“Coverage can seem constant and for many of us these issues aren’t only in the headlines – they impact our daily lives. This can heighten feelings of anxiety, hopelessness, grief and feeling unable to stop scrolling, particularly when faced with repeated exposure to distressing events.”
The deluge of negative headlines shows no signs of abating. But there are, according to experts, some ways that you can cope.
Limit your news intake
The simplest option is turning off your phone. But ‘doomscrolling’ – compulsively scanning through terrible news – is addictive. It’s also ubiquitous: the average person spends three hours and 15 minutes per day trawling negative content. Over the course of 12 months, this adds up to a whopping 1,149 hours – or 47.9 full days.
It’s unpleasant, anxiety-inducing – and strangely addictive, explains Campaign Against Living Miserably (CALM) CEO Simon Gunning. “Our brains are sponges for negativity,” he says.
Humans evolved to assess and mitigate threats. It’s this wariness that kept our hunter-gatherer ancestors alive – but it’s utterly overwhelming in the age of the smartphone.
Barraged with threats, scrolling gives us a “false sense of control”, writes Dr Jade Wu.
“When we scroll endlessly through the news, even when it’s bad news, it makes us feel like we’re gaining information or that we’re creating a plan,” she explains. “This may be true for the first few headlines, but once you’re on the seventeenth article about spiking cases or race-related riots, how much value is each one adding?”
Stepping away from your phone is hard, Wu concedes. But it’s really important. She advises setting time limits on apps, and going to newsfeeds with a specific purpose. Noticing what prompts the tendency to scroll is useful, too – are you more likely to reach for your phone when you’re already feeling anxious? Observing patterns can help you check the impulse.
Stopping scrolling is hard. But it’s worth it, says Gunning.
“Limit the time you spend doom scrolling, make sure this isn’t the last thing you’re doing before you go to bed, and balance the negative with some positivity by looking at a ridiculous video of a dog riding a skateboard,” he says.
Focus on what you can control
The news is often relentlessly terrible. And when ‘World War Three’ trends on X, formerly known as Twitter, it’s normal to feel helpless.
Mind urges people to focus on what they can control. They recommend ‘focusing your thoughts’ by making a list of the things you can change, and the things you can’t.
“Try to notice positive things in your life that are staying the same, despite other things feeling uncertain,” they advise. “[And] try to distract yourself from the things you can’t control – for example with a relaxation exercise.”
Weatherely suggests practicing self-care activities such as mindfulness, exercise and getting out in nature.
Exercises like this can help you maintain perspective, Gunning adds.
“It is actually healthy to allow yourself time to worry, but it’s also important to let it go. And then focus on the things you can control – see your mates, write yourself a to-do list or get involved with a charity that’s doing something you care about.”
Get involved with a cause you care about – but know when to ask for more help
Indeed, engaging with the news healthily doesn’t mean switching off from the issues that matter to you. You can channel some of your feelings of despair into positive actions.
A 2022 paper from the Yale School of Public health found that “engaging in collective action” can “buffer the effects of climate change anxiety and prevent it from leading to feelings of sadness and hopelessness that would be consistent with major depression”.
Coping with negative news doesn’t mean fully disengaging from society, Wu says.
“The goal here is not to crawl under a rock and pretend that everything is peachy and never look at the news again,” she explains. “Nor is it to disconnect from the social and political happenings that require our participation now more than ever.”
“Being informed and participating in civic life is important. Interacting with friends is important… but let’s do it in a way that is intentional, that creates value for our lives.”
Positive ways to channel stress about the state of the world include volunteering and campaigning, which is also a great way to meet likeminded people. You can find a list of volunteer organisations here.
If you are particularly stressed about global human rights breaches, GOV.UK has some advice about how to safely donate or volunteer to aid humanitarian disasters.
Engaging in meaningful activities that contribute to our community can provide a sense of purpose and agency, Weatherley said. But It’s not your responsibility alone to tackle big problems.
“It might not always feel possible to do this [volunteering] and that’s OK. Remember, it’s not your sole responsibility to tackle big societal problems,” she said.
“If your feelings are very upsetting and long lasting, or are preventing you from enjoying your life – you might want to reach out for support. It’s always ok to ask for help.”
Mind have more information about seeking help here.
