C-19: Tips on News Intake

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Most of us are pretty aware that we need to watch how much of the news that we digest. This is especially true during the pandemic, as our nervous systems are already making adjustments and trying to figure out new ideas about safety. I wanted to name a few tips and concepts about moderating your consumption right now:

  • Stay aware of how you are feeling. Part of how our minds and bodies try to keep us safe is by seeking information. The problem is that we can get overloaded and feel too anxious, tense, or angry. Notice your body awareness while you are reading, watching, or listening to the news. Check the pace of your mind, breath, sensations. Notice if you are holding tension. This may lead you to learning about your own patterns. For instance, some folks find that they do better to listen to the radio while doing another task like dishes, and others may find that they can only read the news because hearing the voices of politicians is too instense.

  • Pick a few sources. Most minds are not satisfied by completely cutting off the news because we seek information to keep us safe. You can ease your mind by selecting a few sources that you consider to be reputable and checking those.

  • Ask yourself what type of information you need. You may consider what kind of questions you are trying to answer. If you are concerned about an elderly relative in another state, you can gear your info seeking to information about local rules and regulations in their area and their local public health department. Watch the pull to look at many tangentially-related topics.

  • Set aside time for when you go to the news. This may mean picking the time of day (usually a time other than when you wake up or are going to bed). You can set a timer so that you don’t lose track of time, especially if you are on the internet. If you have alerts set for news topics, you can play with turning them off as they will pull you into the 24-hour news cycle.

  • Resist the urge or belief that you need to know all of the information. Most of us need to know how to keep our community safe. The 24-hour news cycle wants you to believe that there are more depths to know about the pandemic; it is their business, after all, to keep us watching. However, most of the information about C-19 does not change that quickly and does not need our 24/7 attention. We can pull away from stories that sound like rumors or are speculative if we let go of the idea that we have to know everything first.

  • After consuming news, take care of your body. Give yourself a change of state and reconnect with your immediate environment as a form of self-care.

    See you tomorrow.