Psychiatrist's Tips on How to Deal with Infodemic (News Anxiety)

Introduction

News anxiety is a thing, especially given the current circumstances where every facet of our world is going topsy-turvy. 

“With the rising cases of the viral illnesses, abundance of wrong/ biased information in social or mainstream media, descending quality of politics and rocketing crime rates, it is quite natural for avid news readers or viewers to feel anxious,” says an anxiety therapist in North Kolkata.

 

 

Psychological Effects of News

A 2019 article in the “British Journal of Psychology” highlighted several studies that showed a direct relationship between negative news exposure and negative emotional states.

The article stated - “Exposure to negative news reports increases sadness, worries, and anxiety and decreases positive effects.” Although researchers are unsure about what leads to depression or anxiety after regular viewing of negative media stories, they theorize that it has a lot to do with personal relevance.

For instance, negative events that media viewers interpret as personally relevant, like 9/11 or 21/11 or rising covid worries throughout the nation, can heighten their emotional investment and cause anxiety. The authors of the 2019 article noted that “…people who suffer from anxiety or depression are more likely to seek out negative information or information that matches their mental state, which in turn increases their anxiousness or depression.”

How to Deal with News Anxiety

Here are some tips from an anxiety psychologist in North Kolkata to help you reduce your anxiety:

• Take a Break – Try to avoid the news for a couple of days and limit your time on social media. Limit your daily media exposure. Verify with authentic sources. Like, for COVID related information is better to be resourced from WHO, CDC or ICMR. 

• Do some stress-reducing activities - Take a short walk around your neighbourhood, spend some time by your window, meditate or try an online yoga class. Try to stay active instead of passively consuming adverse media events. You might focus on something that you’ve been meaning to do. Staying active and engaging your mind in meaningful and pleasant tasks helps positively reframe negative emotions.

Therapy in A Safe Environment

If self-care does not work and your anxiety symptoms worsen, you have likely developed an anxiety disorder. In that case, it is best to visit a therapist. Often, just communicating your concerns may be enough to reduce your anxiety. Anxiety counselling in Newtown can help you sort out your fears and gain a new perspective of your issues.