During these unprecedented times, it seems like we’re living with a constant stream of negative news. And what’s more, because the current pandemic has affected everyone, it’s still possible for us to come across difficult news even when we’re off any kind of media.
Instead of trying to switch off all news from our lives, it’s become necessary for us to learn how to process negative news well.
Let’s look at some powerful ways we can avoid letting negative news bring us down.
Avoid overgeneralizing
Hearing news about specific bad events is a negative experience on its own. But we unnecessarily increase our worry and stress levels by conflating certain news with the state of the entire world.
Have you ever found yourself saying that you’re going to have a terrible day because you were stuck in traffic for half an hour? If you did have a difficult day, it’s more likely it was because you developed a bad mood that affected everything around you rather than the fact that you got stuck in traffic.
Similarly, when you hear bad news, it’s okay to experience sadness or fear as a result of it. But be careful not to think that the world as a whole has gone to pieces. It’s just that we’re currently not seeing the whole picture. All around the world, people are having positive experiences too.
More people are experiencing lowered stress because working remotely has become the norm. There are other similar positive things happening too. And it’s important to avoid overgeneralizing everything as being bad because of unpleasant news.
Stay off social media
There are more arguments to be made for staying off social media than on it for your mental health.
Whenever you feel like there’s a glut of negative news, it’s helpful to take a break from your social media feeds. The messages shared by other people, subsequent comments, and other information could contribute to your feeling overwhelmed.
If you’d like to be supportive towards others, think about having a phone call or directly reaching out to people. Today, we have VoIP services and video communication tools right on our phones. We can see and speak to our friends and family directly even when we’re not in the sameroom.
Talking to people live over reading social media content will help you express your thoughts and feelings better. You’ll also process any news in a way that helps you move forward from it.
It’s a good idea to gather news from reputed publications if you have to stay in touch with the news. You can get email newsletters that summarize important points. In this way, you stay updated without falling into a spiral of unnecessary information.
Write
Writing is a powerful tool and technique that can help you in several ways. You can journal regularly to record important details on a daily basis. And your writings will help you examine important events and look back at patterns happening in your life.
You can also use freewriting to be more creative. If you want to be a storyteller or just want to write a blog post, then freewriting can help you uncover new ideas and put down what you think.
I suggest using writing as a tool to help you cope with negative news. Julia Cameron, the writer of The Artist’s Way, suggests that we get up every morning and write three pages of free-flowing thoughts.
Doing this will let you spill out any worries on paper and will set you up for feeling energized and positive for the rest of the day.
Practice acceptance
One reason why news can be difficult to stop thinking about is because it reminds us that we often lack control over different aspects of our lives. Wanting everything to be perfect and even demanding the best outcomes for ourselves and others can create unrealistic expectations.
It’s important to accept that we often have to deal with uncertainty. By focusing on what we do know and what we can control, we can do the best we can and reduce overthinking about what we can’t manage.
Conclusion
Often, our thoughts about negative news affects us more than the news itself. This makes it very important to be mindful of what we think about and what we pay attention to.
Paying attention to your work, doing physical activities, or just spending time with loved ones can help you break ongoing thoughts that bring you down.
When you develop a routine with the tips mentioned here, you’ll find it easier to deal with all kinds of news. You’ll continue focusing on your work being productive.