Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsThe Impact of Negative NewsTips for Managing Your News Intake
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Table of Contents
The Impact of Negative News
Tips for Managing Your News Intake
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The media we consume daily has an impact on our thinking, behavior, and emotions. If you’ve fallen into a pattern of regularly watching or listening to the news, the majority of what you’re consuming is likely to be far more negative than positive.
And while staying up to date on local and national news is important, experts say over-consumption of the news can take a toll on your physical, emotional, and mental health. A constant stream of sensational reporting, whether you are exposed actively or passively, can elevate stress levels and trigger symptoms like anxiety and trouble sleeping.
We asked several mental health experts to explain how the 24-hour news cycle can add to our stress levels and increasesymptoms of anxiety and depression. Plus, they provide tips on how to navigate the the news environment while still managing and protecting your mental health.
Why Watching the News Can Impact Mental Health
From a crime in your neighborhood, to the latest health scare, to the state of political discourse, there’s a lot of stressful news out there. Too much of such stress can lead to changes in sleeping or eating patterns, worsening of mental health conditions, and difficulty concentrating, among other effects.
Because sensational headlines get more attention, Jones says media outlets often end up focusing on disaster reporting—and rarely any positive news.
Consuming too much of this kind of news, whether actively or passively, can be very toxic, and what you hear has an impact on your mood.—LOGAN JONES, PSYD
Consuming too much of this kind of news, whether actively or passively, can be very toxic, and what you hear has an impact on your mood.
—LOGAN JONES, PSYD
Struggling With Sensationalism
Even if it’s just noise in the background, Jones says an alarmist news broadcast will still have a negative effect on your psyche.
“It can be damaging to constantly be reading the news, because constant exposure to negative information can impact our brain,” saysAnnie Miller,MSW, LCSW-C, LICSW. When we experience a threat, Miller says our brain activates thefight or flight response, and the systems in our body react accordingly.
Consuming the news can activate the sympathetic nervous system, which causes your body to release stress hormones likecortisoland adrenaline. Then, when a crisis is happening, and we are experiencing this stress response more frequently, Miller says physical symptoms may arise. Some of the most common symptoms are fatigue, anxiety, depression, and trouble sleeping.
This emotional toll and negative effect on the psyche was demonstrated in a study that found people who watched negative material, as compared to those who watched positive or neutral material, showed an increase in both anxious and sad moods after only 14 minutes of viewing television news bulletins and programs.
In addition to an increase in anxious and sad moods, the researchers also found the results to be consistent with the theories of worry that implicate negative mood as a causal factor in facilitating worrisome thought.
Like a lot of things, the key to staying healthy is moderation.Kellie Casey Cook, MS, licensed professional counselor, says that staying informed is responsible, and sometimes even critical to our health—as was the case during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.
To help alleviate the mental and emotional toll of unpleasant news, take breaks from watching, listening, or reading news stories. Be informed, but don’t let yourself be overexposed to bad news unnecessarily.
Limit Your Time Each Day
Leaving your television on or streaming live news broadcasts on your phone while tending to other business can take a toll on you emotionally. Rather than having the news be your background noise,Haley Neidich, LCSW, recommends less than 30 minutes per day total of social media scrolling and news exposure combined.
Schedule a ‘Worry Time’
Scheduling a “worry time” each day is a common strategy for managing the symptoms related to anxiety disorders. Miller says this technique is also helpful for watching and digesting the news cycle. “Scroll through the news, acknowledge anything you are worried about, and make plans for addressing any issues,” she says.
Your brain will eventually get used to this new routine and it will start to be able tolet worries gomore easily.—ANNIE MILLER, MSW, LCSW-C, LICSW
Your brain will eventually get used to this new routine and it will start to be able tolet worries gomore easily.
—ANNIE MILLER, MSW, LCSW-C, LICSW
How to Stop Worrying About the Future
Gauge How You Feel Before Watching
Once you commit to limiting the amount of news you watch,Ashleigh Edelstein, a licensed marriage and family therapist, says the next step is to gauge how you feel before and after watching to understand how it’s affecting you.
She says to do a quick check and ask yourself the following question: “Do you feel informed and calm, or panicked, angry, and/or pessimistic?” If it’s the latter, Edelstein says to consider how much news you’re consuming and the sources you’re getting it from, and make an intention to reduce your consumption.
Watch Reliable News Outlets
“A healthy way to approach the news cycle is to rely on outlets you know are credible, have experienced reporters who do their research, and provide balanced perspectives,” says Jones. He also says to be mindful of how much you consume.
Get a News Summary From Close Friends or Family
If watching the news is triggering regular symptoms of anxiety or depression, Neidich recommends no exposure at all. Instead, she suggests that you ask a close friend or loved one to filter the news for you. Then, have them check in with you a few times per week about the most important updates. “There is no reason that any of us need to be exposed to the news beyond that,” says Neidich.
Subscribe to a Newsletter or Podcast
Rather than flipping channels and gathering part of news stories from different outlets, Cook says a lot of people find it helpful to subscribe to a daily newsletter or news podcast, as this automatically limits the time and content for you.
Plus, you can listen to a podcast while you exercise, which can help keep your anxiety and worry levels low.
Recite a Helpful Mantra
According to Jones, healthy news consumption isn’t about denying reality, but it is about creating boundaries. His recommendation for creating boundaries around negative and disastrous news? Reciting ahelpful mantralike this one: “Toxic disaster reporting has no power over me. I acknowledge what’s happening in the world, but I will not let it define my life. I’m going to persevere and do my part.”
Limit Your Exposure to Other Stressors
Another point to consider, says Cook, is to give yourself permission to limit your exposure to certain people right now. “If you have a family member who is constantly posting links to questionable articles from unknown sources, go ahead and unfollow them for now. If a friend or coworker insists on having current events-related conversations that don’t feel productive and only serve to increase your anxiety, consider putting some boundaries in place with them,” she says.
How to Be More Empathetic
Do Something Healthy After Watching the News
1 Source
Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Coping with stress. Updated January 22, 2021.Cook, Kellie Casey. Email interview. March 31, 2020.Edelstein, Ashleigh. Email interview. April 2, 2020.Jones, Logan. Email interview. April 2, 2020.Miller, Annie. Email interview. April 3, 2020.Neidich, Haley. Email interview. April 2, 2020.World Health Organization.Mental health and psychosocial considerations during the COVID-19 outbreak. Published March 18, 2020.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Coping with stress. Updated January 22, 2021.
Cook, Kellie Casey. Email interview. March 31, 2020.
Edelstein, Ashleigh. Email interview. April 2, 2020.
Jones, Logan. Email interview. April 2, 2020.
Miller, Annie. Email interview. April 3, 2020.
Neidich, Haley. Email interview. April 2, 2020.
World Health Organization.Mental health and psychosocial considerations during the COVID-19 outbreak. Published March 18, 2020.
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