Limit Your Exposure to Negative Information

What you see and hear can affect your mood and level of anxiety. Watching too much news of crime, disasters, wars, political polarization, etc. can trigger anxiety about the future. Being around negative individuals or depressing books, movies or TV can also bring you down or make you anxious. If you notice that exposure to these types of stimuli worsen your anxiety, then you may want to reduce your exposure to them. This does not mean putting your head in the sand like an ostrich, but limiting exposure can be helpful.

Limiting your exposure to negative information can help reduce anxiety in several ways:

• Reduces stress triggers: Constantly being bombarded with negative news, social media, or other forms of negative information can be a significant source of stress. By limiting your exposure, you can reduce the number of stress triggers in your life.
• Helps maintain a balanced perspective: Negative information can create a skewed perspective on the world, making it seem like everything is going wrong. By limiting your exposure, you can maintain a more balanced perspective and avoid getting caught up in a negative worldview.
• Reduces feelings of overwhelm: Too much negative information can be overwhelming, leading to feelings of anxiety and hopelessness. By limiting your exposure, you can reduce these feelings and feel more in control.
• Allows for more positive influences: By limiting your exposure to negative information, you can make room for more positive influences in your life, such as uplifting news, inspiring stories, or supportive relationships.
• Helps to reduce fear and anxiety about the future: Negative information can create fear and anxiety about the future, making it seem like the world is a scary and uncertain place. By limiting your exposure, you can reduce these feelings and feel more confident and hopeful about the future.