By Dr. Gbonjubola Abiri
From local to global, political unrest and instability, financial uncertainty, dire climate changes and health pandemics, a lot of the news these days is riddled with traumatic experiences.
The news never sleeps.
While it is totally essential to stay abreast of information, constant exposure to largely negative news can put us at risk of anxiety, stress, feelings of despair, helplessness and hopelessness.
The truth is, we have all found ourselves feeling this way at one point or another. Some people are able to manage the negative feeling while others get drowned.
As humans, our brains are wired to notice danger and threats, putting us at risk of a distorted reality about world happenings.
Additionally, in this age and time and with the amount of negative happenings that we are exposed to, including those on social media, we are likely to fixate on negative news more, setting us up for emotional distress. It is however very important to pay attention to our mental health and wellbeing even as we try to remain informed.
A few signs that you may be consuming too much unhealthy content include that you find yourself constantly worried and on the edge, obsessed about checking updates, or find it
difficult to sleep with nightmares about content of the news.
In addition, you may also have problems concentrating or functioning, or find that you avoid access to the news as you feel
overwhelmed.
Once you can identify that constant exposure to the news is taking a toll on your mental health
and wellbeing, it is important to do the following:
- Create boundaries around the news you consume.
- Find your calm within the chaos as you intentionally find activities and content that relax and
refresh you - Practice emotional check-ins and notice how you feel before, during and after news
consumption - Listen to trusted sources who are not just after sensational news at the cost of your health
- Pay attention to and avoid platforms that constantly bring negative news your way.
- Take a break from the news and even your devices as a form of a digital detox.
The news should serve as a source of information, education and entertainment. In the presence of largely negative news, however, our mental health and wellbeing can be at risk of being inundated. It is essential to find balance as we exert our power to choose the type of
content we open our minds to.
Remember there is no health without mental health.