A common topic of discussion among my friends, family, and clients is the conflict between being aware of world/local events and a desire to escape or avoid these topics. A peer recently said to me, “I feel so guilty when I don’t watch the news. It’s as if I don’t care about the suffering of others, and I really do care. Yet, I’m overwhelmed. I’m exhausted.” I feel his pain. I will often think, “It’s easy for me to turn off the news. It isn’t me who is suffering.” Then the guilt kicks in and I debate whether and how much to immerse myself in the misery the news holds.

Often, I and those I talk to, express a desire to escape all this bad news. Maybe we do so with relatively unhealthy escape mechanisms like over-indulging in food, alcohol, drugs, etc. Or maybe we escape by working more or separating ourselves from others. Who could blame us if we do any of these things! The news is so depressing, so discouraging, and so divisive. And yet, we care. We want to be present for others, to hear them, to stand with them, to let them know that they are not alone.

Being Present for Others Requires Avoiding Overwhelm

How do we do both? How do we protect ourselves and stand with others? How do we not overwhelm ourselves with news and misery, but also still know and acknowledge that others might be suffering or struggling in some way? I’m not sure that I have the answers, but I do know that inundating ourselves with news around the clock isn’t going to help us or those who are struggling. What’s the right amount of news intake? I’m not sure, but this seems like a good question to ask yourself. What is enough and what is too much? Here are two strategies for avoiding media overwhelm.

Figure out how much news is too much for you, and then set your boundaries on news intake.
For example, I don’t watch any news on TV. I do, however, read a variety of news sources online. I used to read each and every article in its entirety. I would read whole newspapers cover-to-cover until I realized that doing so was dragging me down in so many ways. Now, I skim news stories and then close down my news apps for the rest of the day. Sometimes I’ll do a quick scan of social media to see if there is anything major going on in the world and then I turn it off again. This works for me, but it might not for you. Being overwhelmed and exhausted from the news is not a way to support others. Finding the right balance for yourself will allow you to have the strength to be there for others who might need and want your support.

Find healthy ways to take care of yourself.
I’m a voracious reader. A great book is self-care for me. I used to call it an escape, as if escaping in that way is a bad thing! It’s not and having a good book nearby has always been a way for me to relax and to lose myself in a story. Again, find what works for you. Maybe being in nature works for you. Or a nap. Find what it is and strategically and consciously go there in order to take care of yourself. Taking care of yourself is one of the most important things you can do to be a stronger member of society and to help others when they struggle.

Good luck out there. The media landscape is a jungle and it’s easy to lose sight of what’s important.

Love,

Lisa Kaplin Psy. D. PCC