All of us have reasons to feel anxious as we enter the new year. The Covid-19 pandemic, the climate crisis, and ongoing political unrest all present a unique set of challenges in 2022.
We all want to stay up to date with current affairs, but many people feel increasingly anxious when they read the news. How can you keep your finger on the pulse without giving in to worry and dread?
Keep reading for useful advice on how to get your news fix without triggering anxiety, helping you to stay up to date and look after your mental health at the same time.
Talk it out with family and friends
If you are reading news stories that keep you up at night, one easy way to take that weight off your shoulders is to talk it out with family and friends.
You might find that your anxiety is soothed by a simple conversation about current issues. Even if the discussion turns into a debate, getting your concerns out in the open can remind you that you’re not alone.
Listening to others’ points of view can also help reframe the way you think about current affairs, opening your mind, and ultimately helping you to feel better about the world.
Be rigorous when choosing your news sources
In the digital age, there are thousands of places to read the news. Newspapers, magazines, blogs, and social media all convey information about current affairs.
If you generally stick to a few key news sources, take the time to research them. Who funds these sources, and what are their agendas?
All publications have a political angle; if their angle is to shock and dismay their readers as much as possible, it’s no wonder that you are feeling worried!
In addition, social media can be a breeding ground for misinformation. If you see a scary statistic or claim on social media, make sure you fact-check it afterwards.
Use helpful apps that can stop you from “doomscrolling”
Do you find yourself endlessly scrolling through news sites or social media, with no real purpose other than to consume negative information? There’s a word for it: doomscrolling.
Doomscrolling can lead you down a treacherous path of bad news that can ultimately lead to anxiety.
The good news is that there are helpful apps that can stop you from spending hours consuming dreadful news. These apps allow you to set time limits on news sources and social media, so you can’t fall down a rabbit hole of doomscrolling for too long.
Downloading time-limiting apps such as Digital Wellbeing or iOS Screen Time is a great place to start if you want to read the news without becoming overwhelmed.
Take regular social media breaks
Social media can be a great tool for keeping up with friends and sharing information, but it can also be a platform for misinformation and anxiety-inducing news.
Your social media algorithm tracks your habits and tailors news specifically towards you, so the more you click on news stories that concern you, the more similar stories will appear on your timeline.
By taking regular social media breaks, you can reduce news anxiety by focusing on the here and now.
Another tactic you can employ is to “purge” your social media accounts by unfollowing sources that make you feel regularly stressed out. That way, when you return after your social media break, you won’t immediately return to the triggering accounts that were causing you anxiety before.
Read good news as well as bad
When you head to your favourite news apps, it can seem that all you find is a pile of terrible events all stacked together. But believe it or not, some good things are happening in the world too – you just have to look for them.
Subscribing to a publication like Positive News, a quarterly magazine dedicated to reporting good news, is a great way to balance out the scariness of the mainstream media.
Nurture your mental health in other ways
Ultimately, it’s hard to avoid the difficult times we are all living in. You might not be able to completely rid yourself of news anxiety, but you can nurture your mental health in other ways, to find life more enjoyable despite it all.
Practising yoga and meditation, for example, can provide a huge relief for a worried mind. In addition, spending time outdoors can clear your head and blow the cobwebs away.
Ask for help
If you are experiencing regular anxiety symptoms, you can find helpful information on how to cope via the NHS website.
Get in touch
Our Chartered financial planners can help you and your loved ones make the right choices when it comes to the money matters that worry you. If you have any questions, please get in touch and speak to us today.