Tips on How to Stay Informed While Also Keeping Your Sanity

Since the coronavirus outbreak, all eyes have been on the numbers – the number of cases, recoveries, fatalities – to give us an idea of the impact of spread. For the vast majority of us, our bodies will come out of this unscathed by the disease, but will the same be true of our minds as we stay indoors and keep our gaze glued to these numbers?

On the one hand, keeping up with the news can be a connection to the outside world, and a sense of being informed can be just as essential for personal wellbeing. Yet, waking up to the headlines about a global pandemic every day is a stressful experience. Combine that with the stress that isolation puts on a social creature, and you’ve got yourself a recipe for a troubled mind.

Some people may be more at risk of compromised mental health than others. According to a recent study by medical scholars from universities in Hubei Province and Singapore, the current epidemic has caused greater levels of anxiety, depression, and stress in women, students, and people who reported poor mental health prior to the current situation. Another study found that China has seen a significant increase in new schizophrenia cases in individuals ages 39 to 50 during the outbreak.

No matter what group you fall into, however, protecting your mind from the onslaught of news is a wise undertaking and can be key to keeping calm in these uncertain times.

Here are some tips for striking the right balance of informed and sane:

Ask yourself if the news calls for you to take action

The adage of “Don’t worry about what you can’t change” applies here. On one hand, reading the news allows you to judge the severity of a situation and act on it. It can prepare you for what to expect when you step outside or get on an airplane, and it can remind you to wash your hands and practice social distancing. But some things, such as global economics, are well beyond your control and worrying about those is pointless, because there is no action you can individually take to help. If you find yourself feeling anxious, come back to your immediate environment, and remind yourself of all the concrete measures you are already taking to protect yourself and others.

Limit your news time

Set aside a time every day that you will look at the news. Consider setting an actual timer for somewhere between 30 minutes and an hour. Once the time is up, close the news app and don’t open it again. If you find that you are still stressed out by the news, you might even cut back to reading the news every other day.

Have a real conversation

Sometimes when the news is weighing on you, you feel the urge to say something about it. Rather than posting on your Moments or in a group chat, consider calling a friend or family member and talking about it.

Remember, too, that if you don’t want to talk about it, you don’t have to. Social media can be even more stressful and less balanced than the headlines. It’s ok to put down the phone altogether and take regular social media breaks if you need to.

Search out good news

Adding some positivity to your daily read can be a great way to balance out stressful news with something more breathable.

Follow sites like the Good News Network, Positive.News, and Optimist Daily for a reminder that there is always plenty of good in the world, even in a crisis. If you're really stuck, remember that God created cat gifs for a reason.

READ: 5 Simple Tips for Staying Calm in Uncertain Times

Image: Nijwam Swargiary (via Unsplash)