Is it just me or does it feel like the world is a big ball of chaos? It's one anxiety provoking headline after the other. The talk of potential global conflict, the rising cost of living, the fuel concerns... it's everything all at once. You know it's bad to look at it, yet you find yourself scrolling Instagram, TikTok etc because for some reason, you can't look away. It's addictive. 

In the past, I was completely fine not looking at the news. I was so good, that I would go weeks without actively checking. As they say "ignorance is bliss" and my goodness, those are some very true words. 

Recently though, it's all gone out the window.

But now it's time to protect 👏 our 👏 peace! 👏

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What Causes News Fatigue?

News fatigue is nothing new, but it's becoming something the average person seems to be experiencing more often. Major crises like Covid-19 and now the ongoing global instability have created a constant stream of urgent, emotionally charged headlines. The onslaught of rapid fire headlines filled with fear and uncertainty pose a very real mental health threat that people now need to gain new skills in order to manage. 

In fact, studies have shown that repeated exposure to negative news can increase stress levels and feelings of helplessness, even when the events aren't directly affecting us. 

What makes it worse is the internet. Pre-internet, the amount of exposure we had to news was more limited. For example, in order to stay informed, you needed to buy a newspaper or watch the 6 o'clock news. Now with the internet at our fingertips, there's no more limitation. 

And of course add social media into the mix and you've got yourself a whirlpool of real news, fake news and everything in between. People are also becoming increasingly more distrustful of news. Instead of looking at one article or video, we end up looking at multiple because we don't trust the media anymore. 

Is News Fatigue Harmful To Your Health?

The continuous, impulsive behaviour of checking our phones is already a problematic compulsion, and because we're scrolling so much, the chance of being exposed to negative headlines increases. Not to mention if you linger on a post or interact with it in any way, you get served more of it (thanks algorithm...).

These patterns however can cause a lot of stress to our nervous system. So much so, that we feel intense emotions like hopelessness, despair, depression, anxiety and nihilism, just to name a few. 

Physiologically, it's very common to experience more shallow breathing than normal, we can become more irritable, feel exhausted, have difficulty sleeping and can even disassociate on a regular basis, which in turn ends up making us feel more isolated and lonely.

Over time, this keeps the body in a low-level "fight of flight" state, impacting both our mental and physical health. 

 

How Can You Avoid News Fatigue But Still Stay Informed?

This is very difficult to do, especially since the entire responsibility is on us  to control our online behaviours, but taking care of our mental health and overall well-being outweighs everything else. It's unrealistic to do a complete digital detox. We need the internet for things like work, studying, emails etc.

Instead, the goal is mindful consumption, not complete avoidance. 

 

Practical ways to protect your peace include:

Setting digital boundaries

👉 Turn off non-essential notifications on your phone
👉 Try not to open social apps on your phone in the morning
👉 Limit social media and news to specific time blocks (e.g. I set a timer for 10 minutes, and when it goes off, I've 'stayed informed' for the day). 

It's okay to disconnect. You're not going to miss out on anything. Everything you need to know will be there for you tomorrow. 

 

Curating your feed

👉 Take stock of the accounts you follow and see if they're serving you. 
👉 Follow accounts that 'add' to your life, that give you good energy, that inform you without overwhelming you and inspire instead of drain you. 

 

Prioritising the basics of self-care

👉 Focus on giving yourself the best environment for restful sleep, a nutritious diet and promotes movement. 
👉 You don't need a perfect routine. It's about consistency and being more mindful of your choices.
👉 It could mean reading before bed instead of being on your phone, stretching your body throughout the day, or making more mindful choices for your meals. 

 

Talking about it

👉 You're not the only one who feels this way. Sharing these thoughts with friends or family can be really beneficial and can help avoid isolation and loneliness. 

👉 If the overwhelm is genuinely affecting your daily life, speaking to a counselor or therapist can help provide support and tools to better manage these feelings.  

We can't control what's happening in the world, but we can control our environment and how we respond to what the world brings us.  

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Protecting your peace doesn't mean ignoring everything or completely disconnecting. It means being intentional, setting boundaries, honoring your limits, making conscious choices of where your energy goes and listening to yourself when it's time to take a step back. 

Because your peace is worth protecting. 🌈 ☮️