We need to be informed about what’s going on in the world without letting media consumption hijack our nervous systems and take over our lives. To do this, I suggest using boundaries to define your who, what, where, and when.
Who: Choose to talk about current events with individuals you trust as safe. Those who will respect your need to vent and share concerns and will understand when you need the conversation to be over rather than those will exacerbate your fears without offering solutions.
What: Gather information from reliable sources that provide content with the intent to educate or inform rather than to sensationalize and to provoke outrage and fear.
Where: Define the spaces you will gather news from- and where you will be. Perhaps you choose only written content- rather than visual/auditory- because it causes you less reactivity. Maybe you will look at news-related-content only on your laptop but not on your phone. Others might only look when they’re in their office but not their bedroom.
When: Consider having set times of the week that you dip in to reviewing the news and understanding what’s happening and then time when you dip out again. Alternatively, you might have times of the day that are off-limits for news consumption such as first thing in the morning or the hour before bedtime.
Regardless of your specific who/what/where/when- choose boundaries for yourself that maintain your wellbeing for the long haul.
