Watching and reading the news can be a huge source of stress...it's full of tragedy and crime and upset...honestly, it would be strange if you DIDN'T feel depressed when watching or reading the news these days!
Whenever I would visit my grandmother, she'd often have the news just running in the background in the kitchen (a central gathering place in her home). I know many people who are set up to get constant news alerts on their phones. But how much news is too much news?
It's crucial that we stay informed and educated, yes absolutely. But by filling your consciousness with all the bad and depressing news out there, we can lose sight of all the good in the world too. And every time you're bombarded with news of how dangerous and horrible the world is, that triggers your brain into fight-or-flight reaction...and over time, this dramatically compromises the resilience baseline.
So what can we do?
Try these simple strategies to reclaim your resilience baseline:
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Subscribe to positive news sources like The Daily Saint to renew your faith + hope for humanity
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Limit your news exposure: less time, and maybe even schedule when you'll watch or read the news sandwiched in between other activities that make you feel good (like exercise)
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Move your body! I heard a comedian the other day say that his mom keeps a hula hoop under her couch so that when she watches the news, she can dance it off! And she's got the right idea...moving really does help your brain recover to its naturally resilient baseline. Try it out ☺
Happy resilience building!
