Feeling overwhelmed by current events? Is keeping up with the news causing you anxiety and overwhelm? With so much going on in the world, it's easy to feel overwhelmed and stressed out by what we're seeing in the news everyday. If you’re struggling with stress or anxiety related to the headlines, you may notice that you’re feeling more cynical or negative than you used to. You may notice that you’re finding it hard to engage and concentrate, or feel overwhelmed by things that used to come easy to you.
In this blog post, we'll take a look at why the news has been so overwhelming and how to cope with anxiety caused by the news.
Why Am I So Overwhelmed By the News?
We have access to a 24/7 news cycle through our phones, our televisions, and an vast array of social media outlets. And while there are benefits to having such readily available access to information, the constant exposure to the news cycle can perpetuate feelings of anxiety, sadness, and hopelessness.
It can be difficult to find a way to stay aware and engaged, while also maintaining boundaries with news consumption that support your mental health.
Constant stress and overwhelm from the news cycle can to cause difficulties such as exhaustion, poor sleep, irritability, emotional reactivity, and even physical health concerns like headaches, muscle tension, or digestive concerns. For some, persistent stress and overwhelm from the news may lead to feelings of exhaustion and detachment from things that used to matter to them.
Constantly checking your phone or seeing headlines on social media can create more attunement to the tragedies and traumas that are experienced by people in all parts of the world. Traumas that don’t actually have an immediate personal impact can now instantly become our focus and impact our emotional wellbeing. This can feel jarring, and at times may impact your sense of hope and control.
5 Ways to Cope With Being Overwhelmed By The News
Here are 5 ways to cope with the 24/7 news cycle that may help you to feel less overwhelmed by the news you're consuming. These tools are meant to help you feel a little more in control of what you’re consuming, why you’re consuming it, and the impact it has on your mental health. See what happens for you as you start by making small, intentional changes about how you engage with the news!
1. Set Firm Time Limits
Consider setting some time limits around your media use. For example, allow yourself 20 minutes of media consumption in the morning before closing your news apps for the day. This can help regulate your media use and ensure that you have ample time to devote to other activities that are often forgotten when you end up down the never ending “rabbit hole” of online information (for example… ever had to rush through your lunch break after spending too much time online?!).
Finding this challenging? I often recommend setting an actual timer on your phone so that you don’t lose track of time. This can help to hold you accountable and increase your awareness about the actual amount of time you’re consuming media.
2. Wait a While to Consume News When it Breaks
Having access to media 24/7 means that we have access to news the moment it happens. However, the information we get in those moments is often incomplete, speculatory, or reinforcing a sense of crisis and instability. This often perpetuates behaviors like constant phone checking and/or staying glued to your phone for updates, which can increase feelings of anxiety and urgency.
Instead of jumping to read the latest news story the second it breaks, see if you can allow yourself to wait until the end of the day to catch up on the news. After giving yourself time before reading, you can also check in with yourself to ask if this news story is something you want to spend time consuming and how much time you want to spend engaged with the information.
3. Make Sure You’re Getting Some Positive News
Many of the headline grabbing media posts popping up on our phones these days have a sense of doom, urgency, and crisis. This can reinforce negative perceptions and feelings of overwhelm that you’re experiencing. Make sure you’re checking in with yourself about the type of content you’re consuming and balance out negative with some positive (I am a huge fan of cute animal videos!).
Signs it’s time to check in with something positive? An overwhelming sense of dread and doom, feeling hopeless, feeling restless or on-edge, or having a difficult time focusing on anything but the most recent crisis.
4. Set Limits on News-Related Conversations
It’s easy to engage in conversations about headline grabbing news without recognizing the impact it has on your mental health. At times you may even feel obligated to have an opinion or a reaction to something that’s going on. Remember that you always have a choice about engaging in conversations and that it’s okay to limit conversations that feel draining or overwhelming.
You may want to let people know that you’re limiting conversations about a particular topic, perhaps to a lunch break or after work, so that it doesn’t distract you or bring your mood down during the day. If you do get caught up in an unintended conversation, see if you can end it on a positive or humorous note. For example, ending a difficult conversation with some gratitude about something going on in your life.
5. Make Intentional Choices About When You Consume News
It may be helpful to make intentional choices about when you want to consume news. Is there a time after work that you want to catch up on news? Does checking the news on your lunch break help or hurt your mood? Perhaps reading too much news before bed can lead to ruminating anxiety and overwhelming that may impact your sleep. Likewise, reading too much news early in the morning may have an impact on your mood for the rest of the day.
Check in with yourself and ask whether or not the news you’re reading is actually important at that moment. Do you need to know what’s going on in the middle of your work day or right before you cook dinner? Is the news you’re consuming important to know before you fall asleep?
Can Therapy Help Me Feel Less Overwhelmed by the News?
Therapy can help you cope with anxiety about the news by helping you identify and challenge the thoughts that fuel your worries. Often, when we consume distressing news, it triggers automatic negative thoughts about safety, the future, or feeling helpless. In therapy, techniques like Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) allow you to recognize these patterns, reframe irrational thoughts, and replace them with more balanced perspectives. This can help reduce the overwhelming feelings that often arise, making it easier to process information without being consumed by anxiety.
In addition to reframing thoughts, therapy offers practical tools to manage emotional distress, such as mindfulness and grounding exercises. These techniques help you stay present in the moment, rather than spiraling into fear or catastrophizing. A therapist can also guide you in setting healthy boundaries with your news consumption, helping you to control how much and when you engage with distressing content. By learning to take breaks and prioritize your mental well-being, therapy empowers you to stay informed without feeling overwhelmed or trapped in a cycle of anxiety.
MEET THE AUTHOR
Jessica Byrd, LCSW
Jessica Byrd is the owner of Embodied Empowerment Counseling Services. As a therapist, she helps her clients navigate feelings of stress, anxiety, and overwhelm so that they can create lives that are balanced and fulfilling. Jessica is currently accepting new clients and would love to learn more about how she can support you!
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