You’re constantly besieged with notifications on your phone
about the pandemic. Every time you turn on the TV, you unwittingly turn to new
channels that unleash newsflashes and images that you wish you could unsee. A
well-intentioned friend or relative is frequently sending you information they
think you will find useful, but it just causes you anxiety. Does this sound
familiar to you?

Being barraged with news, whether we wish to see it or not,
has become like a daily reality in the pandemic era. Although many people have
normalized hearing about rising cases to a large extent owing to the prolonged
period of the pandemic, many others continue to feel increasingly anxious in
the midst of the second wave. A factor that might be playing a part is the
inadvertent overconsumption of news.

In our efforts to stay well informed, we may simply be
overwhelming ourselves needlessly. Sensationalistic journalism may have the
ratings skyrocketing, but it isn’t as good for our emotional wellbeing. Similar
to our body’s stress response mechanism, when it is short-term, it can mobilise
and energise us to take necessary action, but when we are forced to function in
this state on a long-term basis, it causes fatigue and causes more damage than
help.

So here are a few points to consider to help ease you into a
more comfortable and less anxious mental space:

1. Assign a fixed slot of time for news. If you absolutely must
   watch the news, try to set aside time solely for it such as 20 minutes a day
   every evening instead of overwhelming yourself with news throughout the day.
2. Say no if you must. If you feel truly overwhelmed by what
   you are seeing on the news or on social media, consider taking a hiatus from
   the platform until you can feel a bit more balanced.
3. Don’t feel guilty. Many people tend to feel guilty if they
   are not following the news or sharing news. Help yourself first. Your emotional
   wellbeing is important, and the important news will most likely reach you in
   any case.
4. Find small pleasurable activities to relax. Small daily
   rituals that calm you can be your go-to activity whenever you feel anxious
   thoughts cropping up. This may be colouring, journaling or anything else you
   enjoy.
5. Adopt a mindfulness practice. It could be as simple as 5
   minutes of closing your eyes and actively listening to the sounds around you.
   Grounding techniques such as this help relieve anxiety.

So where do you draw the line? When you start feeling more
overwhelmed than anything else, it’s time to take a step back and recentre
yourself. It is important to remember that our main aim during the pandemic is
not only to keep ourselves and our families safe and survive, but to be able to
cross over to the other side with our mental health intact. This pandemic is
teaching us many things, but let one of the most important takeaways be to make
our emotional and mental wellbeing a priority.