mindfulness

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.

Mindfulness

When we’re constantly busy and judging our performance in life, work, and relationships, we can easily become stressed.  This pressure and consistent negative thinking puts you at a greater risk of anxiety and depression.  Excessive planning and problem solving can be taxing.  Mindfulness is one way to redirect you away from these thoughts and start living in the moment.  A meditative and relaxation practice, mindfulness is focusing on the present moment and your senses.  Mindfulness reflects on these experiences in a non-judgmental way.  You begin to see the world around you through a new lens, and instead of seeing life critically you start to become curious.      

Why Practice Mindfulness?

There are many benefits to incorporating mindfulness into your life.  From an emotional and physical standpoint, mindfulness helps fight depression, anxiety, and other mental health symptoms.  Researchers have found that practicing mindfulness meditation may improve your memory, your ability to learn, and your self-esteem.  Redirecting your thoughts can help you feel better about yourself, take better care of yourself, and raise your mood.  Many times our minds dwell on past mistakes, fears, or even hopes for the future.  Mindfulness helps us to stay in the present and keeps us calm enough to practice good decision-making.  Our work life can also improve when we spend less time on negative thoughts.  Mindfulness allows us to be more creative and thoughtful in our work.      

 

How to Practice Mindfulness

Learn the meditative practice of mindfulness by following the steps listed:

1. Focus and practice good breathing. Begin by sitting up straight in a chair with your feet flat on the floor.  Pay attention to what it feels like to breathe in and out.  Relax your mind and dismiss other thoughts.  Notice your abdomen as it rises and falls with each breath.  If your mind does begin to wander, don’t judge yourself.  Gently redirect your thoughts back to the exercise.  If you are finding it difficult, search online or watch YouTube clips for breathing exercise instructions.
2. Pay attention to your senses. Focusing on your senses can help you feel calmer.  For example, find a piece of fruit and smell, feel, and look at the fruit.  Take a bite, chewing and tasting it slowly.  This practice can relax you and possibly teach you more about your relationship with food.  You can also try paying attention to your senses while walking outside.  Whether you’re in your backyard or at a busy street corner, you can stop and pay attention to what you hear, see, and smell.  Take a deep breath.  Direct your mind away from any negative or stressful thoughts and towards the present moment. 
3. Look at what’s familiar. Focus on an object you use or encounter every day.  Look at it with fresh eyes, in a way you’ve not noticed it before.  You might find a new appreciation for the world when you stop and truly pay attention. 
4. Listen carefully to others. Truly listen to people you’re meeting for the first time and those you’ve known a long time.  Hear what they’re saying with new ears.  Consider what they’re trying to convey and how they might experience the world differently than you do. 
5. Delay judgment. We tend to size people up immediately.  When we are slow to judge others, we may be less negative about the world around us.  This gives us an opportunity to discover what’s special about the individual and what we can learn from people.

When to Practice Mindfulness

The following tips will help you discover the best time to engage in mindfulness:

• Look for patterns. Do you find yourself getting more stressed or negative at certain parts of the day?  Begin to look for patterns to your thinking.  If you notice a particular event, environment, or time of day that triggers these reactions, consider engaging in mindfulness beforehand to counteract them.
• Find your space. Set aside a few minutes every day to practice breathing techniques.  Create a special, quiet place for you to relax.  Begin to feel yourself unwind.  A safe and positive place can make all the difference when releasing stress and tension. 
• Use every moment. Some mindfulness activities, like listening carefully and engaging your senses, can be practiced any time during the day.  Likewise, almost any activity lends itself to mindfulness, from checking your email to shopping at the grocery store.  Simply tune in to your breathing, your other senses, and who is around you.    
• Establish a routine. Mindfulness might seem awkward or uneasy at first.  However, as you practice it every day for several months, mindfulness will begin to feel more natural.  Researchers suggest committing to mindfulness techniques for six months to establish a solid routine.    

When you practice mindfulness, great things can happen.  Instead of mindlessly eating in front of the television each day to deal with stress, you can experience all this world has to offer.  In short, being mindful takes you off autopilot to notice new things with greater enthusiasm.    

 

Want to talk to a counselor today about this? 

Call Amplified Life at 800-453-7733 and ask for your “Free 15 Minute Phone Consultation" with one of our licensed counselors. We’ll listen, answer questions you may have, and help you plan next steps.

 

Sources:

www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-living/consumer-health/in-depth/mindfulness-exercises/art-20046356http://newsinhealth.nih.gov/issue/Jan2012/Feature2