What are good methods to fight anxiety over world news?

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As of late I am becoming especially angry and despaired feeling. I've dealt with a few minor brief panic attacks before over abstract issues that have nothing to do with me individually and it's at best merely distracting me from my daily direction. I haven't gone one day in many years where these thoughts about world news and politics don't rear in my mind for only a few minutes.

How did others get through this and stopped focusing so much on it that it barely impairs normal functioning?

I lnow people who have stopped watching the news because its too upsetting for them.

Personally, I like to be informed, perhaps you do too.

Maybe cut down consuming the news to once a week.

I find cute videos of dogs help.

If you must use Twitter follow @dog_feelings

Honestly, I gave up watching or reading the news. I feel better and for the most part, its had little or no effect on my daily life. Try it. You might feel better too.

Sometimes a lot of scaremongering gets mixed into the news. Sometimes I'm glad I don't understand much, because when they're talking about Russia, Trump, Brexit, whatever, I just let it wash over me because these things are just too complicated for my small mind.

I'm too busy worrying about my personal life.

I learn how to recognize propaganda vs factual information (as much as I can at least) and try to keep my news text-based. I watch the news but I don't take it too seriously.

I think hurtloam's idea is a good one. You could just gradually cut down the amount of time you spend taking in news.

Also wrongcigtizen's idea to only read news rather than watch it on TV is sensible too, because it's harder to be stirred up emotionally from reading, rather than watching some sensationalised loud video piece.

If you currently watch or read news 3 times a day, cut it down to once day. If you check the news once a day try every other day. If that still upsets you try what hurtloam said - once a week.

I've sometimes found it good to start the day watching a TV show or film I like. It puts me in a good mood. It might be best to leave checking the news until the evening if you have to pick a time to do it because at the end of the day you're going to be going to sleep soon, so gives you less time to worry about whatever's going on.

Concentrate on what you are doing to move your life forward

Some things are beyond your control

For example, some people, in the crosswalk with the light, get run over by car

They could not have predicted or prevented it

Maybe tomorrow a car will run me over

But it doesn't make sense to never go outside just because a car could run me over

Likewise with world events


You vote, political rally, campaign



But you are just one person


You have only so much power to do anything

I watch CNN or MSNBC practically non-stop unless one of my favorite other kind of show is on,and occasionally PBS and sometimes if up in the middle of the night Democracy Now but am almost always doing other stuff like cooking or on the computer or eating when watching it, and these activities tone the reaction down. Sometimes I turn on the local news by mistake and can't stop watching it. Actually have been turning the news on a little less since my bf had the stroke a few days ago as I have been on the phone with the hospital and also it is getting boring. ZZZz. I have many t.v.'s, at least one in each room, sometimes two..I mainly watch it because I'm interested from a social science angle. Re the situations that arouse insecurity, yes, that can be difficult. I have been through it, but don't get upset so much anymore. Russia aligning more with China which was on the news yesterday and that did disturb me as it was one of my main concerns some years ago that this would happen.

The thing is, can a person do something about it or not? If I can't do anything about it, there is no reason to get upset. Does this make sense? Maybe not, but maybe kind of? For me nothing beats writing on the internet at the same time one is watching or listening to t.v. Sometimes recently I turn the sound off and just read the captions, and if I see something interesting turn the sound back on, and if the sound is on switch to a different news channel during the commercials.. Actually I like the voices of many different kinds of people communicating on these new panels, and a lot of these folks are very calm, and their voices calm me down. I do not see how not knowing information is the path to inner security. It would be more productive for me to study my own reactions and work on that. Then again, there's nothing more regenerative than silence, so not watching the news so much could be good for me. I am watching it less in the mornings.

To the op, this may sound crazy but I think a possible solution for you may be to watch the news even more until you become desensitized. Seriously. Not a bad idea. Over and out:-)

I watch clips of The Daily Show on youtube. It helps me get worthwhile news, while cutting it with humour that makes it easier to digest, and prevents me from getting so upset and angry over things.

If a person is afraid of dying, certain stuff on the news could be more upsetting. I used to get upset by the news especially doom stuff, but this was when I was more afraid of dying then I am now. And I used to be a lot more anxious. I think in anxiety a person is more likely to cling to a perceived image of ones sense and feeling of oneself as being ultimately true, then unconsciously confuse that subjective meaning with the false ideal of a body and/or self living for ever, so the thought of the body ending creates even more anxiety. Am not sure how well I said this, but one way to think about it is that avoiding triggers does make sense on some level, but one can also become acclimated to triggers in such a way as to become free of compulsions. Difficult work, but potentially rewarding. To the op, not suggesting you do this, but just presenting another way to possibly look at it.

I look at a cute dancing banana

I'm a news junkie.

I cannot be bothered with conspiracies, fear-mongering or people who spread false information.

I follow The Dodo for cute animal stories and the Auschwitz Twitter feed to put things into perspective.