Hey Everyone!
Hope you’re all doing well!
If you’re like me sometimes you might find yourself feeling overwhelmed by all of the chaotic, frustrating, and often tragic new stories that you come across throughout your day.
Studies have shown that constantly consuming tragic or infuriating news stories can eventually lead to sadness and anxiety. Research has shown that negative news stories that may not be directly related to our lives can further increase our personal worries.
Here are just a few tips that can help you stay on top of the most important stories without feeling overloaded:
- If you have any news apps on your phone, try to turn off notifications for that app. A while ago, when I had my news notifications on I definitely found it to be a distraction especially when I was trying to get work done because every once in a while whenever a notification would pop up I would be tempted to check my phone instead of working.
- It is usually best not to follow live updates. Following a breaking news story may make you feel more involved but it doesn’t necessarily make us more informed. Live updates have a lot of commentary and extra details and its often more noise than news.
- I think its best to set your laptop or desktop web browser homepage to Google or any other webpage with minimal distractions. I know that on many personal computers the homepage of the browser is set to Yahoo or MSN or any other site that has lots of news stories and articles. Every time you open the web browser you might be tempted to click on one of the article links and this can end up taking up a lot of your time.
- This next tip is obvious: Read, watch, or listen to news stories that come from reliable sources. Here in the U.S. unfortunately, not everyone agrees on what is or is not a reliable source of news. However, I think that in general most people agree that you should be cautious of the stories that you read on social media.
- Nowadays, a lot of the news programs have people that call themselves political pundits or commentators that come in and talk about and predict what might happen. While some of these political pundits might make valuable points ultimately no one can really predict the future so its best to avoid watching too much of these commentators.
- I really believe that timing is important when it comes to consuming the news. In order to avoid spending too much time on the news its best to designate a specific time to check the news and try not to check it at any other time. Many experts recommend not checking the news before bed because certain stories may interfere with your sleep.
I know that everyone has a different habit or preference when it comes to the news but if you are someone that feels that perhaps you spend a little too much time on the news I hope that you find these tips to be helpful.
With Love.
Yasmin
A Bit Better 
These tips are helpful as yours always are, dear 🙂 About this particular matter of being (every single day !) overwhelmed with information, I am actually suffering it much, and every night I am alone in bed –which means 4 days a week– I spend half an hour or more reading the news on my phone before sleeping, or trying to… In the morning, after waking up, I do not go to balcony to breath and look at the weather (and feel it in the skin) anymore… I look at my phone and to all the bunch of mail and news and personal messages accumulated during the night.
We are all, massively becoming addicted to the Internet and to looking at screens. I feel helpless :// It is a collective illness and we are all becoming quite mad…
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Thank you so much for the sweet words! I definitely feel you because I definitely have the same struggle with phone snd internet addiction! As does every other person that I’ve come across I guess the only thing I can suggest is that during your free time try to find an activity that you really like that doesn’t involve a screen. Everyone has different tastes and different lifestyles so it’s hard to pick anything in particular but it could include reading, gardening or caring for a pet among many other options. But I know all too well that this is easier said then done🤔 Sending you lots of love ❤️
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Many many years ago I was given the advice never to watch a news programme after 6 in the evening. As like you pointed out timing is so important.
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Wow that is a great piece of advice thanks for sharing!!! I love the fact that you have a time limit!!
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Good advice. I stopped watching TV some 5 months ago, we first had to move and I went on a trip afterwards, and I came back and noticed all the Canadian news is talking only about the USA and hardly touching local events, just as they were. It is very tiring to watch them, it is always the same thing: TV tries to categorize, label and divide people. One has to be really silly to buy all this stuff because we can certainly see how news isn’t neutral, it always in somebody’s favor, I mean, who pays orders the music. I find TV has nothing to offer me. My browser has always been set on Google and I have turned off all news apps because of what you say: it is disturbance. I’ve been doing medical writing globally for many decades and that involves a lot of search. It is easy to get distracted, however, we have to be disciplined and not to allow pollution of our mind.
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Great point!!! I totally agree that unfortunately most of the TV news channels are biased! I admire you for not watching TV for such a long time I have to admit that I probably watch too much TV but your comment has inspired me to cut back in the tine I waste on TV
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