How to Deal with News and Coping Skills for News Information
Does your thumb ever feel like it has a mind of its own? You open your phone to check one thing, and twenty minutes later you’re deep in a feed of worrying headlines with a pit in your stomach. If you’ve ever felt like you're drowning in news you can't look away from, you're not alone. This experience isn't a personal failing; it’s a sign that your brain is working exactly as it was designed to.
Our minds are wired with what psychologists call a negativity bias—a survival instinct that makes us pay far more attention to threats than to good news. It’s why a single scary headline can erase the feeling of ten positive stories. Combine this with the endless stream of modern media, and you get information overload. Trying to process it all is like attempting to drink from a firehose; you end up feeling soaked and exhausted, not informed.
When your brain is constantly bombarded this way, another response can kick in: compassion fatigue. The constant exposure to tragedy and crisis can leave you feeling emotionally numb or helpless, as if you’ve simply run out of empathy. Recognizing these natural psychological responses is the first, most powerful step toward changing your relationship with the news and regaining your peace of mind.
The Doomscrolling Trap: How to Recognize and Break the Anxious Cycle
This compulsive need to keep scrolling through worrying updates has a name: doomscrolling. It's the act of consuming bad news, driven by a desire to understand a threat or find a piece of information that will finally make you feel in control.
The problem is, it doesn't work. Because our brains are already wired to focus on threats (our negativity bias), doomscrolling acts like fuel on a fire. Instead of finding the one answer that brings relief, we just find more reasons to feel anxious, helpless, or angry. It's a trap where the search for certainty only creates more anxiety.
Breaking out of this cycle in the moment requires a simple, intentional action. The next time you realize you're stuck in a loop of bad news, use the "STOP" method as an emergency brake for your brain:
S - Stop scrolling. Physically put your phone down or close the laptop.
T - Take one deep breath. Inhale for four counts, hold for four, and exhale for six.
O - Observe your immediate surroundings. Name three things you can see and one thing you can hear. This pulls your mind out of the digital world and back into the present.
P - Pick a new, non-screen activity. Stand up, stretch, get a glass of water, or look out a window for just one minute.
This simple technique interrupts the anxious feedback loop and gives you the power to choose what you do next. While the STOP method is an excellent tool for in-the-moment relief, you can also set up your environment to make doomscrolling less likely in the first place.
Your First Line of Defense: 3 Quick Tech Changes for Instant Calm
While stopping a doomscrolling spiral is a crucial skill, an even better strategy is to prevent it from starting in the first place. Think of your phone not as a source of stress, but as a tool you can program for calm. By making a few small tweaks in your settings, you can create a digital environment that protects your peace of mind by default, making it easier to stay informed without feeling overwhelmed.
Here are three simple changes you can make in under five minutes that put you back in control:
Turn Off Breaking News Notifications. Those constant alerts are designed to create a sense of urgency, keeping your brain on high alert. Go into your phone’s settings, find your news and social media apps, and disable their notifications. You can still check the news, but now it will be on your terms.
Set App Timers. Most modern smartphones have a built-in feature (like "Screen Time" on iPhone or "Digital Wellbeing" on Android) that lets you set a daily time limit for specific apps. Give yourself a 15- or 20-minute "news allowance." When your time is up, your phone will gently remind you, helping you stick to your goal without a fight.
Move News Apps Off Your Home Screen. We often open apps out of pure muscle memory. By moving them into a folder or onto a secondary screen, you break that mindless reflex. This tiny bit of friction forces you to make a conscious choice to seek out information, rather than tapping instinctively.
These small barriers do more than just limit your time—they give you back the power of choice. They create the breathing room necessary to decide when and how you engage with world events. With a calmer digital space established, the next step is to be more intentional about what you choose to let into it.
How to Create a "Healthy News Diet"
With those digital barriers in place, you can start thinking about your news habits the same way you think about your food: as a diet. Constantly "snacking" on headlines, social media hot takes, and alarming alerts is like living on junk food. It might feel momentarily satisfying, but it ultimately leaves you feeling drained and anxious. Creating a healthy news diet isn't about starving yourself of information; it's about choosing to consume it in a more balanced and nourishing way.
A great first step is to stop grazing and start scheduling "news meals." Instead of checking your phone whenever a free moment appears, try setting aside one or two specific times each day—perhaps for 15 minutes over your morning coffee—to intentionally catch up. This simple routine transforms news consumption from a constant, reactive drip of anxiety into a controlled, predictable part of your day. You get the information you need, and then you get to move on.
Just as important as when you consume news is what you consume. Trying to keep up with ten different websites, endless social feeds, and TV chyrons is exhausting. A much healthier approach is to choose just one or two primary sources that are known for straightforward, factual reporting rather than strong opinion. When you rely on a couple of trusted sources, you get a clearer picture of events without the noise and emotional whiplash that comes from information overload.
By combining scheduled check-ins with higher-quality sources, you can stay informed without feeling overwhelmed. It’s a powerful shift from being a passive target for information to being an active, mindful consumer. But how do you know if a source is actually reliable? You don't need to be an investigative journalist; you just need to know how to perform a quick gut check.
Become a Smarter News Consumer: The 30-Second Gut Check
You don’t need to be an expert to tell the difference between reliable information and junk food news. The goal isn’t to become a cynic, but to build a quick, simple habit that protects your peace of mind. Developing strategies for managing news consumption starts with asking a few smart questions before you emotionally invest in a headline. This simple "gut check" can be done in less than a minute.
Before you share a post or let a story make your stomach clench, pause and take 30 seconds to ask these three questions:
Who is telling me this? Is it a straightforward news report, an opinion piece, or a random social media account?
What's their goal? Are they trying to inform me with facts, persuade me with an argument, or just make me angry or scared?
Can I verify this elsewhere? Does a quick search on a different, trusted news site confirm the basic facts of the story?
These questions work because they shift your focus from the emotional hook of the headline to the intent behind it. Learning to spot the difference between content designed to inform and content designed to provoke is a superpower for your mental health. It allows you to engage with the world on your own terms, filtering out the noise meant to manipulate your feelings.
Making this gut check a habit puts you firmly back in the driver’s seat, reducing anxiety and preventing you from falling for rage-bait. But filtering out negativity is only half the battle. To create a truly healthy mindset, you also need to intentionally seek out the good.
Find Your Balance: Why You Need to Actively Seek Out Positive News
Intentionally looking for good news isn't about pretending problems don't exist. Think of it like balancing your food diet; you can't mentally thrive on a diet of purely stressful information. Our brains are naturally wired to focus on threats—that negativity bias again—so actively looking for stories of progress and solutions is a necessary tool to get a more accurate, less anxiety-inducing picture of the world.
This leads to a powerful alternative to the typical cycle of bad news: solutions-focused journalism. Instead of just highlighting what's broken, this type of reporting asks, “Who is trying to fix this, and how are they doing it?” It covers credible responses to social problems, focusing on stories of innovation, community action, and tangible progress. This simple shift helps counter feelings of helplessness by reminding you that challenges are constantly being met with effort and ingenuity.
Adding this to your routine is one of the most effective balanced news consumption tips. If you're feeling overwhelmed by bad news, try adding one of these positive news sources as an alternative to your weekly reading:
Reasons to be Cheerful: An online magazine that tells stories of intelligent, proven solutions to the world’s most pressing problems.
Positive.News: A publication dedicated to "good journalism about good things."
The Goodnewsletter: A daily email that delivers a dose of good news right to your inbox.
Subscribing to one of these can feel like opening a window and letting in some fresh air, providing a crucial reminder that constructive efforts are happening every single day.
Your Action Plan for a Calmer, More Informed Life
Where the 24/7 news cycle once felt like an unstoppable force, you are now equipped to manage the feelings it creates. You've moved from being a passive consumer, pulled along by endless feeds and alarming notifications, to an intentional one, ready to build a healthier relationship with information.
To turn this new knowledge into lasting relief, start with this simple, four-step action plan:
Tame Your Tech: Turn off notifications and set timers.
Schedule Your News: Swap all-day snacking for one or two daily 'news meals.'
Do the 30-Second Gut Check: Ask Who, What's their goal, and Can I verify.
Seek Balance: Add one positive or solutions-focused source to your week.
These practical coping skills are the key to staying informed without getting overwhelmed. Each time you set a timer or check a source, you reinforce a powerful truth: your peace of mind is not at odds with your awareness. You no longer have to choose between being engaged with the world and protecting your well-being—you now have the tools to do both.