Bad News is Bad for Your Health

Posted on 25. Sep, 2008 by Karen in Health, Misc

  As part of my normal routine, I turned on the Today Show this morning to get my 30-minute daily fix of what’s happening in the world.  Lately I’ve been limiting my exposure to the news because so little good gets reported and the bad is stressing me out.

Today I got about 15 minutes into the latest expert’s commentary on the U.S. economy and it really got to me.  I actually started feeling anxious and panicky as I started thinking about my 401(k) — what’s left of it, being super-glued to my house that used to be such a great value and, and, and …  I realized that my anxiety over all these things I can’t change was getting beyond stress.

So I got up and turned off the news because I realized that bad news is bad for my health.  To counteract the toxicity, I turned on my favorite meditation CD to get me back to where I was before I turned the news on. 

Have you felt like pulling the plug on the bad news lately?

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5 Responses to “Bad News is Bad for Your Health”

  1. b

    26. Sep, 2008

    Ooooooh YES darlin’ – I’ve been pulling that plug, alright.

    Not only on media coverage of all-that-bad-stuff, but when I get together and talk with friends, all the bad news seems to dominate our conversations.
    We need temporary diversions from the sad bad and negative. Nature gone wrong via our wrongs done to nature, man’s inhumanity to man, the consequences of greed, all that political posturing.

    We can use some quieting of the mind – such as you get from those meditation CDs.

    Not that we don’t care what’s happening with our world/ society/ economy etc., but sometimes it’s just Time for Time Out.

    We need to be rejuvenated enough to offer up a (even a minif) random act of kindness each day.
    Doing our part to counter some of that bad news.

    Those little acts do add up.

  2. Wendy

    26. Sep, 2008

    Hey B,

    I couldn’t agree with you or Karen more. I’m all about my news blackouts to keep my sanity and stay positive. Getting quiet, walking outside, tuning into body — all great activities to not get drawn into gloom and doom.

    It’s all about our mindset and staying above the fray.

  3. Ladybeams

    27. Sep, 2008

    Most of my mentors have always said to turn off the news because of how depressing it can be, and I’ve seen it in action. They’ve always said “If there’s anything really so bad you need to know about it, someone will tell you” which is in line with b’s comment above. I started to worry about the BF because he was glued to the Weather Channel for 2 days watching the hurricanes pass thru. It reminded me of when everyone was glued to TV watching the Golf War.

  4. Celeste

    27. Sep, 2008

    I could not agree with you more Karen. For goodness sake with the economy (i.e. foreclosures, gas prices, etc.), the weather (i.e. Hurricane Ike and not to mention the winter fastly approaching Michigan) and the sickening war and its casualties, I find myself turning on the Food channel 24/7….my escape, that and a 4 mile walk everyday after a grueling 8 hour day at work where people are in litigation over the most unbelievable petty things….

    Welcome to my World !

    Thank goodness for fruit markets where I find my own save haven.
    Maybe I will open up my own fruit market when I retire ….call it Chelesta’s (Italian for Celeste)….too funny !

    Celeste

  5. Karen

    30. Sep, 2008

    b–funny you should mention meditation as a way to calm the mind during this chaos. I was looking at meditation videos last night for one to post here on Midlife’s A Trip. Great minds think alike.

    Wendy–walking is so good for the body AND the mind. Walk away from anxiety.

    Celeste–love the idea for the fruit market. I hang out in the yarn shop as my safe haven. Everyone is so upbeat there. And another walker — Celeste meet Wendy! I have to confess that I too have a TV escape. Because I’ve turned into a night owl, I watch back to back episodes of Frazier at midnight no less. But it relaxes me.

    Really good suggestions everyone on how to rise above the financial fray! Thanks for sharing here.

    Karen

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