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How and why to take a break from the news
A man reads a newspaper. PHOTO/FILE/COURTESY.
What you need to know:
- Taking 30 minutes away from all updates and devices may mean we miss something but it does not, necessarily, put us at risk.
I In order to care for ourselves well, we would benefit from considering our media intake and making a plan for taking breaks throughout this week. Here are some ideas to that end:
Establish a self-check norm and set limits on access to media. Creating a habit of checking in with ourselves before accessing news sources can go a long way toward maintaining a sense of emotional balance.
If we feel we must access the news, making a commitment to identify our emotional state, and taking at least one action to address it before doing so can help.
Practically, deleting news and social media apps from our phones and committing to only using them on a desktop or tablet can help limit unconscious news checking and doom scrolling. Pre-choosing specific times to check the news each day is also a good strategy.
If we find ourselves tempted to seek out information between these times, it would help us to find something appealing or soothing to engage outside.
Set specific times to take breaks and stick to them. We can set alarms or ask friends to hold us accountable. Letting people who may reach out to us during our breaks know that we will not be responding would be a good idea. It is important to do everything in our power to set ourselves up for success. The reward will be a greater sense of agency and grounding in our day.
At least once a day, commit to stepping away from all media. It is easy to think that only current events and news stories can stress us. The reality is, however, that social media use is not only correlated with a higher incidence of anxiety and depression but that it can also cause both.
To step away from the news and into social media just means a switch in the kind of potential distress we expose ourselves to. If relational connection is what we need during our time away from the news, consider a phone call to a trusted friend, agreeing not to discuss current events, rather than mindless scrolling through social media.
Get perspective. The news is going to be constantly changing in the next few weeks. Taking 30 minutes away from all updates and devices may mean we miss something but it does not, necessarily, put us at risk.
In fact, consistent times away from media will actually help us be able to synthesize new information (when we return) and give us the resources we need to stay emotionally regulated while doing so.
Source: psychologytoday.com
