The news cycle has been fast and furious this year. I was hoping that we would get a few pauses here or there, but that doesn’t seem to be in the cards.
I want to remind you that while you need to stay informed, the Mayo Clinic article, “Constant coverage of scary news events can overwhelm the body,” cautions that spending too much time consuming news content can be detrimental to your mental health.
“Repetitive and even near-constant exposure to stressful events, especially those beyond our control, can lead to feelings of hopelessness and depression,” says Dr. Robert Bright, a Mayo Clinic psychiatrist. “Sometimes the ‘bad news’ seems to be coming from every angle. It can be very overwhelming.”
Most of what we see in the news is out of our control.
And too much exposure to the news can lead to negative physical effects as well. The article says:
When you’re stressed, your adrenal glands excrete adrenaline, also called cortisol. The hormone gives you the energy to get up and face the threat (fight) or run away to a safe place (flight). But when you’re constantly exposed to stress, you become physically and emotionally exhausted. You burn out.
If your mental or physical health is negatively impacted, you will not be able to focus on your business the way you want to.
So, how can you stay informed and also maintain your mental and physical health? The first suggestion is obvious, but depending on how you are wired, may prove to be very difficult: limit your consumption of the news. Give yourself a specific time limit or time of day when you can dip in and dip out. Consider limiting yourself to specific news sources that you find informative but not triggering (or less triggering).
I highly recommend you do not watch or read anything news related before you go to bed. It probably won’t help you relax.
And if you need to take a break from the news completely for a while, you might want to do that.
In “When global events and relentless bad news become too much” by the Mental Health Foundation in the UK, they write:
Sometimes, it can feel like the world is constantly in crisis. We’ve lived through a pandemic, a climate crisis and times of social injustice. Between these issues and global conflicts, economic instability and political unrest, bad news may seem like it’s everywhere.
Plus, thanks to smartphones and social media, we have round-the-clock access to the latest news. Staying informed about what’s happening in the world can be a good thing. However, having 24/7 access to current events means there’s potentially no limit to how much we consume.
The article continues:
Being continually exposed to the news can cause a sense of overwhelm, taking a toll on our mental health and leaving us feeling emotionally drained, anxious, helpless, guilty and scared. But the good news is that by looking after your mental health, you can manage this overwhelm.
In order to be at your best mentally and physically so you can make the best decisions for your business, you will need to consciously monitor your news consumption. Stay informed and also stay healthy.
