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These days, following the news feels like a never-ending, high-stakes emergency. Between political dramas, global warfare, environmental calamity and nonstop coverage of crimes big and small, a lot of current events are clamoring for your attention and conspiring against your mental health. But there’s a way to be an informed news consumer without sacrificing your sanity.
David Antonides is an associate professor of psychology and a member of the counseling faculty at Harper College. As a licensed clinical professional counselor (LCPC), his focus with students includes anxiety, depression, stress management and other areas related to mental health and personal growth, so he knows a thing or two about dealing with stressful things like the news in a productive way. Here are five tips from Antonides about how to approach the news in a healthy and balanced way.
“An unhealthy relationship to the news can result in symptoms of depression, PTSD
and learned helplessness, to name a few,” Antonides says. “But the secondary effects
related to prolonged exposure to news consumption can be just as bad. Being on your
computer or mobile device for long periods of time also has links to depression, low
self-esteem and loneliness, along with physical links to obesity, heart disease, cancer
and diabetes.” You might not necessarily experience these effects in the moment, but
that’s what makes them so dangerous: They accumulate and mix together over time, making
a significant impact on your mental health without you even realizing it. So be mindful
of the time you dedicate to doom-scrolling – that alluring desire to constantly refresh
your news sources for fresh tidbits of information – as the small dopamine hits it
provides can lead to addictive behavior that’s ultimately detrimental to your well-being.
If you’re unable to resist the temptation to check in with your websites or apps of
choice, it might be time to limit your screen time altogether. That could mean turning
off your phone notifications, adding tech-free periods to your day or scheduling specific
times to check your social media. Beyond that, Antonides’ advice is to take a brain
break and fill it with more restorative activities: “Talk to a friend. Go for a walk.
Read a book. Listen to music or a drama-free podcast. Play a game. Exercise. Just
unplug from all your devices and get outdoors.” It’s not just about avoiding only
negative news, he says. “It’s common for many people to feel anxiety and fear even
after hearing good news, so I can’t stress enough the importance of completely unplugging
– not just avoiding the bad stuff.”
If you feel like you’re stuck in a rut and still refreshing the same sites over and
over again, relying on your willpower alone might not cut it. Making a change to your
routine, no matter how small, will make a huge difference. “Even the smallest behavior
changes can affect outcomes over time and create a more positive outlook and perspective,”
Antonides says, mentioning the potential for increased confidence and self-esteem.
“A person can really build off of that.” An important part of the routine-building
process is simple awareness of what you already do. For this, Antonides recommends
tracking how much time you’re taking in news and information. “Often people just don’t
realize how much time they’re spending on it,” he says, “and it can be very eye-opening
to actually see it on paper.” If certain events concern you or make you stressed,
worried or angry, Antonides says that “keeping a journal can help offload some of
those feelings, calm you down and establish a more rational and balanced perspective.”
One way you can help yourself do this is by helping someone else. Does a friend, classmate
or family member also struggle with maintaining a balanced news diet? Antonides suggests
observing their own routines and checking in with them: “Are they eating healthy?
Are they getting enough sleep? Exercise?” Look for signs that their news consumption
– or any negative behavior – is causing a deterioration of their mental health, like
appetite or weight changes, difficulty concentrating, inability to perform usual daily
functions and other activities (like schoolwork) or loss of interest in activities
they used to find enjoyable. “If these signs persist,” insists Antonides, “then they
may need more support, such as counseling.”
To make deep and lasting changes to your behavior, you have to replace your old and destructive patterns with new and constructive ones. What are you already doing (or could do) that keeps you positive and self-motivated? Antonides emphasizes activities that allow you to give back to your community or yourself, whether that’s through volunteering, reconnecting with friends, learning a new skill or picking up an old one you used to do when you were younger. “In other words,” he says, “focus on things you can control, rather than all the dramatic and over-the-top news that’s designed to catch our attention. We can’t control that, and it reinforces our sense of learned helplessness.”
Current events are important, but they don’t have to be all-consuming. It’s never too late to make small but significant changes to improve your daily life and fill your days with meaningful pursuits. Who knows? By giving yourself some space from the news, maybe you’ll finally have the time to earn that degree or certificate, learn to play the guitar or connect with like-minded people at campus events. If you’re reading this to take a step in that direction, Harper has a wide variety of classes and support services to help you on your journey.
Originally Published Apr 16, 2024
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