Are You Consuming the News… or Is the News Consuming You?

My mom really struggled with getting caught up in the news. 

She struggled with her mental health for much of her life.  And I picked up many patterns from her.  No blame… she was doing the best she could with all she endured. 

When my anxiety hit all time highs about 10 years ago while going through divorce, business challenges, watching the news (97% negative and sensationalized), and being generally unfocused and disorganized – it started to spiral a bit for me.   I started drinking too much.  Every weekend for sure.   Even started having some cocktails mid week.  

Thankfully that didn’t last too long though... I felt like I was just letting myself and others down.  Not being the father, self-led leader, and friend that I knew I could be.   It just wasn’t ‘me’.

And as I climbed my way out of that spiral, I started noticing something bigger.

Anxiety is so rampant today – it is truly epidemic.  

The last several years have been incredibly hard on so many.  

And the tricky thing about anxiety is, if it is avoided it gets worse.   By avoiding the trigger, you are essentially telling your brain that the feared situation is so dangerous it must be completely avoided. This makes the fear seem larger and more overwhelming in your mind than it actually is.   And that’s just one of several mechanisms in anxiety.

Some people are well-practiced at ignoring it and working overtop of it.   Science tells us that these people will likely hit their limit at some point.   We see it in impulsive decisions like leaving a relationship or job hastily and leaving other left scratching their heads, or worse.  

Or substance abuse, social media / phone addiction, gambling too much, overeating ultra processed foods, unhealthy spending habits, etc.

The news just exacerbates all of this.  

If you are emotionally wise enough to pay intention to the sensations in your gut & chest when you watch the news, listen inside more closely than you ever have before, what do you notice?    Is it a more uplifted feeling?   Pride in ‘staying informed’?    Or does it start to feel twisted and anxious?

I find 2 stories into the news I’m getting moderately anxious watching the news.  

Yes, it’s important to stay informed on local news.   Yes, it helps to stay up to date for big stories that affect us all.   But we were never meant to know ALL of what’s going on ALL around the world.   Humans were never designed to carry the emotional weight of everything happening everywhere.

This sensationalized news is a key piece… and yes, not the only or main piece.

I don’t mean we should be heartless or callous.    Just that, if something doesn’t affect you personally, or doesn’t make you want to go act and help out, what is the point of you watching it?   Honestly, if you are not planning to get involved or do anything about it – why are you watching it?  

Has it hijacked your dopamine loop?  Or is it FOMO?  Or ego-stroking to know everything for the next conversation at the office…to confirm for yourself that you’re the most knowledgeable person?   That’s ego and fear doing the driving.

Question everything.   Especially your own mind.  Awareness isn’t punishment… it’s the first step toward self-leadership.  An invitation to grow…

I hope you do these 2 things after reading this:

1. Tune into your gut feelings deeper than you have before next time (today!) you are watching the news or scrolling too long on social media.  What do you notice?   Realize you are choosing your own set of emotions / experiences.

2. Question yourself as to what the benefit is to you for staying as long as you do with the news or social media.   What is your goal?  If you convince yourself it’s super important – great!   It was still a worthy exercise for your internal intelligence. 

As Tony Robbins says, “the quality of your emotions is the quality of your life”.  

Choose your emotions carefully, friends.