balance

News is everywhere, all the time, and a lot of it is negative. 

With streaming, social media, games, and pop-up headlines, it’s hard to avoid these negative events, especially since coverage is global, bringing what’s going on around the world right to our front doors. With so much exposure to violence and disaster, it’s understandable that we have a buildup of negativity, anxiety, and fear that can lead to media-induced stress. 

Constant Bad News Takes a Toll

If you think you may be dealing with media-induced stress, here are some signs to watch for:

• inability to “unplug” from media reports

• feeling overwhelmed

• anxiety, depression, fear, anger, numbness, shock

• deep feelings of empathy you can’t let go

• difficulty relaxing

• increased heart rate, blood pressure

• sleeping too much or not enough

• restlessness, headaches, stomach, and other physical problems

• overeating, undereating

• isolating

• self-medicating

A Strategy for Tragedy

There are many things outside our control. But taking action when and where we can helps give us a better sense of stability and peace in times of turmoil. Here are some steps to help:

• Assess the reality of a situation to your life. The news makes it seem like negative events happen everywhere, every day to everyone—which can make us feel as if these events are happening in our own lives. But that’s not true. Take time to process what actually affects your daily life. 

• Learn to unplug. Take deliberate breaks from your screens and from the world. 

• Avoid news before bed. They can lead to disrupted or inadequate sleep.

• Limit media consumption in times of hyped-up tragedy. Being informed is okay. Being obsessed is not.

• Talk with friends or family about feelings and issues. Engaging in real-world discussions often helps bring our focus back to what is real, immediate, and important.

• Write your thoughts down. Getting thoughts out of our minds and onto paper helps us assess their validity while cleansing our thought process.

• Try meditation techniques to quiet the mind. Sitting quietly, focused breathing, intentional thinking, and getting in touch with nature can help lower blood pressure and heart rate and deal with rising anxiety.

• Take positive action. In times of tragedy, the urge to help can be therapeutic. Find a local charity or organization to support in some way.

• Engage your mind and body in centering activities. Channel the energy that would typically go toward stress and anxiety toward something positive and productive instead. Listen to or play music. Spend time with your children. Cook a healthy meal. Walk the dog. Organize your closet. Read a book. 

Keep in Mind

Media-induced stress is a real and growing issue that can impact our daily well-being. Realizing that you’re not alone is a big step in battling media-induced trauma. If you’re struggling with handling what’s going on in the world, reach out for help.  

Disaster trauma is such a prominent issue that the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has set up a free support line for anyone in need as well. The Disaster Distress Helpline can be reached at (800) 985-5990 or on the web at www.samhsa.gov/find-help.

“Balance is not something you find; it’s something you create.”— Jana Kingsford, Time Management Author

When we think of the good ol’ days, we often cast a rosy hue on what once was. But when it comes to work/life balance, chances are our parents didn’t have a great one. It helped that they also didn’t have cell phones, internet, or social media, so when they were not at work, they may have been more mindfully engaged in the present. But they also lived in a world where working long hours was a sign of dedication and success. 

Now we know better. Research has shown, many times over, that productivity is not tied to the number of hours you sit at your desk. The truth is, the more time we spend at work, or thinking about work, the more likely we are to get burned out. Burnout leads to lower productivity, less job satisfaction, and increased health risks. A better work/life balance leads to improved efficiency and better overall health. If you’re wondering where to start, we’ve got you covered. 

How Do Life and Work Get Out of Balance? 

A first step is to identify things that may cause an imbalance. 

• Working long hours or working a lot of overtime. It’s important to disengage from work. That’s hard to do if you’re working all (or most of) the time.
• Little choice in work hours or not being able to take off when you need to. While most jobs have scheduling requirements, a rigid schedule without the choice for flexibility leads to stress and resentment.
• High-pressure, high-stress jobs. Some jobs come with higher levels of stress, such as the medical profession, law enforcement, and teaching. For these kinds of jobs, the ability to leave work behind and relax is crucial. 
• Unreasonable expectations. Whether these are self-imposed or come from your boss, this can lead to chronic stress. 

Ideas to Help Improve Work/Life Balance 

Once you name the reasons your work/life scale may be tipped too much to one side, it’s time to take a practical look at how you can make positive changes. 

Consider your personal and professional goals, and figure out what you must do to achieve those. If you want to grow professionally, set boundaries to make that happen. For example, spend x hours a month on professional development. If you want to spend more time with loved ones or pursuing a hobby, set boundaries for those things. Boundaries are meant to protect. They draw lines so other things don’t encroach on that time and space. 

1. Learn to set boundaries. Set boundaries for others and let them know when they can expect you to respond to texts and emails and when you won’t be checking or responding. Set boundaries for yourself. Unless you’re on call, leave your work at work. It will be there when you get back. 

1. Tackle things in order of importance. Do your most important or most dreaded task first. If you can’t finish it, set a specific amount of time you’ll work on it, then move to the next item on your list. 

Delegate. Do what you need to do, and delegate tasks where you can.  

1. Think in terms of outcome, not office hours. Do your job and do it well. When it’s done, go home or log out if you can. If your job doesn’t allow you to do that, take some extra breaks. If your work is already done, you’ve earned it. 

1. Prioritize your health (both mental and physical). Use your breaks to take walks, listen to relaxing music, journal, or work on an office-friendly hobby.  When you leave each day, reward yourself with something that supports your overall wellness. 

1. Put yourself—and your family—on the schedule. Those we love most often get put at the bottom of the list. Don’t do that! Make appointments to spend time enjoying the important people in your life. 

1. Get away. Take a vacation (or staycation). You’ve earned your paid time off, so use it!

Achieving a healthy work/life balance can prevent burnout, chronic stress, and a load of health issues. No one ever looks back at their lives and wishes they’d spent more time at the office. When you get to the end of the year or the end of your days, you probably won’t regret time spent supporting joy, fun, and loving relationships.