“One reason that cats are happier than people is that they have no news papers.”
Gwendolyn Brooks, In the Mecca
In today’s world of constant connectivity, we can easily feel overwhelmed with the news that gets thrown our way. Don’t get me wrong, it is absolutely important to be aware of what is going on around us. But at times, it gets a bit too much. Especially with the onslaught of all the falsely reported items, also famously known as the “fake news”.
However, it is quite possible to refrain from this gnawing feeling of anxiety every time we hear or read or listen to reports and headlines.
Yes, mindfulness practices, if done strategically and consistently, can provide immense help with this kind of stress. I tell this from experience as I have benefitted greatly in dealing with my anxiety through conscious practices.
We Cannot Live in a Bubble
Here’s the thing- we are social creatures and knowing what is happening in the world around us makes us feel connected. Thus it is not possible to isolate oneself from all that.
But, it is definitely possible to implement certain self-disciplinary measures that can help us handle these feelings of overwhelming anxiety from the news in an effective manner.
Here are 5 such mindfulness practices that can help you to tackle this issue.
1. Limit Consumption
We have the power to monitor and limit what we consume- be it actual food or something intangible as the daily bulletin. And in this case, the first concrete step that can be taken to practice mindfulness is to limit consumption.
The various news mediums and channels constantly report incidents that can act as triggers. These triggers can make us feel anxious and overwhelmed as a result. The moment we limit our consumption, we make the conscious decision to take control back into our hands.
Below are a few ways to effectively and consciously limit consumption-
- Stop scrolling through social media channels indiscriminately. These sites often report unverified articles that can sway you without giving you the full picture of reality.
- Turn off those push notifications. Make it your choice when you read or watch the news stories instead of having them thrust upon you.
- Subscription! Hear me out on this one. I know that most news is free in today’s world. But that also means that the quality and veracity of these free mediums cannot be vouched for. However, outlets that charge subscriptions usually are held at higher standards and scrutiny. It is thus, a perfect opportunity to limit consumption in an effective manner.
2. Choose the Sources Carefully
Continuing on the point of all free news medium of not being of the same quality standards, it is imperative that you carefully choose your sources. It goes without saying that social media channels aren’t the most reliable sources. Moreover, often these sites and other lesser-known channels overdramatize their reports to titillate the audience.
It can undoubtedly make you feel overwhelmed if you read these reports. Hence, not reading or listening to just any news article coming from every Tom, Dick or Harry is an easy way to prevent anxiety in an already stressful world
In the end, the responsibility of carefully vetting your source of information lies on you. And the more you stick to the truth, the lesser overwhelming it is.
3. Set Aside Specific Times
We are almost always glued to our smart devices. This is a recipe for causing all the unwanted stress and anxiety in our lives. To stop ourselves from feeling overwhelmed, it is necessary to keep a track of the time that we spend on them.
The easiest way to do that is to set aside specific times throughout the day when we access our preferred news channels. Here are some effective tips pertaining to that point-
- Do not reach for your news app just after waking up. Just after sleeping, our minds are in a very receptive stage. Thus we can get easily affected by whatever we read at this point. Hence it is imperative that we harbor positive thoughts at that time. Perhaps try meditation instead?
- Similarly, do not read the news just before going to sleep. Chances are high that if you read something upsetting or particularly unpleasant, then that will impact your sleep and you definitely do not want that.
- Schedule one or two 15 min slots throughout your day for quickly browsing through the headlines.
You might wonder- “what if I miss the breaking news for the day?”
Well, trust me when I say that if there is really anything that is immediate or considered true breaking news, you will get to know of it one way or the other. News has this peculiar habit of finding its way to us in this connected world.
4. Purposefully Find Positive News
While this may sound childish at first glance, I want you to consider it. We all deserve to know about all the good things happening around us, even if just for the sake of a quick mood upliftment.
A quick Internet search can bring up relevant positive and happy news that can take away the edge of something potentially devastating or heartbreaking or even scary.
For example, right now the entire world is going through the pains of dealing with the novel Coronavirus. There are news updates every hour about how the situation is changing across the globe and most of it is not good. However, if you scratch the surface, you will find heartwarming reports about unlikely heroes who have risen to the occasion. Reports like these that talk about people trying to rescue the pets in times of peril bring back some faith in humanity after all.
5. Analyze and Research
Last, but not least, do your research instead of blindly listening to and following whatever you see or hear. The onus is on each one of us to carefully check the pertinent information. And in this era of constant Internet connectivity, it is not really a difficult thing to do.
Keep in mind that mediums like Whatsapp messaging often circulate false news and unverified advice. Believing any and every article that you come across can make you feel anxious. While it is important to be informed about what is going on around us, it is also important to cull out the misleading information and absorb only what is factual and true.
In most cases, a quick Google search allows you to do that.
To Sum Up
Most of the time, our lives are what we make of them. While it is not possible to stay insulated from all that is happening in the world around us, it is definitely possible to pick and choose things in order to maintain our mental health.
Mindfulness practices are useful and can be applied to various aspects of our daily lives. If you are feeling overwhelmed with the onslaught of news, you can surely benefit from following some or all of the above-mentioned tips and tricks.
Peace.
Do you have any related experience or story to tell? Please share in the comments below. I would love to hear from you.
