Stressing Over The News

I am a political junkie.

I wake up and turn on MSNBC's Morning Joe. When I'm in the car I tune into MSNBC on Sirius Radio. And at work, I listen to a ton of political and news driven podcasts. In fact, currently I am listening to MSNBC streaming on my phone with headphones right now AS I WRITE THIS. And every single one of the shows that I consume somehow manages to stress me out. Or piss me off like crazy. Or really bum me out. Sometimes I cry. But mostly I walk around angry and fearful of where this shit show we live in is headed.

My husband thinks I'm a nut, and is constantly questioning my news obsession. He doesn't think it's healthy. He doesn't understand why I would continue to devour something that makes me so angry. Why on earth would I keep going back to something that stresses me out?

I'm pretty sure that it is because I have FOMO when it comes to the news. Our current news cycle moves so insanely fast and I just don't want to miss anything. I know on the surface that it seems unrealistic to think that I would ever "miss" anything news related in this information-driven world that we live in. Realistically, I know that I just have such severe anxiety around needing to stay informed at all times that constantly consuming the news has become a bit of a compulsion. A nasty habit. It's almost entertaining in a real-life soap opera kind of way. I can't get enough. And I don't think that I am alone here.

Overall our access to news is at an all time high. We have multiple ways to watch and listen. Not only do we have physical newspapers and magazines, (for now) but now each one of us carries around a magical, portable device that allows us to have access to 24/7 constantly updating content. We can literally check in with the current news cycle anytime, anywhere.

But, the news is not really just "the news" anymore. Instead, depending on what source you turn to "the news" can decide what angle, portion, or version of the news you hear. Which is crazy because isn't the whole goal of the news to report the facts? There can only be one set of facts. Sadly, not anymore. We have gone from the facts are the facts to my facts are the facts. Most news outlets are very partisan (MSNBC included and I know that so calm down) and sometimes very negative. These sensationalized news streams take a toll on our mental health. Watching can make us feel all kinds of emotions. From anger, to hopelessness, to raging anxiety the news can suck the life right out of you. Leaving you just super stressed and bummed. But like a moth to a flame, we can't stay away from it.

After reflecting on how the news affects my own mental health, I thought it was important for me to just pause and consider what the possible psychological costs could be.

So my primary defense for binging the news is that I want to stay informed. But what does that mean exactly? Well it implies that I strive to maintain a certain level of knowledge when it comes to current events. I want to continue to learn, I want to be able to participate in political conversations at parties. I want to sound like someone who is in the know. I want to use that knowledge to make informed decisions and maybe take some action out of the injustices of the world.

But unfortunately, we cant always assume that since we are taking in the news that we are actually being informed. There is so much factually inaccurate and exaggerated garbage out there that if you and I watch two different news channels we will most likely end up with completely different narratives of "the news". It's wild.

So what are the consequences of our obsession with the news? There have been studies on this and most of them found that most people say that they really want to stay informed but that the news causes them to experience stress. In one study, 40% of people said that politics was a huge source of stress in their lives.

The obvious takeaway here is that we seriously need to weigh the fact that the news bums us out against our deep desire to be stay informed. And while you don't need to be all dramatic and cut the news off completely, there are some steps that you can take to approach it in a different and positive way.

1. Have An Awareness of Outcomes

You need to be real about how the news truly affects you. How does it alter your thoughts and actions? How do you feel after watching the news? Does it ruin your day? You have to ask yourself if it stresses you out or infuriates you, is it really worth it? If the answer is yes, than you may want to adjust your daily intake and maybe reevaluate the shows that you are watching.

2. Call A Spade A Spade

Not all news is created equal. Like food, the quality of the news varies a ton. Even though it is labeled as "the news" you cant fully be sure that it is accurate, unbiased or truly informative at all. Some "news" shows should really be labeled as reality TV or shock television. Or like I said earlier, a soap opera. To determine where your news stands consider this-did you hear actual news stories that helped you learn about the world, or did you just hear angry folks ranting off their biased opinion.? Be real with yourself when answering that question, and while you don't have to stop consuming a particular, lower-quality source, you will need to lower your expectations from being informed to just being entertained.

3. Be Selfish With Your Time

How many hours a day do you spend engrossed in the news? If you are anything like me, it's hours. HOURS A DAY. I have wasted so much time getting mad and stressed out. Hours of time you guys! When you think about it like that it's kind of appalling. It really makes you wonder if there isn't a better more fun way to spend your time.

You can't control the news but remember that the news can't control you either. Take a break. You can catch up later and most likely, in this climate, anything you missed wont be relevant when you come back so it's like you never missed it. I ended up taking a week-long break from the news and felt amazing. Lighter. Happier. And not once during the entire week did I feel like I was missing anything. I spent my time consuming things that made me laugh and wonder and it was really eye-opening. Now I feel more self-aware and know when I need to take a step back. And now that I have this new understanding regarding my relationship with the news I feel like I am able to better manage my mental health and I don't feel so tied to the news anymore. It's pretty freeing and very nice.

What's your relationship to the news? How does it make you feel? Tell me!