News: good or bad for your mental health?
They have invaded us for a long time, we always want to know what is happening, the good ones make us happy, but the bad ones worry us, outrage us and even depress us. Are you aware of the quantity and quality of news you consume on a daily basis? Perhaps you had not thought of it this way, because the fact of “being informed” is so common. Many even worry about knowing what happens to have conversation topics with their circle and not look ridiculous if someone starts a conversation about a current event. It seems that not watching the news is almost impossible, it has become a necessity and they reign in society among any culture. Events, wars, protests, attacks. I dare to say that only 10% of the news is positive on mass traditional channels. This spread almost uncontrollably with the internet and social media, thousands of channels bombarding us with new events every second. Perhaps for you it is natural and it seems even good, to get up in the morning and turn on the TV or read a few web portals before starting your day. But have you thought that this can harm your mental health? Yes, although it seems harmless, it is harmful, but I am not saying that the channels are bad, but the amount of time you spend watching the facts daily. Fortunately we have the power to choose what to see. Positive news causes positive effects on our mood and therefore on our mind and body, but negative news are not very beneficial for your well-being. Of course that will depend on your ability to digest what you hear or see, some people can spend the day watching the news and still be happy and optimistic. But others may feel identified with the events and facts and suffer each segment of the newscast even thinking and talking about it all day. In either case, inconsistently, each information we consume shapes our thoughts and reactions. So it is important that you avoid watching negative news excessively.To take care of your emotions and move forward. Move along? If most of the news only causes stress, fear, uncertainty, helplessness and diverts our thoughts from creativity. So by choosing to give little space to the news in our routine, we can dedicate that time to doing things that inspire us, motivate us and help us make better decisions at home, at work, in life in general. Remember that where your attention is, is your mind, your body and all your creative energy. And I tell you this from my own experience, being a journalist, who transformed her skills and put them at the service of digital marketing, personal growth, the positive. I loved the news, I could spend 24 hours watching or reading it but just when the pandemic began my vision changed completely, and I decided not to consume or share any type of news information and this has undoubtedly helped me to focus on other creative projects and that they also motivate, help inspire other people, the best example is this article you are reading. So my recommendation is that you evaluate, how do you feel when watching the news? How much time do you spend on it during the day? and how do you react to these? Then if you discover that they affect you in any way, try to incorporate these recommendations: Choose to see news only from official sources. Stay informed if you wish, but allocate only 30 minutes a day for this. After watching the news, avoid talking and thinking about it all day. Stop following social media accounts that post unconfirmed news or fake news. Unlike watching the news in the morning and at night, choose to see information about other areas that you develop, for example news about your type of entrepreneurship, about technological advances, about well-being or any other enriching topic. Then evaluate how you feel and if it benefits you, continue with these habits. Your body and mind will thank you. Anabel BriceñoBrand Advisor and Copywriter for M.O.T.M.V.
