It’s easy to get caught up in the doom and gloom of the 24-hour news cycle. Here’s how to stay informed without letting the news get you down.
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Understand your triggers
If you find yourself feeling anxious or depressed after watching the news, it’s important to understand your triggers. What is it about the news that brings on these negative feelings? Is it the constant barrage of bad news, the negative spin that some news organizations put on stories, or something else? Once you know what your triggers are, you can start to find ways to mitigate them.
What topics make you anxious?
To find out what topics make you anxious, pay attention to the news stories that trigger negative emotions. If you find yourself getting agitated, frustrated, or even enraged when reading or watching the news, take note of the topics that are causing those reactions.
You might also want to keep a journal to track your reactions to different news stories. After a week or two of monitoring your reactions, you should have a good idea of which topics tend to trigger anxiety for you.
Once you know which topics make you anxious, you can start to limit your exposure to them. If certain topics are consistently making you feel bad, it might be best to avoid them altogether. You don’t have to completely eliminate all mention of these topics from your life, but limiting your exposure can help reduce the anxiety they cause.
What tone of voice or types of images are most likely to upset you?
When you watch the news, pay attention to the images and tone of voice that are used. If you find yourself getting depressed or anxious, it may be because you’re sensitive to certain images or types of information.
Try to find a news source that uses a tone of voice that doesn’t upset you. For example, if you find the tone of voice on CNN to be too negative, try watching MSNBC instead. Or, if you find that Fox News is too opinionated for your taste, try PBS NewsHour.
Also, be aware of the types of images that are shown on the news. If you’re sensitive to violence, try to find a news source that doesn’t show graphic images. Or, if you’re sensitive to stories about children in need, try to find a news source that doesn’t focus on those stories.
Finally, remember that you can always turn off the news if it’s too upsetting for you. It’s important to stay informed about what’s going on in the world, but it’s also important to take care of your mental health.
Set some limits
You want to be informed, but watching the news can sometimes make you feel like the world is a dark and scary place. It’s important to stay up-to-date on what’s happening in the world, but you don’t want the news to take over your life and leave you feeling hopeless. Here are some tips for how to watch the news without getting depressed.
Decide how much news you want to consume each day.
You can’t avoid the news entirely, but you can set some limits. Decide how much news you want to consume each day, and stick to it. Whether it’s 10 minutes in the morning or 20 minutes at night, being deliberate about when and how you consume the news will help you stay in control.
And limit your exposure to news sources that tend to be especially anxiety-provoking for you. If watching television makes you anxious, try reading the newspaper instead (or vice versa). If all news makes you anxious, consider getting your news from a podcast or listening to a radio program.
Choose specific times of day to consume news, and stick to them.
In these anxious times, it’s more important than ever to stay informed. But it’s just as important not to let the news overwhelm you.
One way to strike that balance is to be intentional about when you consume news. Choose specific times of day, and stick to them. That way, you can minimize your exposure to potential stressors while still staying up-to-date on what’s going on in the world.
Of course, this strategy won’t work for everyone. If you find that limits make it harder for you to stay informed, or if they cause you more anxiety, don’t be afraid to adjust accordingly. The most important thing is to find a approach that works for you and helps you stay informed without feeling overwhelmed.
Find a balance
It’s hard to avoid the news. It’s on TV, on our social media feeds, and in our conversations with friends. But sometimes, the news can be overwhelming and depressing. There are ways to stay informed without letting the news bring you down. Here are a few tips:
Consider the source.
It’s important to consider the source when you’re getting your news. Just because a story is on the news doesn’t mean it’s reliable. There are a lot of different ways to get your news, and you should mix and match to find what works for you. You can watch the news on television, read articles online, or listen to the radio. You can also get your news from social media, but be careful about what you’re reading – anyone can post anything on social media, so you need to be sure that you’re getting your information from a reliable source.
When you’re watching the news, pay attention to who is reporting the story. Is it a credible source? If you don’t know, look it up. There are a lot of fake news sources out there, so you need to be careful about what you’re watching and reading. If something seems too good (or too bad) to be true, it probably is. Take everything you see with a grain of salt and do your own research before believing anything you read or hear.
Use a variety of sources.
No one source is perfect, so it’s important to get your news from a variety of outlets. This will help you get a more well-rounded view of the world and will also help you avoid getting caught up in any one narrative. Try to find a mix of local, national, and international news sources that you can trust. And don’t be afraid to explore different perspectives – even if they are different from your own.
Consider other perspectives.
In these frightening and often overwhelming times, it’s natural to want to stay informed about what’s going on in the world. But constantly consuming news coverage can be detrimental to your mental health. If you find yourself feeling anxious, depressed, or even traumatized after watching the news, it’s important to take a step back and consider other perspectives.
There are a few things you can do to reduce the negative impact of the news on your mental health:
-Limit your consumption. You don’t need to watch the news all day, every day. Once or twice a day should be sufficient.
-Consider other sources. In addition to traditional news sources, there are alternative media outlets that provide different perspectives on current events.
-Take breaks. Give yourself time away from the constant stream of news coverage. Go for a walk, read a book, or spend time with loved ones.
-Talk to someone. If you find yourself feeling overwhelmed by the news, talk to a trusted friend or family member about what you’re seeing and how it’s affecting you.
Take breaks
It’s impossible to keep up with the news without feeling overwhelmed. You know you should stay informed, but sometimes it feels like the world is on fire and you can’t do anything about it.One way to protect your mental health is by taking breaks from the news.
Set a timer.
You can’t keep your eyes glued to the television or scrolling through your Facebook feed all day long – it’s just not healthy. If you want to stay informed without getting depressed, you need to take breaks. Set a timer for 30 minutes and when it goes off, take 5-10 minutes to walk around, get a drink of water, or just step away from the news. This will help clear your head and allow you to come back refreshed and ready to handle whatever bad news comes your way.
Get up and move around.
Watching the news can be overwhelming, especially if you’re already feeling down. To avoid getting bogged down by depressing news, it’s important to take breaks. Get up and move around, stretch, or do something else to take your mind off the news for a few minutes. You can also try reading something uplifting or watching a funny show to change your mood.
Do something calming.
It’s important to take some time for yourself after watching the news. Do something calming, such as reading a book, spending time with friends or family, or playing with a pet. You may also want to consider talking to a therapist to help you deal with your feelings.
