When the world feels too much

Opening the news can feel overwhelming. Like you’re drowning in story after story of misery.

The reel can scroll on forever, showing scenes of misery, anger, hopelessness.

With more people having a smart phone in their pocket, it is easier than ever to check the news or catch up on events at any time of day. Gone are the days when we got the news in regulated time slots on the radio or tv, when a helpful presenter would tell us that was all the headlines for now.

It's not surprising that people find this deluge of information just too much to bear. However, shutting yourself off from it can feel like a step too far, especially as we know that we care more for the things we know about than the things we don’t

So how can you stay sane when there in a constant barrage of news and views and stories?

Things you can do

1.      Do limit the time you spend reading the news or scrolling through videos.

The endless loop of stories can mean we keep looking for far longer than we actually need to- there is always another story we could click on or another headline we could check. But if we consume too much of something, we stop being able to actually taste it.

2.      Choose quality over quantity.

Think carefully about the kinds of sources you want to get your news and stories from. Whenever possible, choose to read one story properly, rather than half reading five stories or just checking on the headlines. Likewise, watch a video the whole way through rather than scrolling on after ten seconds to the next one

3.      Be aware of your feelings.

As you’re reading the news or watching videos, check in with yourself about how this makes you feel. Are you starting to notice panic rising in your chest, like a tightness, or are you noticing yourself numbing out so you can hardly feel your body anymore? It’s ok to be affected by the things you read or hear, we should be moved by world events, but if you’re repeated putting yourself into uncomfortable states without rest, or reset, it is not good for you.

4.      Check your sources- be critical about the things you read or see.

What perspective are they trying to promote? Are they biased by who might fund them or their cultural background? You can still use sources that have a perspective, it’s just about being aware of them so you understand why they might have described something a certain way, or chose to speak to certain people.

5.      Seek out positive sources-

Check out news sources that intentionally try to tell positive stories or more in-depth stories that give nuance and balance. Try Positive News to start

6.      Do something-

Reading or watching news stories is a passive activity, and when we’re seeing stories of things that activate us- make us angry, or excited, or sad- we need to be active in response. Find local, smaller actions that speak to the issues you care about.

If you’re moved by stories about climate change, help out in your local park to protect precious greenspaces. If you’re angry about people going hungry around the world, see if there are charities on the ground that you can donate to. If unequal chances break your heart, can you put together a pack of essentials for a local homeless charity?

Where possible, see if there is something you can do, from sharing a charity’s post online, to fundraising yourself, to joining a campaign group.

Taking care of yourself in this media-heavy world is not easy. It is a balance of staying connected to the world, whilst staying connected to your thoughts, feelings and sanity. This will take time, and trial and error to get right.

Be kind to yourself on the way.