Catastrophe overload? How to cope with a barrage of troubling headlines
“It’s been an intense week on many fronts,” one Cape Cod business wrote on Facebook recently. A mass shooter was at large in Maine, there was war in the Middle East as well as Ukraine, and divisive political disarray had been on full display in Washington, D.C.
“Sending some peace,” the soothing message said above a photo of a calm Atlantic Ocean and empty Lower Cape beach. “Be well.”
Being well can be a challenge amid the barrage of bad news, but that instinct to offer peaceful nature as a calming measure was a good one, according to experts. Reaching out to let people know they’re not alone is another way to cope with stress brought on by world events.
“Just getting out into the real world, into nature,” even just a half-hour a day, can be an important stress reliever, said psychiatrist Cathy Perkins, MD, medical director of Emergency Psychiatric Services at Cape Cod Hospital.
Getting outside can also get you away from the news, whether it’s on TV or radio feeds, phone alerts or social media. While you can’t control events halfway around the world, you can take steps to control your reaction and protect your mental health.
Significant Stress
In a statement condemning the Oct. 7 Hamas terrorist attack on Israel that included killing over 1,400 civilians and holding over 200 hostages, the American Psychological Association noted that the crisis is affecting people worldwide. “Psychological science tells us that fear, anxiety and traumatic stress have long-term effects on health and well-being. These impacts are also being felt by people around the world who have families and friends in the region, as well as those concerned about the effects of war everywhere.”
A 2022 poll conducted for the association showed that 76 percent of adults surveyed said the future of our nation is a significant source of stress in their lives. As Americans struggled with multiple issues beyond their personal control — including violence, climate change, politics and race relations — 27 percent reported that most days they were so stressed they could not function.
While Dr. Perkins said some patients here have commented about the recent uptick of bad news, stress levels have remained high since the pandemic. Recommendations to cope include limiting news exposure, spending more time with family and friends, and taking steps to help others near and far.
It’s time to seek further help if anxiety or depression symptoms affect daily living and impede your ability to work, sleep or eat properly, said Dr. Perkins. For those not already working with a therapist, she suggested starting with your primary care physician for intervention or a referral, or visiting the emergency room in an urgent situation.
Ways to cope
Dr. Perkins’ other recommendations to minimize the stress of world events:
While some people try to stay current on changing situations, Dr. Perkins advised against constant vigilance on tough topics. “For most people, that’s just overload. You’re just hearing the same thing over and over and it's really upsetting, and the more you hear it, the more it can be upsetting. Limiting exposure makes sense.”
She recommended restricting news-checking to a couple of times per day. The Reuters report noted troubled respondents sometimes tried passing over bad news to focus on more uplifting stories instead.
- Treat social media the same way: Reduce time, too, for “doomscrolling” on social media, and consider the best way of limiting interruptions of pop-up phone notifications that remind you of concerning news events.
- Consider timing: Checking news too late in the day in any form, when you’re trying to wind down, could affect sleep, Dr. Perkins warned.
- Connect regularly with real people: In-person conversations, particularly with family and friends, can be helpful, even if some talk is about the troubling state of the world. Reach out to strengthen family ties and friendships, Dr. Perkins said, so you don’t feel so alone, get support, and get ideas on how they are coping.
- Take small steps to make a difference: Donating money to or advocating for an organization helping in a natural disaster or other crisis can be a small but active way to address concerns rather than just worrying, Dr. Perkins said. Try the local level, she added. “Maybe you can’t make an impact on the wildfires, but what can you do locally to know you’re helping to sustain the environment here? Or helping with social issues in your own community might make you feel like you have some control.”
- Consider supporting like-minded politicians who can take more direct action: Concerns like environmental sustainability or international relations will continue to make news, and how they’re addressed will depend on who is making decisions for the rest of the country. For those who feel comfortable, Perkins said, “political involvement is going to make you feel like you have some direction.”
