In a world full of distressing news, it can be difficult to manage negative emotions provoked from the constant availability of news and media content. If 24/7 access wasn’t bad enough, before the Coronavirus pandemic we at least had a choice of what to take in and what not, whereas regular briefings taking over our TV channels over the last year have only served to heighten anxiety.
The World Health Organisation has confirmed that news coverage can increase distress and anxiety, while a recent study suggests social media leads to increased panic when all we see are troublesome news reports.
And then there’s the concept of ‘doomscrolling’, added to the dictionary in 2020 because of our compulsion to trawl social media sites and feeds for the bad news. The jury’s out on whether this simply exposes us to more upsetting material and potential triggers of negative feelings or whether it actually has a calming effect because the viewer is experiencing it from a distance and the comfort of their own home, thus making them feel safer.
Either way, being able to cope with the impact of negative stories is increasingly important and monitoring your wellbeing regularly improves your ability to recognise the effect on your emotions.
To help you manage the news cycle, the experts at 87% have outlined a number of other techniques in this article:
For more information on how 87% can help build employee mental fitness, please visit www.87percent.co.uk.