What To Do When All You See Is Doom and Gloom

There’s plenty to be anxious about these days, whether it’s climate change, political unrest, financial instability, international conflicts or lingering fear of COVID. Even when these events do not directly affect you, they can have a real impact on both your mental and physical health.

Everyone feels these pressures to some degree or another. It’s just a natural part of living in a world that you cannot control. Regardless of your political, social or cultural perspective, you are going to be faced with news and world events that you find worrisome or difficult to accept.

Your challenge is finding a way to interact with these events -- sticking your head in the sand isn’t healthy, either -- in a way that doesn’t cause you harm.

How You React

When confronted with uncomfortable news or developments, it may remind you of traumas or experiences in your past. And you may be overwhelmed with feelings of helplessness.

Your current mental state will also influence how you react to new developments. So if you are  already nervous, anxious, angry or depressed about other things in your life, you are likely to feel more of that when you see a new piece of bad news. These factors contribute to a range of emotional responses, including:

• Depression/sadness: It’s easy to feel sad when you watch other people suffering or if you believe something wrong is happening. The longer it goes on, the more these feelings may grow.
• Fear/anxiety: Uncertainties about the future and where developments can be extremely stressful.
• Anger: This is a natural response if you feel powerless or threatened.
• Grief: Most people are pained to see others suffering, regardless of whether they actually know the people in trouble.
• Guilt: Our brains are complicated. And when you see someone else suffering or experiencing pain, you may find yourself feeling guilty from your position of safety.

Coping Strategies

One of the most significant challenges in our modern world is the ease with which social media and the internet can dominate your life. It doesn’t help that your favorite social media platforms employ sophisticated algorithms designed to show you content that will keep you engaged. Escaping the deluge of information requires planning and determination. Among the strategies:

• Budget your screen time: To escape the power of those algorithms, decide in advance how much time you will spend online. Pick certain times of the day and set time limits so that your brain can prepare for what it’s about to encounter. If you just randomly open your phone and scroll, you may not be mentally prepared for what you will see.
• Take breaks: You don’t have to be online every day. When you aren’t feeling up to it, don’t be afraid to stay offline for a day or two to give yourself some space from the turmoil.
• Pick your sources: Keeping up with current events can be less stressful if your information source is one that leans toward your own perspective.
• Spend time in the real world: Don’t let your life be consumed by your online world. Make plans with friends or family members.
• Remember that not everyone has to agree with you: Don’t feel like you need to convert the world to your way of thinking. Everyone is entitled to their own perspectives and opinions. Sometimes you just need to agree to disagree.

What’s at Stake?

If you constantly expose yourself to content that causes distress, you are putting your health at risk. As you become increasingly angry and anxious, your entire system can become hypersensitive. Your blood pressure will go up. You won’t get adequate sleep. Stress will affect your hormones.

And the more time you spend engaging online, the less time you will have to take care of your own personal needs. In extreme cases, you may isolate yourself from others or engage in substance abuse to cope.

Regardless of what you are seeing and hearing, remember that there are things in your life you can’t control. Focus on the things you can control. That includes your personal values, roles and responsibilities. Your life is much more than what happens online and in the outside world.