If you regularly feel overwhelmed, saddened, or just plain mad at the constant barrage of negative news, you are not alone. And I’m here to tell you, you don’t just have to sit there and take the bombardment.
I get it. It can feel like if you look away for a moment, you’ll miss some crucial piece of information that could be the key to unlocking all the political chaos that’s been spilling out over the airwaves the past few years.
It is tempting to stay connected to the ever-evolving storylines
However, how are your physical, mental, and emotional states faring when tethered to the news? Do you notice yourself feeling tense or angry, not just while the news is on, but throughout the day as you’re thinking about it? If the news is compromising your sense of wellness and inner peace (as it is for many!), it may be time to look at a new way forward.
Don’t worry. You don’t have to give up knowing what’s going on in the world. You may simply need a backup plan for how to find a balance between caring for yourself and staying informed.
Instead, give yourself permission to step away and use mindfulness to shift into a more comfortable state of being.
Switch it up
How do you typically get your news? TV? Internet articles? Radio? Podcast? Social media streams? When you notice yourself getting stressed out by the news, one thing you can try is switching the form and frequency of your consumption. For example, if you watch news programs every evening, try skipping that for a week and only getting your news from the radio for an hour in the morning or an hour-long afternoon review of your most-liked online news publications. Then the next week, try another news source and time of day.
Breaking the pattern of news consumption that causes you stress by consciously choosing the “where and when” of your news cycle can be empowering.
To give yourself the biggest gift, try taking a technology holiday!
Power off your phone, leave your television and computer screens off, and give yourself the gift of some quiet, reflective time. You may want to write in a journal, take a walk in nature, or spend some quality time with people you love. However you spend this time, experience it fully without turning on your tech. Get grounded into the experience of being fully present in your body and your life.
Drop down
Take some time alone and allow yourself to drop down into your current emotional state and see what’s there, not judging it but simply observing it with curiosity. This is the heart of what mindfulness is all about. It takes practice, but pretty soon you can tune in to your body and notice what’s happening inside you.
Self-soothe
Evidence shows that putting your hand over your heart—or wherever you most find it soothing—taps into the body’s mammalian caregiver response and releases oxytocin and opiates in your brain to counteract cortisol, the stress hormone. Try different spots out on yourself and see what works best for you.
Practice loving kindness on yourself
Ask yourself what you really need to hear right now. Should you be told you are loved? Safe? Healthy? Strong? Whatever you most hear right now, create a loving kindness phrase and repeat it as a mantra to yourself. You can do this in seated meditation, but you can also do it on a walk, in the car, at the office, in line at the DMV, or anywhere else you need to. Try this out next time you feel stressed, and see how much it helps.
If a whole day unplugged seems daunting, how about a three-hour time block?
And as for watching TV, if you are watching a heartwarming movie or funny TV series—stories that fill you up with joy, not stress—there’s no need to unplug from that. That’s where discernment comes in. I advocate unplugging from the TV if you are a news junky, but not if you feel like watching When Harry Met Sally again.
Take positive action
When the news brings you down, you can take specific action to lift your spirits. One of the best ways to do this is to volunteer for or donate to a cause you believe in. I have personally given money to Together Rising to provide emergency relief to children detained in atrocious conditions across this country and to fund long-term legal accountability to end this disaster.
I also donate to the Southern Poverty Law Center and to the Anti-Defamation League to combat hate. I give to a couple of strong gun control organizations as well, and chief among them are Everytown for Gun Safety and Fred Guttenberg’s charity for gun safety in memory of his daughter, Jaime, who was one of the precious kids murdered in the Parkland High School shooting in Florida.
How can we exercise control over our state of mind? We do what we can to help where we can.
We can be kind to ourselves. We can be kind to one another.
Snap for managing the news
Soothing touch: It will help when you feel agitated.
Name the emotion: It may be anger, outrage, fear, sadness, hopelessness, etc. Whatever it is, putting it into words will help you calm down.
Act: This could be anything from a technology holiday to merely switching up your news sources, and managing the amount of time you allow the content to take up real estate in your mind. Then you might practice loving kindness for yourself and others, and see how that feels in your body. Once you are settled enough to make a skillful response, you can take a look at what might be helpful and then do it! Taking positive action feels good, and it makes a difference for humanity.
Praise: Pat yourself on the back for the good work of regulating your nervous system!
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