Just as we are starting to enjoy summer, the looming presidential election starts making its way into the media. Especially as northern Virginia, DC, and Maryland residents, we get more than enough exposure to the stressors. Friends and family gatherings become increasingly charged with debates, discussions, and the inevitable argument. While elections are fundamental to democracy, they can also have significant impacts on our mental health and well-being. Let’s discuss one of the biggest culprits for stress and anxiety: news media.
I’m usually unable to keep up with current news events during my work week. It’s hard enough for me to stay on schedule with client appointments and the few moments between sessions are time enough for a quick bathroom break, water refill, and sometimes a little fresh air. With that being said, I can tell very quickly when something has happened out in the world. One by one, clients will come for their appointments extremely anxious and agitated. When I ask them if everything is ok, they quickly start talking about current events, politics, how “it feels like things are falling apart” in the country or world, etc. After a while of discussion, I ask one question: have you been reading or watching more news recently? More often than not, the answer is yes.
As a society we are constantly bombarded with information. If there’s a tree that falls, its online within moments posted by witnesses, news anchors, journalists, and “influencers”. No matter which end of the political spectrum you are on, the news is relayed in ways to make you continue to engage with it. This is either through sensationalism causing fear, anxiety, and uncertainty. The less secure and “freaked out” you feel, the more your protective brain wants to engage. Remember that your brain wants to always protect you from physical, mental, and emotional harm – which is exactly what that article or news clip you’re watching is suggesting is at risk. And the more you engage, the more anxiety and unease is caused. See the cycle?
My recommendation when I hear about this news media binging that suddenly is causing someone to spiral into anxiety and fear is to limit their exposure to the news. Whether its reading online articles, Reddit threads, CNN, Fox News, whatever – put a healthy limit on it. This can be done in ways like:
- Muting Twitter (or X or whatever it is called now) notifications or any app that gives you instantaneous news updates
- Resist reading headlines anywhere – in emails, search engines, anywhere
- Limit the amount of time per day you are catching up on current events
- Watch the news once or twice a day
- Be mindful of how you are feeling as you are engaging with media online
Let’s be clear: I am not advocating for people to be uninformed or to ignore the news. Staying informed and educated is necessary. What is unhealthy though is when media outlets become mentally and emotionally harmful by sucking us into consuming it more throughout the day. If the end result after reading or watching the news is feeling overly anxious and like a “crisis” is near… that is when you have exposed yourself to too much information. Left unchecked, it’ll cloud your judgment and push you into a state of panic.