During a global crisis there are macro sources of anxiety that we cannot control. The ‘Media’ is the window to these events. The media takes many forms in our lives and from an anxiety point of view, it is a double edged sword. That is, I want to be informed but not saturated by the problems of this world. The coronavirus pandemic is one such event that is soaking every media outlet throughout the globe. Its ramifications take on macro and micro forms effecting us all.
Lately, I haven’t heard a whole lot of positive news coming from media sources, even though exercising has spiked and plenty of people are recovering from the virus.
Three windows to macro anxiety sources have been dominant during this crisis.
1. News (TV, Internet)
2. Newspapers
3. Social Media
Some nights I have felt completely overwhelmed by the news on TV. I have put in place a ‘watch every other night’ routine during the pandemic. I like reading the newspaper but lately have had to discern to a level I’ve never reached before. Social media and me have a love hate relationship. I am posting on it and am grateful I can reach people with ease. On the other hand I try and limit my news intake for my own mental wellbeing.
Two concepts from the Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT) model of therapy have helped me during uncertain times.
· Acceptance - Change
· Radical acceptance
The first is related to our observation of events ie. “What can I change in this situation and what do I need to accept. This balancing starts with an observation of your thoughts.
Radical acceptance is an action to be taken when certain things seem very hard to accept. In the past I have had such strong anxiety attached to a situation I could not control, that I had to practice the action of radical acceptance, to basically suspend any further thinking that was leading to further anxiety.
When it comes to the media, I can’t control what is being said and displayed, but I can control ‘what I choose’ to look at and ‘how long’ I engage in it. And remember, for every bad news story, there is an uplifting story that is not being shown.
These techniques don’t just working for macro anxiety sources, they are also very effective in micro anxiety sources eg. Personal life, career outcome, business or housing uncertainty. They also work well with mindfulness. Next time the news is on, try pausing and simply notice what your body is doing and an awareness of your thought processes. In identifying your anxiety sources, whether it be macro or micro, you can begin to manage those sources, and not feel overwhelmed by uncertainty.
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