Published on 12, July, 2020
I am really struggling to deal with all the anxiety inducing stuff in the news. Every time I walk past a newsstand I have to turn my head the other way. If I ever see a headline I just meltdown. Yesterday I borrowed my wife's phone and a news update about Covid popped up while I was in the queue in Starbucks. I had a complete meltdown back in the car and nearly smashed my head on the dashboard. I started being scared of news during the endless Brexit debates, where everyone just seemed to hate each other, but Covid has made this explode like a mushroom cloud. I cannot cope with seeing Covid news but I also cant cope with the uncertainty of not knowing it.
What I would really like to know is does anyone on here have any coping techniques for dealing with news and media and stuff like this? Please share anything that works for you as it might be useful for me
( Just to be clear, pleas dont have any debates about Covid, Brexit or anything else, thats not what Im interested in, just needed some coping techniques)Thanks
I used to get affected by the news, and was also locked into checking often on my phone - but realised it was draining me and checked less often, and also I stopped getting drawn in by it and having meltdowns/shutdowns. Try and stop the thoughts after seeing any news headlines or stories, this can lead to a chain reaction that ends in a meltdown. Take your mind off the news quickly onto something good.
Yep - I shed a tear at the violent death of children, war, injustice. After I've watched it or listened to it I away and do something relevant to my life, hoping I never make the news. It's a service to keep us abreast of local and world events and it invariably concerns other people because what it does cover are rare and anomalous occurrences but it repeats its own created content throughout the day. Turn the channel off. Look at it when you have mental space for 'The News'.
Also I say to myself 'can I actually do anything about this piece of news? Can I go back in time and stop that person harming another? Can I stop that natural disaster happening? No. So why read about it? It's happened now.' If I can do something like donate or sign a petition, I do that instead.
I thought it was normal to focus on family, when mine were born that was it. Maybe it is an ASC trait.
It's funny, people said 'oh you'll get much more caring and worried about things once you have kids.' Not likely. I shut down the other worrying or my head would have exploded. Adults can look after themselves. My job is to look after my own children who can't look after themselves.
Exactly. Kids bring a sense of pragmatism. Now mine have flown the nest I can worry about whatever I like haha
Yes, I used to have that but it's just got worn out after all these decades. I just haven't the strength to worry about everything and everyone anymore. When I had kids I realised my job was to look after them, not everyone in the world. I'm one person, I just haven't got the capacity. So I focus on them and the rest of the world can look after itself.
I guess it could be over developed empathy. Or even institutionalisation having always been an observer of the news.
But once out of sight and the mind is occupied with other things then a little equilibrium returns.
I've given up worrying about things I can't do anything about or my brain will explode. I just ignore the news and focus on things I can do something about.
I think that is part of the pain, being unable to do anything about it and still having it affect me despite reason. News is easy to distract from too with exercise, gaming, writing, reading.