As a openly admitting news junkie, I can’t believe I am about to write this:
TRY AND LIMIT YOUR EXPOSURE TO THE NEWS RIGHT NOW.
If you are feeling overwhelmed or unable to cope with life at the present moment, filling your brain up with MORE things you cannot control is not a good thing. We live in a 24/7 news bubble in this era, and media stations are constantly trying to outdo each other with more dramatic stories, tales of gloom and doom, and sensational headlines. Is it important to be informed? Yes. Can too much news send you into a spiral of depression and anxiety? Also yes.
If you find yourself overwhelmed by the headlines, consider limiting your news input each day. Another way to improve your state of mind is to change the way your receive your news. Television pairs news with images that burn into your brain. If that is becoming bothersome, consider switching it out to another format- a balanced news radio source such as 88.5 WFDD, or good old fashioned newsprint, like the Winston-Salem Journal | JournalNow or the Winston-Salem Chronicle. These are important local news sources that present reliable information, and could use our patronage! Check in once per day, get your 5 minutes worth of headlines, and then focus on what is good in your life.
Or, if you need some positive news in your world, check out Some Good News with John Krasenski of the Office (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCOe_y6KKvS3PdIfb9q9pGyug), yahoo’s list of good news about Coronavirus (https://news.yahoo.com/coronavirus-good-news-192846810.html) or the Good News Network (https://www.goodnewsnetwork.org/).
Or- spread some of your own good news! Write some good old fashioned snail mail. Call a family member who is far away.
JoyPlusGrace 