The media we consume daily has an impact on our thinking, behavior, and emotions. If you’ve fallen into a pattern of regularly watching or listening to the news, the majority of what you’re consuming is likely to be far more negative than positive.
And while staying up to date on local and national news is important, experts say over-consumption of the news can take a toll on your physical, emotional, and mental health. A constant stream of sensational reporting, whether you are exposed actively or passively, can elevate stress levels and trigger symptoms like anxiety and trouble sleeping.
With that in mind, the goal is to find the balance between feeling informed and educated while not becoming totally overwhelmed by what you're seeing.
We asked several mental health experts to explain how the 24-hour news cycle can add to our stress levels and increase symptoms of anxiety and depression. Plus, they provide tips on how to navigate the the news environment while still managing and protecting your mental health.
From a crime in your neighborhood, to the latest health scare, to the state of political discourse, there's a lot of stressful news out there. Too much of such stress can lead to changes in sleeping or eating patterns, worsening of mental health conditions, and difficulty concentrating, among other effects.
Compounding this stress is the constant stream of news that we are exposed to on a daily, hourly, and even minute-by-minute basis. “Unfortunately, a lot of the news we consume today isn’t so much reporting as it is a way of keeping people addicted to the news cycle,” says licensed psychologist Logan Jones, PsyD.
Because sensational headlines get more attention, Jones says media outlets often end up focusing on disaster reporting—and rarely any positive news.
Even if it's just noise in the background, Jones says an alarmist news broadcast will still have a negative effect on your psyche.
“It can be damaging to constantly be reading the news, because constant exposure to negative information can impact our brain,” says Annie Miller, MSW, LCSW-C, LICSW. When we experience a threat, Miller says our brain activates the fight or flight response, and the systems in our body react accordingly.
Consuming the news can activate the sympathetic nervous system, which causes your body to release stress hormones like cortisol and adrenaline. Then, when a crisis is happening, and we are experiencing this stress response more frequently, Miller says physical symptoms may arise. Some of the most common symptoms are fatigue, anxiety, depression, and trouble sleeping.
This emotional toll and negative effect on the psyche was demonstrated in a study that found people who watched negative material, as compared to those who watched positive or neutral material, showed an increase in both anxious and sad moods after only 14 minutes of viewing television news bulletins and programs.
In addition to an increase in anxious and sad moods, the researchers also found the results to be consistent with the theories of worry that implicate negative mood as a causal factor in facilitating worrisome thought.
Like a lot of things, the key to staying healthy is moderation. Kellie Casey Cook, MS, licensed professional counselor, says that staying informed is responsible, and sometimes even critical to our health—as was the case during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.
To help alleviate the mental and emotional toll of unpleasant news, take breaks from watching, listening, or reading news stories. Be informed, but don't let yourself be overexposed to bad news unnecessarily.
Leaving your television on or streaming live news broadcasts on your phone while tending to other business can take a toll on you emotionally. Rather than having the news be your background noise, Haley Neidich, LCSW, recommends less than 30 minutes per day total of social media scrolling and news exposure combined.
Scheduling a “worry time” each day is a common strategy for managing the symptoms related to anxiety disorders. Miller says this technique is also helpful for watching and digesting the news cycle. “Scroll through the news, acknowledge anything you are worried about, and make plans for addressing any issues,” she says.
Then, choose a time that is far enough away from your bedtime so that your brain has time to settle before you go to bed. The idea, says Miller, is to minimize worry and news intake by scheduling it into your day. After your worry time is over, Miller says to put the news aside and remind yourself that it’s not time to worry right now and move onto other things.
Once you commit to limiting the amount of news you watch, Ashleigh Edelstein, a licensed marriage and family therapist, says the next step is to gauge how you feel before and after watching to understand how it's affecting you.
She says to do a quick check and ask yourself the following question: “Do you feel informed and calm, or panicked, angry, and/or pessimistic?” If it's the latter, Edelstein says to consider how much news you're consuming and the sources you’re getting it from, and make an intention to reduce your consumption.
“A healthy way to approach the news cycle is to rely on outlets you know are credible, have experienced reporters who do their research, and provide balanced perspectives,” says Jones. He also says to be mindful of how much you consume.
If watching the news is triggering regular symptoms of anxiety or depression, Neidich recommends no exposure at all. Instead, she suggests that you ask a close friend or loved one to filter the news for you. Then, have them check in with you a few times per week about the most important updates. “There is no reason that any of us need to be exposed to the news beyond that,” says Neidich.
Rather than flipping channels and gathering part of news stories from different outlets, Cook says a lot of people find it helpful to subscribe to a daily newsletter or news podcast, as this automatically limits the time and content for you.
Plus, you can listen to a podcast while you exercise, which can help keep your anxiety and worry levels low.
According to Jones, healthy news consumption isn’t about denying reality, but it is about creating boundaries. His recommendation for creating boundaries around negative and disastrous news? Reciting a helpful mantra like this one: “Toxic disaster reporting has no power over me. I acknowledge what’s happening in the world, but I will not let it define my life. I’m going to persevere and do my part.”
Another point to consider, says Cook, is to give yourself permission to limit your exposure to certain people right now. “If you have a family member who is constantly posting links to questionable articles from unknown sources, go ahead and unfollow them for now. If a friend or coworker insists on having current events-related conversations that don’t feel productive and only serve to increase your anxiety, consider putting some boundaries in place with them,” she says.
Something along the lines of, “Hey, I’m really starting to feel overwhelmed by this topic, so I’d prefer if we’d change the subject,” can be effective with some people.
For most of us, consuming some form of news each day is essential. To help combat feelings of fear, anxiety, and worry that often accompany negative news, Edelstein suggests choosing to do something positive or healthy immediately after, like taking a walk, calling a friend, or working on a hobby. Prioritize the things that energize and enrich your life, not the things that make you feel worse.