The news these days is bleak and it’s hard not to become upset or outraged or both. Every day seems to bring a new onslaught of issues — big and small, global and local — that fill us with an overwhelming sense of anxiety. When the world feels overwhelmingly out of control, and let’s face it there’s a lot that feels out of our control right now, resist the temptation to withdraw or even to stick your head in the sand like an ostrich.
Here are three questions to ask to help you ease your anxiety and gain some perspective:
1. Where am I directing my attention, time, and effort?
You can’t take on every single issue, but you can focus on two or three that mean something to you. Instead of wallowing in the “why” or the “what-ifs” — be the change. Get involved, and get local. Focus on the future, not the past. And in the process, take care of yourself, this is not the time to be burning the candle at both ends. Fortify yourself with plenty of sleep, social connections, daily movement andeating well.
2. What can I limit?
Check your screen time. It’s so easy to find yourself falling down the doomscrolling rabbit hole towards catastrophizing. Less is more here. Read or watch articles or stories that present digested and reliable information about what has happened in the news and ignore the rest. Obsessively following breaking events may make you feel more involved but will not make you more informed.
3. What is good about today?
Our brains are wired to pay attention to things that unsettle or scare us—this is “negativity bias.” Counteract this by seeking, savoring, and sharing moments of delight every day and especially on bad days. Research shows that cultivating positive emotions in the midst of stress can help you navigate your way through tough times and build resilience. Every day may not be good, but there is some good in every day.
Bottom line
The key here is to recognize what you canand what you can’tcontrol. Focus your time, attention and energy on areas that enhance agency. Doomscrolling is not one of them.
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