Is a constant stream of news headlines and notifications barraging your phone and infiltrating your email, reminding you of political, economic, and humanitarian unrest? It’s difficult not to emotionally respond and react, or let the most recent CNN or NYT update put you in a horrible mood.
Do you shudder when a notification from a news network pops up on your phone mid-day, while you’re trying to finish a report for work? Do news headlines that flood your Facebook feed make you angry, anxious, or irritable?
So how can you manage stress and anxiety? Each week I will offer one approach to help you stay grounded.
Tip #1 | Limit news to 10 minutes a day from one trusted source.
It’s possible to control your own exposure to the news, and if it’s negatively impacting you, you have the power to limit how much you digest daily. Imagine designating 10 minutes a day and 10 minutes only to catch up on the Washington Post or your favorite news source --- at a time of the day when you don’t have other commitments or distractions. Turn off your push notifications and resist the habit to read all about what’s wrong with the world as soon as you get to the office.
Stay grounded!
Konstantin Lukin, Ph.D., is a licensed clinical psychologist in Ridgewood and Hoboken, NJ. He has extensive clinical and research experience spanning individuals of all ages, in both inpatient and outpatient settings. He specializes in men’s issues, couple’s counseling, and relationship problems. His therapeutic approach focuses on providing support and practical feedback to help patients effectively address personal challenges. He integrates complementary modalities and techniques to offer a personalized approach tailored to each patient. He has been trained in cognitive-behavioral, dialectical behavior, schema-focused, and emotionally focused therapy, and has also been involved with research projects throughout his career, including two National Institute of Mental Health-funded studies. He is a member of the Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies, New Jersey Psychological Association, Northeast Counties Association of Psychologists, New York State Psychological Association, The International Centre for Excellence in Emotionally Focused Therapy, The New York Center for Emotionally Focused Therapy, the International OCD Foundation, the Association for Contextual Behavioral Science (ACSB) and a regular contributor to Psychology Today.