As my phone constantly pings with incoming news, anxiety slowly creeps in as I remind myself I need to take a timeout and remember to breathe.
Routinely discussing what's happening in the world with loved ones has literally made me feel sick to my stomach at times.
In fact, immense media exposure could cause dramatic damage to one's health, according to a 2020 study published in the academic journal Health Psychology.
It might seem a bit dramatic but the reality is that a flood of news, especially negative news content, is harmful.
Our brain is hardwired to gravitate toward the negative and the news we consume reflects this, according to a May 19 Time Magazine article.
We find ourselves seeking out bad news and guzzling it down, consuming it so we can regurgitate the latest coronavirus death tolls to our family members.
When news coverage is filled with death, the pandemic and political strife, a society so tuned into the news can feel bombarded by negativity that outweighs the good.
A 2013 study conducted by the peer-reviewed journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America analyzed the media coverage of the Boston Marathon bombings.
It showed increased stress levels in participants who consumed “trauma-related” media content.
“Repeated exposure to trauma-related content is likely to reinforce rumination and intrusive thoughts, activate fear circuitry, and perhaps contribute to development of flashbacks,” the study found.
Lately, it seems as if repeated exposure to trauma-related content is a naturally occuring feeling when dealing with everyday news.
Bad news can make you feel overwhelmed at best, like a tide dragging you into an ocean of worry. At worst, it can shorten your life with long-term health effects.
A 2013 study published in the Association for Psychological Science examined the mental and physical health effects of exposure to images from 9/11.
Media coverage serves its purpose by transporting viewers to a place they could not have otherwise imagined and sharing stories to expand the mind, but at what cost?
News constantly triggers the limbic system, which controls the behavioral and emotional response, releasing cascades of cortisol, according to an April 13 article in The Guardian.
A constant state of stress can impair digestion, cellular growth and increase nervousness and susceptibility to infections, according to the article.
Ways to Combat News Fatigue
As someone whose health suffers from news fatigue, here are a few ways I manage to cut my body some emotional slack.
I grab my favorite pen and journal to jot down my feelings whenever negative thoughts or feelings of anxiety cloud my head.
Journaling helps me process my emotions as they come and allows me to learn more about myself by keeping records of my thoughts throughout periods of my life.
Taking time to listen to songs while laying in bed also helps me with news fatigue.
According to a Mayo Clinic stress management article, any form of exercise is a great way to relieve stress through endorphins, even if it's just a run down the block (while carrying pepper spray if you live downtown).
Exercise can fill you with a sense of accomplishment rather than dread.
And the simplest method to avoid the negative news cycle is to put down the phone to put an end to doom scrolling, even if it’s for only a couple of hours.
