*A SCROLLER’S GUIDE TO HAVING A HEALTHY RELATIONSHIP WITH THE NEWS*

I've never been a TV news watcher, but I’m definitely guilty of mindless news headline scrolling, clicking and reading – especially in the past few years. This habit seems pretty harmless and is probably what some would even consider helpful (gotta stay informed to be good citizen, right?!). But here’s the problem: When I’m not careful, my thoughts and habits around the news leave me feeling hopeless, disconnected, and totally irritated. <<<BREAKING NEWS – life is too short to waste time feeling this way!>>>

If you don’t like the way you feel after watching/reading/listening to the news, it might be time to shake things up. I’m not suggesting that we all need to stop watching the news, bury our heads in the sand, or act like all is well as long as we don’t look at it. What I am suggesting is that HOW we take in the news can make all the difference in how it makes us feel and what it inspires us to do.

So, what can you do if you find yourself in a soul-sucking news consuming cycle? Here are a few things that have helped me:

ASK QUESTIONS

The first step to changing anything you don’t like about your life is to become conscious and aware of the things you’ve been doing on auto-pilot that got you there. The best way to do this is to ask some questions.

*Why am I about to check the news? (If the answer is “I don’t know”, try NOT checking it.)

*Is there a specific story I want to know about? If so, how can I look that story up directly and avoid getting sucked into other stories that just piss me off?

*Why do I want to click on this headline? Is it to solidify something I already know or believe? Or is it to learn something new/see a different point of view? If it’s not to learn something new, should I continue? (<<<SPOILER ALERT: The answer to this last one is NO!)

(^ These questions saved my sanity in 2020 and 2021!! ^)

TRY SOMETHING NEW

*Try taking any and all banners/notifications of headlines off all your devices. Our brains just aren’t designed to be on alert 24/7!

*Try designating one day a week (or at least one evening a week) when you don’t engage in any media at all. No TV, social media, computer, radio, phone (except when necessary for work). I’ve been doing this every Tuesday since 2016 and I love it! It gives my news-weary nervous system a regular and much needed break.

*Try an extended “media fast” of a week or two. I did whole month once and it was a real eye-opener for me. (Don’t worry - your friends will tell you if you’ve missed something REALLY important.)

*Try not reading the comments on news stories or charged social media posts. Never ever ever ever.

FOCUS ON SOMETHING YOU CAN CONTROL

It’s easy to think “I’m just one guy - there’s nothing I can control or do about all the suffering going on”. I challenge you to think again. There’s ALWAYS something you can control: Your response and the actions you take.

*If you read a story that infuriates you, try to think of something you CAN do about the issue. (Pro tip: gossiping with your like-minded friends about how wrong the government, the doctors, the courts, and other people are about the issues doesn’t solve the problems. Trust me on this one – I’ve tried it😉) Whatever issue you are concerned about, find out how to donate your energy, time and/or money to an organization that promotes what you believe in – and then DO IT. If there are people you think are getting screwed, find out how to best help them – and then DO IT. If you want to see peace in the world, perhaps start by creating peace in your own life.

>>> Engaging in positive action can take you from feeling helpless and hopeless to feeling helpful and hopeful. <<<

I think even Walter Cronkite would agree and say: “That’s the way it is.”

Jamey Knipps, Life Coach ~ www.choosehappyhabits.com