Are you spending hours on end going down a rabbit hole on Twitter or on tabloid news sites?
This is understandable, given the impact of COVID-19 and the impact it has had on all of our lives.
In some media quarters, inflammatory headlines and posts are amping up fear and anxiety which is not what any of us need right now.It may be time to have a Marie Kondo moment on your media intake.
Here are some tips on how to strike a balance on the good and bad consumption habits which may have crept into your daily schedule.
- Little and Not too often- It is of course important to be kept abreast of the latest news, try and restrict your consumption to no more than checking once or twice a day.
- Be mindful- Click bait on news websites is designed to hook you in and keep you there, so please be mindful when you are on such sites, spending too much time on them, is the same as eating junk food, it should be consumed little and often.
- How do you feel? Notice when you feel the urge to head onto social media or news platforms. What emotion is driving your compulsion - is is boredom, anxiety, fear or curiosity? Become aware of how you might be using news and social media platforms as a displacement activity - what re you trying to avoid doing, thinking or feeling? Are you procrastinating? Recognise your emotions and notice how you feel still and allow yourself to feel those feelings. Try not to distract yourself. What happens? Do those feelings linger or are you able to process them?
- Time - Is there a better use of your time rather than scrolling? Drink water, make a cuppa or go for a short walk to try and switch off the need to constantly check news or social media.
Some of our favourite positive-focused news sources:
/https://www.goodnewsnetwork.org
Keep Well
Dr Clara Russell
