This post is particularly for anyone who’s really struggling with staying positive, especially if that has been precipitated by redundancy. Actually, it’s a bit controversial, and I admit I feel a little nervous suggesting it, but there is research to back up this recommendation- consider cutting down on mainstream media news, or even cutting it out entirely.
Of course, some people’s work (and personal interests such as financial investments) requires keeping a very tight finger on the pulse of current affairs, but many people follow the news religiously with asking themselves exactly what the purpose is of doing so.
(I find it so fascinating to have watched the shift in news consumption in three generations- my stepfather (and uncles) all demanded the 6pm news every day- he’d drop his Auckland Star, (and later his NZ Herald) briefly to consume 30mins of TV news that he heard multiple times already that day via the radio. My generation have had less of any appetite for the regular news, and my kids’ generation seem to have little to no interest in mainstream news).
I haven’t personally followed mainstream media in any form (TV, radio, print, or online) since the last recession, about 16 years ago. The backstory is that I had visited someone I was supporting, who had been hospitalized due to extreme depression and psychotic episodes as a result of the Global Financial Crisis’ impact on his business. When I arrived at the hospital, he exclaimed:
“So, Sharkey, tell me some good news!!”
That question struck me because I was so immersed in the news of the day, particularly about the GFC, that my mind was consumed by it.
On the way home, as was my custom, I was listening to talkback radio. The interviewer was grilling a representative of a finance company trying to implement a rescue plan to save investors' funds. I was struck by how the interviewer seemed determined to dig for a bad-news angle and vilify the company, which appeared to be trying to do the right thing. At that moment, I decided to stop following the news altogether.
If you're aware that you're currently struggling with challenges or negativity, at the very least, consider adjusting your intake of both formal mainstream media and the news that comes through social media. If not, perhaps give it up completely for a season.
You'll be surprised, as I was, by a few things:
1. How little you miss it.
2. How much extra time you gain by not engaging with the news.
3. How much better you feel about the world in general.
As a postscript, research shows that people who don’t follow the news tend to be happier than those who do.
