Q: I cannot stop watching the news all day and it is making me anxious. How can I balance staying informed with my mental health?
A: Many people struggle with this issue, including myself. We want to stay informed and not ignore the reality of the world news, but the toll it takes on our mental health can be devastating.
I work a lot with families of people with dementia. People with dementia are especially sensitive to the emotions around them. If they watch a sad or troubling news story they may forget the content, but the feeling it gives them will last much longer. I advise families to turn off the news in their homes and to protect people with dementia from being around these upsetting stories.
It is important to remember that even those of us without cognitive impairment deserve to be protected and taken care of during times of particularly upsetting news stories. It is no longer the reality that we sit down and watch the 5 o’clock news and get our information for the day. Instead, we have news on our computers and our smart phones all day long with no reprieve.
This news overload and bombardment means we are not allowing our mental health a break. It can cause a constant feeling of helplessness and anxiety that can translate into trouble sleeping, fatigue and depression.
Instead, we must impose our own media restrictions. Don’t scroll the news on your phone or computer during the day and try to focus on other things. Do things that make you happy and focus on the present. We have the ability to practice mindfulness and focus on the positives in our lives as a way to care for our minds and our bodies.
To fight against helpless feelings about what is happening in the world, consider what you can do proactively to help. Donate to a cause that is important to you. Volunteer in your community to help those around you. Take a walk outdoors, talk to a friend, or watch a light and funny show to distract yourself.
Sometimes we feel guilty caring for ourselves in this way when there are tragedies in other places. But stopping yourself from enjoying life around you is not helping anyone and, instead, is only hurting yourself and causing you to miss the beauty in front of you.
To help reset your mind to the present, consider starting a gratitude journal. Each day write down three things you are grateful for that happened on that specific day. This forces you to stay present and recognize even the little things that bring joy each day. It can be as simple as making a green light, seeing a nice sunset, or even enjoying a delicious sandwich.
You can still stay informed and feel sadness about tragedies in our world without it consuming your entire day. Allow yourself time to read or watch the news and to feel all the emotions that come up. Be kind to yourself and give space to let your feelings out.
And after you have had a good cry, pick yourself up and look for the ways you can be a helper in your community. Do something positive to stay engaged and productive. You deserve to find a way to create balance and hold space for both the difficult feelings and the positive ones.
Martha Shapiro can be reached at Senior Concerns at 805-497-0189 or by email at mshapiro@seniorconcerns.org.
