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WAYS TO AVOID HEADLINE ANXIETY

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Ways to Avoid Headline Anxiety

 

In times of uncertainty, we want you to know you are not alone.  We are here for you.  Below are helpful tips to take care of your mental health: 

  • Be mindful of your news consumption.
  • Limit your news to only one or two reliable sources.
  • Practice acceptance and understand the news will not answer all your questions.
  • Stay connected to friends and family.
  • Take care of your body. Take deep breaths, stretch, or meditate.
  • Make time to unwind and remind yourself that strong feelings will fade. Take breaks from watching, reading, or listening to news stories.
  • Take social media breaks.
  • Understand that it is normal to be concerned, but try to not let fear drive your anxiety to an unhealthy level.

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Finding ways to take care of yourself, knowing when to reach out for support — and knowing where to find that support — are critical to managing stress and building your resilience. Here are some suggestions that may be helpful.
 
Stay Connected. Connections with friends and family have helped boost us through the pandemic, and they continue to be important to mental well-being. Foster those relationships, whether face-to-face, on a video call or with a phone call. Staying connected to others improves our own capacity for compassion, with the benefit of mutual support. 

Reframe your thoughts. Feeling a sense of control can often reduce worry and stress. One way to accomplish this is by reframing your thoughts in a positive way. Take a few deep breaths, think over the situation and how you feel, then challenge your thoughts in a way that focuses on the positive. Whether it’s counterproductive thoughts, or how stressors affect you, breaking the cycle of pessimism helps improve your outlook.

Avoid negativity. Limit your media exposure, or restrict it to positive and uplifting sources. The added tension from a constant cycle of bad news and negativity can prompt a sense of threat, leading to anxious feelings. 

Express gratitude. Think of something different each day that you’re thankful for. Recognizing what you can appreciate is beneficial to stress management.

Take care of your health. Improving your physical health strengthens your mental health, and can start with a few small steps toward your goals.

Spend time on your interests. Make it a point to cultivate your interests and hobbies. Whether you enjoy games, creative pursuits or hands-on activities, even a few minutes dedicated to these can be restorative. If you’re not sure where to start, think of topics that you find interesting and then explore possibilities.

Make note of what helps and then build on it. Identify the positive methods that you already use to manage stress and anxiety. As an example, if your go-to coping tools are deep breathing and stretching, consider adding a brisk walk or trying yoga. These may help calm anxiety and offer further relief. 

Ask for help when you need it. As you work on building resilience, don’t forget that you’re not alone. When the anxiety, sadness or other symptoms become overwhelming, it’s time to reach out for help.