peer support.

4. Emotional relief through art and humor

The Dnipro Journalists’ Solidarity Center chose an alternative approach to recovery by organizing a pre-premiere event for journalists with the Patriot Theatre “Art-Front.” This format creates a space where participants can shift their attention away from the heavy flow of news and experience positive emotions without directly discussing psychological trauma.

5. A “Psychological First-Aid Kit”: joint online projects

The Dnipro and Lviv Journalists’ Solidarity Centers, in partnership with the NGO Office of Actions, held a series of online training sessions entitled “Psychological First Aid Kit: How to Restore Yourself in 5, 15 and 30 Minutes.”

Trainer, psychologist and media expert Nataliia Voitovych compared the state of an exhausted media professional to a loss of control over one’s thoughts:

“There is complete chaos in our heads. You know, it’s like a tangled ball of yarn. And there’s this crazy little cat running around in our heads, pushing the ball back and forth and not letting us fall asleep peacefully.”

Caring for those supporting frontline journalists: how NUJU prevents burnout among its own organizers

Union staff and Journalists’ Solidarity Center coordinators deal every day with the problems of hundreds of media professionals, helping them find protective equipment as well as financial and legal assistance.

To prevent burnout among its own organizers, NUJU, with the support of the Czech Journalists’ Union, organized a three-day retreat and recovery program entitled “Nature as a Space for Inner Balance” in the Carpathian region, in Myhove and Chernivtsi.

NUJU President Sergiy Tomilenko stressed the importance of the initiative:

“This program was long overdue. It is important not only for psychological relief and strengthening team cooperation, but also for preventing professional burnout. Members of our community who have been organizing the work of the Journalists’ Solidarity Centers, helping journalists and supporting them in difficult circumstances every day since the beginning of the full-scale invasion also needed an opportunity to restore their own strength. It is important to us that everyone who helps others has the inner resources to continue this responsible work.”

Two support-group sessions for media professionals were held as part of the project “Expanding Strategies, Networks and Tools for Mental Health and Burnout Prevention for Civil Society in Ukraine,” implemented jointly with Araminta gUG and Office of Actions.

The program combined hikes to mountain peaks, including an ascent of Mount Stizhok, elements of art therapy, mandala-making using natural materials, and meetings with psychologists Inna Ivzhenko and Nataliia Petrenko.

Psychologist Inna Ivzhenko noted:

“For me, it was extremely important to create an experience of using the natural environment as a source of support and recovery. Journalists, like psychologists, work extensively with people and quickly become exhausted because they absorb difficult stories. Today, we are not asking anyone to be an artist or to draw something ‘beautiful.’ The main thing is to allow yourself to try. Because when was the last time an adult drew simply for the sake of drawing — not for social media or for someone’s evaluation?”

The psychological “Emergency Kit”: practical advice for media professionals

Based on the training sessions held by the Dnipro and Lviv Journalists’ Solidarity Centers, experts compiled a list of simple but effective self-help practices that can be used directly in the workplace.

If you have 5 minutes: emergency stabilization

1. “Box breathing”

• Inhale for 4 seconds → hold for 4 seconds → exhale for 4 seconds → hold for 4 seconds.
• This can help slow a racing heartbeat and reduce anxiety.

2. “4–6 breathing”

• Inhale through your nose for 4 seconds and slowly exhale through your mouth for 6 seconds. A longer exhalation can help signal safety to the brain and shift the body from a state of mobilization toward relaxation.

3. “5-4-3-2-1” grounding technique
   For moments of intense anxiety or panic:

• Identify 5 things you can see around you → touch 4 objects with different textures → notice 3 sounds → identify 2smells → notice 1 taste, such as a sweet or a sip of water.

4. The “Five Sips” practice

• Do not drink water in a hurry. Take five slow sips, focusing on its temperature, taste, and the sensations in your mouth.

5. Quick physical release of tension

• Raise your shoulders toward your ears, tense them for several seconds, and then drop them sharply. Relax your jaw, gently rotate your head, and shake out your hands.

If you have 15 minutes: a midday reset

1. “Mindful walking”

• Go outside without your phone. Walk slowly, mentally noticing each step (“right foot — left foot”), while paying attention to the movement of the air, the rustling of leaves, and the colors around you.

2. “Change the picture”

• Break your usual autopilot routine: take a different route home, use the stairs instead of the elevator, or move to another desk. A change of routine can help shift attention and interrupt repetitive thought patterns.

3. “Body scan”

• Gradually direct your attention from your toes to the top of your head. Notice areas of muscular tension and consciously release that tension with each exhalation.

4. “Three small joys”

Ask yourself three questions: “What is making me happy right now?” “What can I do for myself today?” “What would I like to add to my nearest day?” Then make sure to turn at least one small idea into action.

If you have 30 minutes: closing the workday and letting go of negativity

1. Expressive writing

• Complete the sentence “After this situation, I feel…” on a sheet of paper. Write freely and without censoring yourself — anger, helplessness, fear. Then crumple up the paper and throw it away, saying: “It happened. I felt it. And now I am letting it go.”

2. A “Close the Workday” ritual

Ask yourself three concluding questions: “What did I finish today?” “What remains unfinished?” “What will I do about it tomorrow?” This helps establish a clear boundary between work and personal life.

3. The “Mental Shower” technique

• During your evening shower, imagine the water washing away difficult news, conflicts, and heavy stories. Mentally repeat the rule formulated by the trainer: “What belongs to others, I leave where it happened. What belongs to me, I take with me.”

The key conclusion from all the initiatives of NUJU’s Journalists’ Solidarity Centers can be summed up simply: recovery should become part of everyday professional hygiene, before complete exhaustion sets in.

Taking care of one’s mental health is neither narcissism nor a sign of weakness. It is a responsibility to oneself, one’s loved ones, and the audience that relies every day on the truthful and verified reporting of Ukrainian media professionals.

International partners’ support: why it matters and how it can be expanded

Throughout the summer of 2026, various support initiatives for Ukrainian media professionals, including psychological support programs, were carried out with the assistance of the Ukrainian Media Fund Nordic (UMFN) — an international charitable initiative established by publishers and media businesses from the Nordic countries: Norway, Sweden, Finland and Denmark.

The Fund was created to provide solidarity and systematic support to Ukrainian journalists and independent print and digital media outlets that continue operating during the full-scale war. Its partners include leading Northern European media associations, including the Swedish Media Publishers’ Association (Tidningsutgivarna, TU).

Cooperation between the National Union of Journalists of Ukraine and the Ukrainian Media Fund Nordic is multidimensional and has continued since the first days of the full-scale invasion. The “Nature as a Space for Inner Balance” retreat and recovery program for journalists was made possible through financial support from the Czech Journalists’ Union.

At the end of August, NUJU established the International Advisory Board of the Journalists’ Solidarity Centers.

Its members include heads of media associations and trade unions — including organizations from Norway, Germany, Denmark and Italy — as well as experts in press freedom and media safety.

The Board will address a wide range of issues, including analyzing security risks faced by media professionals and international advocacy for Ukrainian journalists captured by Russia. Mental health among media professionals working under today’s exceptionally difficult conditions will also be among the issues receiving attention.

“The establishment of the International Advisory Board is an important step toward strengthening our cooperation with international partners who are helping Ukrainian media withstand the war. Since the first days of the full-scale invasion, NUJU’s Journalists’ Solidarity Centers have become points of support for colleagues who found themselves in difficult circumstances, lost their jobs, or work on the front line. By involving international experts and partners, we will be able to make our assistance even more effective, systematic, and meaningful for every journalist and newsroom that needs it,” Sergiy Tomilenko emphasized.

Thanks to the support of international partners, NUJU can continue assisting media professionals in their difficult work while also paying attention to their mental health — an especially important issue given the conditions in which they operate.

Mental health support should become as integral to professional safety as protective equipment. The active support Ukrainian journalists receive from the international journalism community is a powerful demonstration of solidarity and concern. That solidarity itself provides moral strength and can serve as a form of psychological support.

The Journalists’ Solidarity Centers network is an initiative of the National Union of Journalists of Ukraine, implemented in cooperation with the International Federation of Journalists and the European Federation of Journalists, UNESCO, and with the support of the people of Japan. Its main goal is to support media professionals working in Ukraine during the war. The Centers operate in Kyiv, Kharkiv, Zaporizhzhia, Dnipro, Lviv and Ivano-Frankivsk.

The project forms part of UNESCO’s broader efforts to support journalists’ safety and freedom of expression in Ukraine.

NUJU Information Service