How to Stay Informed Without Sabotaging Your Mental Health

The world feels crazy right now.  Between a global pandemic, worldwide protests, and murder hornets (seriously, wtf?!), the first half of 2020 has proven to be a rough one.  It’s important to stay informed, but sometimes the news can make us feel anxious, hopeless, and afraid for the future.  However, sticking our heads in the sand and ignoring all news can make us feel even more anxious because we don’t know what’s happening around us.  Here are some tips to stay informed without feeling overwhelmed.

• Sign up for a daily news e-mail  
  I’m personally a fan of The Skimm, which sends an e-mail newsletter to my inbox Monday through Friday summing up the big news from around the globe.  I love that they include not only what’s happening but what supporters and critics say about it.  Plus, they always end the e-mail with something to put a smile on my face, like yesterday’s video of a coyote playing golf. 
  
  
• Turn off commentary and opinion 
  Thanks to 24-hour news networks like MSNBC and Fox News, a majority of “news” is just one person’s opinion about what’s happening.  This prevents you from forming your own opinions and can drown out the actual facts of the situation.  Instead, turn off the tv pick up a newspaper (or log onto their website), where the top of the article will make it clear if it’s an opinion piece.
  
  
• Avoid the comment section
  Speaking of opinion, everyone’s got one in the comment section of an article.  Scrolling through uninformed and often heated opinions can turn your anxiety up high without providing any real information or value.  Do yourself a favor and skip the comment section – your blood pressure will thank you.
  
  
• Purge your notifications
  In 2019, the average US smartphone received 46 notifications per day.  That’s a lot of apps vying for your attention and interrupting your daily life.  News apps in particular can cause stress if you’re not prepared to process the information you receive at that moment.  Do yourself a favor and edit your notifications to only include apps that deliver crucial, time-sensitive information like phone calls, messages, and texts.
  
  
• Take a detox day or two 
  Speaking of notifications, a study out of Carnegie Mellon University found that putting your phone on “do not disturb” mode for 24 hours resulted in improved concentration and reduced stress levels.  If you’re afraid of missing important calls, schedule your detox day for a weekend (to avoid work hours) and tell your loved ones you’re taking a day off and may take longer to get back to them. 
  
  
• Look for the good news
  The human brain is wired to focus on the negative and our news sources do the same.  Remind yourself that there is still good in the world by visiting good news sources like Tanks Good News and The Good News Network.  Better yet, set one of these sites as your home page so you can see the good before being flooded with the bad.
  
  
• DO SOMETHING
  The news often makes us feel hopeless because things seem so bad that we couldn’t possibly make a difference.  This is completely false! There is always something you can do to help such as donating, protesting, or having conversations with family and friends.  Once I started speaking up for the Black Lives Matter movement, I immediately felt less overwhelmed because I was helping create change. 
  P.S. If you’re white and don’t know where to start in this movement, check out this article from Medium. 

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Now more than ever, it’s important we stay informed and aware of the world around us.  However, nothing is worth sacrificing our mental health over.  By taking these steps to filter out less-than-newsworthy information, you’ll improve your knowledge of the facts while protecting your energy and your sanity.  And couldn’t the world use a little more sanity right now?

P.S. Still feeling overwhelmed? Start with your thoughts! Learn more about my 21-Day Negative Thought Detox here.
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