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Reflect and integrate

The Toll of the News on Our Mental Health [part 6/6]

Reflect and integrate As we wrap up this series of 6 articles, it’s time to reflect on the journey we’ve taken together. We’ve explored various strategies to manage our news consumption and enhance our mental well-being. How have you felt about the changes we’ve discussed so far? Remember, this process is about progress, not perfection. Here is the first article if you missed the series. Here are some reflective questions: What have you learned about your news consumption habits? Which of the practices introduced felt most impactful? Have you noticed any changes in how you feel daily since beginning these new practices? Here are some more tips to integrate those new habits in the long term (did you guess I love tips and lists?!): Habit Stacking: Inspired by...

Eating mindfully

The Toll of the News on Our Mental Health [part 5/6]

Replace this new free time with positive news Now, we’re shifting our focus from merely avoiding negative influences to actively incorporating positive elements into our lives. How have you been doing with the changes we’ve discussed so far? Remember, be kind to yourself; it’s about progress, not perfection. Slow and steady wins the race. Now, let’s explore how we can replace the time usually spent on consuming negative news with more uplifting and enriching activities. Tip #11: Discover Positive News Sources A few years ago, I started looking out for apps dedicated to broadcasting good news, and I found some gems! Apps like GoodNews offer content in English and German, while Good News Network provides a daily dose of uplifting stories. These apps are free, though donations are welcomed to...

Digital Detox: put the phone away

The Toll of the News on Our Mental Health [part 4/6]

Reduce the amount of news that doesn’t serve you “News is to the mind what sugar is to the body.” - Rolf Dobelli In a recent podcast, I was reminded of a striking fact: our brains are wired for negativity bias, meaning we tend to favor negative information. This inherent predisposition means that negative news often has a more profound impact than positive news. Therefore, removing negative influences can often be more beneficial than merely adding positive ones! Also, in our daily lives, much like in the poignant Zen story of the Angry Young Man and the Buddha, we encounter the “gift” of news—often negative. The tale involves a Zen master who refuses to accept a gift of anger from a young man, illustrating a profound lesson: just...

Laure with her feeling wheel's pillow

The Toll of the News on Our Mental Health [part 3/6]

“You have power over your mind - not outside events. Realize this, and you will find strength.” - Marcus Aurelius Welcome to the third article in the 6-part series on “The Toll of the News on Our Mental Health.” If you missed the first article, you can find it here. Today we’ll tackle a critical skill that can truly transform how we interact with the daily news: emotional self-regulation. This concept might sound formal, but it’s really about understanding and managing our emotional responses more effectively, especially when they’re triggered by negative news. Emotional self-regulation isn’t about suppressing your feelings or pretending they don’t exist. Far from it. It’s about recognizing your emotions, understanding their origins, and learning to direct them in a way that is healthy and...

Slow and steady wins the race

The Toll of the News on Our Mental Health [part 2/6]

Awareness of your news consumption Welcome to the second article in the 6-part series on “The Toll of the News on Our Mental Health.” If you missed the first article, you can find it here. Today, we dive into the foundational step of any change process: awareness. We’ll explore how becoming aware of our news consumption and its impact on our mental health is crucial for long-term habit change. While “awareness” might seem like a mundane topic, I assure you, it is perhaps the most critical step you can take. Without awareness, change is impossible. If you’re not conscious of your news consumption habits and the effects they have on your mental health, altering these patterns will be challenging. The journey towards change is beautifully illustrated in the poem...

The Hummingbird story

The Toll of the News on Our Mental Health [part 1/6]

I’ve always felt a deep compassion for the world and a strong sense of justice, which made me highly sensitive to news reports. I used to get triggered by news from around the globe, and even more when it concerned my home countries or ‘my people’, but feelings don’t have frontiers. The injustice, violence, and nonsensical political actions—it is overwhelming. But I’m not here to dwell on those issues. I’m here to share the choice we have in protecting our mental health amidst the chaos. There’s beauty in the world and good news too, if we choose to look for it.  One day, it all became ‘too much, too fast, too soon’ for me. I had to take a stand and change my habits. It wasn’t...